Players Outreach
One of the most important parts of the Chiefs dedication to
the community lies simply in their physical presence. Tuesday is a traditional day off for players throughout the NFL
during the season, yet many of the Chiefs use that time to do a good day’s work around the community. In fact, it’s a
common occurrence to see your favorite Chiefs personality any day of the week lending a helping hand to show the
importance they place on volunteerism.
If there’s a player’s charity that you’d like to know more about or to make a tax deductible donation, contact the
Chiefs Community Relations Department at 816.920.9300.
DUSTIN COLQUITT
Dustin volunteers at TLC for Children and Families, a center in Kansas City that provides opportunities that encourage
positive growth and change for children, youth and families while ensuring a safe environment. http://www.kidstlc.org
BRODIE CROYLE
As a child, Brodie grew up on his family’s Big Oak Ranch in Rainbow City, Alabama. The ranch serves as a Christian
home and school for children from troubled and abusive situations. Because he had a childhood filled with different
people Brodie learned to adapt to all types of personalities, a skill he now uses in the huddle. When he gets some free
time off of the field Brodie likes to make visits to the ranch to spend time with the children.
Brodie serves as a spokesperson for Johnson County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). CASA is comprised of
volunteers trained to be advocates for children who have been abused and neglected and are under the protection of the
court. They are appointed by the judge to meet regularly with the child, review records, and talk to family members and
professionals involved in the child’s case. They report information to the judge, make recommendations to promote the
child’s best interests, and monitor compliance with the court’s orders until the child has been placed in a safe,
permanent home. http://www.casajohnsoncounty.org/
Chiefs Women’s Organization (CWO)
The CWO is an group comprised of wives, fiancées, and significant others of Chiefs players, coaches and football
support staff members. Founded by Lia Edwards, the mission of the organization is to build goodwill in the Kansas City
community through active volunteer participation. The CWO teams up with charities to assist in maximizing the program’s
impact. These community projects allow the members of the CWO to take a hands-on approach in their role as ambassadors
of goodwill.
In just a short period of time, the CWO has made a significant mark in the Kansas City Community. Every year, they are
at the forefront of the Chiefs Breast Cancer Awareness game as they wear special edition jersey’s and help distribute
free pink paraphernalia. Additionally, they have served in a community service aspect with such local groups as
Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired, Cross-Lines, Derrick Thomas Academy, Habitat for Humanity, Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation, and Operation Breakthrough.
HERM EDWARDS
Now in its 13th season the Herm Edwards Youth Football Camp teaches kids football techniques and key life concepts.
His camp takes place in his native Seaside, California. Herm stresses that it’s not just about being a good athlete and
he shows this by teaching the kids his seven core concepts: Expectations, Priorities, Commitment, Choices, Integrity,
Teamwork and Sportsmanship. Every year Herm offers free admissions to children ages 9-17. Since its inception, the camp
has raised funds in support of area high school football programs as well as the Boys & Girls Clubs, where Edwards
spent countless hours during his youth.
DONNIE EDWARDS
In 2002, Edwards created the Donnie Edwards Best Defense Foundation. Working with organizations such as the Boy Scouts
and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the foundation is a way of assisting children challenged by the same obstacles
that he faced growing up. A young man of mixed ethnic background that came from a single-parent family and lived in an
economically-depressed area, Edwards defied the odds to reach success.
Donnie has obtained the status of a Star Scout in the Boy Scouts of America organization where he serves as a board
member. He also has served as a board member for the Boys & Girls Clubs, a place where he spent much of his
childhood. Not everyone has a place like the B&G Club like Donnie did so he became a participant in the J.C. Penney
Jam with Dr. Phil McGraw to raise awareness of the need for access to quality afterschool programs and provide funds so
that more working families have access to these programs. Donnie continues to help children as a supporter of the
California Child Abuse Prevention Center. Donnie has also created the “Jump for Life” program that educates children in
San Diego about nutrition, physical fitness and setting goals.
He also aids families as a whole as a participant in “Shop With a Jock” events in both San Diego and Kansas City since
99’. This event provides $100 gift certificates for needy children to purchase presents for their families during the
holiday season. Also dating back to 99’ he has hosted an annual “Dad’s Day” at SeaWorld on Father’s Day with other NFL
players.
The California native also served as a spokesman for the Multiple Sclerosis Society and sponsored the Donnie Edwards
MS Bike Blitz, which served as a fund raiser for that organization. He also served as a spokesperson for the U.S.
Department of Transportation’s “Buckle-UP Campaign” which promotes seat belt usage.
Donnie and the Chiefs continued an annual tradition as they partnered with the Ronald McDonald House for a pot luck
dinner. There Donnie joined with his teammates to serve the residents of RMH dinner and spend some time with them
talking and signing autographs.
TONY GONZALEZ
Tony formed the Tony Gonzalez Foundation which supports the Shadow Buddies program as well as Boys and Girls Clubs.
Shadow Buddies are smiling dolls given to individuals, especially sick children and elderly, in order to help speed
their recovery. The dolls have been distributed in Missouri, Kansas, California, New York, Texas, Hawaii, Washington
D.C. and internationally. In addition, Tony provided 50 “Know Your Buddy Book” kits to school children in Missouri,
Kansas and California. These books teach students about medical challenges and encourage them to increase their
compassion and understanding of others’ differences.
Tony has previously been a Chiefs United Way spokesperson as well as a spokesperson for the Susan G. Komen Race for
the Cure, benefiting breast cancer awareness and research, Midwest Organ Donor Bank, the U.S. Department of
Transportation Safety Campaign and the Kansas School Safety Hotline. He appeared in a series of “Buckle Up: Football is
a Game, Your Life is Not” ads promoting seat belt usage in memory of the late Derrick Thomas. Tony was named to
Ingram’s prestigious “40 Under 40” list which annually honors Kansas City’s most influential and accomplished business,
government and community leaders. To date, he is the youngest individual ever named to the list. He donated 200 flag
football uniforms to the Kansas City Boys and Girls Club and was instrumental in helping them receive a $75,000
NFL/LISC grant to construct a flag football field in Kansas City’s Cleveland Park. Tony provides 10 Chiefs season
tickets to the Kansas City Boys and Girls Club as incentives for club members.
Making a personal connection with an elite professional athlete is a tough task! That’s why Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez is
taking in upon himself to personally make that connection with his fans. The “Elite 88” program starts in July and
after signing up with a donation to the Tony Gonzalez Shadow Buddies Foundation, they will receive bi-monthly emails
from Tony as well as limited edition “Elite 88” merchandise. From July to the Super Bowl Tony will write about training
camp, scrimmages, football strategy and post game comments while allowing fans a close-up look at what it’s like to be
Tony G! For more information on Tony’s Elite 88 program, go to: http://tonygonzalezfoundation.shadowbuddies.org
Gonzalez also spread some holiday cheer by joining with Shadow Buddies and families of El Centro for a festive
celebration. Tony took this annual event and put his own special twist on it by providing each of the families present
a $75 gift certificate to Price Chopper. At the end of the celebration he drew up the curtain to present each of the
children a special holiday gift. In conclusion, Tony announced that he had fulfilled each of the of the classrooms wish
lists including painting supplies, building blocks, etc. For more information on El Centro Inc. visit their webpage at:
http://www.elcentroinc.com/
As a result of all his philanthropic efforts, Tony was named Kansas City Chiefs Man of the Year.
For more information, please visit www.shadowbuddies.org or
call Marty Postlethwait at Shadow Buddies 913.642.4646.
DAMON HUARD
Damon is the spokesperson for the Johnson County Christmas Bureau in Lenexa, Kansas. The Johnson County Christmas
Bureau is a coordinating non-profit agency for holiday assistance to low-income families of Johnson County. Food,
clothing, toys, gifts, baby, knitted and personal care items are made available for client selections at our annual
Holiday Shop held in December.
http://www.jccb.org/
DERRICK JOHNSON
Derrick Johnson’s King of the Field Foundation provides opportunities for youths to achieve in both academics and in
the community. In his efforts to promote urban reconstruction for youths, Johnson has partnered with Thrivent Financial
for Lutherans, KaBOOM! and members of the Boys & Girls Club for the second year to build another playground in the
inner-city.
DJ joined together with Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt as well as Tyson Foods and Lift Up America to feed the needy of
Kansas City during the holiday season. Derrick, along with other members of the Chiefs, continued this annual tradition
of assisting in the loading and unloading of food into vehicles. Approximately 40 metro area relief organizations such
as food pantries, women’s shelters, drug rehabilitation centers and church ministries benefited from the drive. Tyson
Foods donated 30,000 pounds of protein locally in the fight against hunger via “Powered by Tyson.” For more information
on the efforts of Lift Up America visit: http://www.liftupamerica.org/index.html
LARRY JOHNSON
LJ’s Legacy and Growth Youth Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the lives of youth and promoting development through
collaborative partnerships. The foundation is making a difference with today’s children by nurturing positive thinking,
behavior and attitudes that foster a strong self image.
He became the first player in the NFL to adopt the Junior Player Development (JPD) program. A program seeking to ready
middle school-aged children for the rigors of high school football, JPD has now completed a pair of successful seasons
locally thanks in part to Johnson’s visits and guidance on the practice field. All JPD participants receive counseling
through a life skills/character development curriculum that’s incorporated throughout all on-field activities. Every
week, a different life skills message is designated as a theme. Those themes are then addressed through the context of
football. Instructors will make connections between life skills as they are applied in football as well as other areas
of life, especially school, at home and in the community. Johnson has even sponsored a pair of local youth teams.
A collegiate Penn State Nittany Lion, Johnson appropriately sponsored “LJ’s Young Lions” in both a tee-ball and pee
wee football format. In addition to helping finance the equipment and uniforms for these aspiring athletes, he also
hosted these children at a Chiefs home game during the 2005 season.
Johnson made a visit to ReStart a center that services homeless men, women, and families with children and provides
emergency and transitional shelter and support services. During his visit he not only financed the dinner, but also
helped serve the holiday meal for 300 individuals who were calling the organization home that evening. He made it a
point to help serve the food so that he could get a true sense of what the meal meant to those involved.
Larry has eight Kansas City, MO schools participating in his 2.7 GPA incentive program. He is also a sponsor for Kappa
Alpha Phi Fraternity’s annual Easter Egg Hunt, held at the Chiefs Practice Facility, which allows 1,500 children to
attend.
DAMION McINTOSH
Damion frequently spends time with children at the Boys & Girls club. Combining both his love for the game and his
love for the community.
http://www.bgc-gkc.org/
RUDY NISWANGER
Rudy and his wife Patricia frequently volunteers with Operation Breakthrough in Kansas City, Missouri. The mission of
Operation Breakthrough is to help children who are living in poverty develop to their fullest potential by providing
them a safe, loving and educational environment.
He also paired with Good Bears of the World (GBW) to distribute teddy bears to children at Operation Breakthrough.
Rudy and Patricia not only handed over a bear to each child, they also offered their love and affection, giving each
kid a hung before they ran off with their new fury friend.
http://www.operationbreakthrough.org/
JARRAD PAGE
Jarrad is an alum of the Boys & Girls Club back in his home state of California. As a result he is partnering with
the Kansas City chapter to interact with the kids. Boys & Girls Clubs of America comprises a national network of
more than 3,900 neighborhood-based facilities annually serving some 4.6 million young people, primarily from
disadvantage circumstances. Known as “The Positive Place for Kids,” the Clubs provide guidance-oriented character
development programs on a daily basis for children 6-18 years old, conducted by a full-time professional staff. Key
Boys & Girls Club programs emphasize character and leadership development, education and career development, health
and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation.
http://www.bgc-gkc.org/
Page became the spokesperson for the Power to End Stroke program. Jarrad teamed up with the American Heart
Association to do a number of TV and radio adds stressing the importance of staying healthy to prevent strokes,
especially in the African American race. For more information visit: www.americanheart.com
BERNARD POLLARD
Bernard is the spokesperson for Hooked on Books. This is an organization of committed adults whose mission is to
instill a knowledge and love of books in children whose circumstances may offer little opportunity to gain this
knowledge and love otherwise. Bernard love to take the time to sit down and discuss a variety of books with local
children with a thirst for knowledge. At the end of the program Bernard visits the winning school to present them with
a special award and spend some time congratulating the children.
http://www.jlkc.org
KOLBY SMITH
Kolby has established The Kolby Smith Foundation for reasons close to his heart which will combine events and outings
to aid designated charities and needy causes.
For Kolby’s first event he invited the people of Kansas City to join him and his teammates at his Celebrity Bowl-Off.
This event raised money to support the Thomas J. Brown Jr. Foundation which provides professional help to senior
citizens in the Kansas City area. For more information on events and programs visit Kolby’s webpage at:
www.kolby-smith.com
PATRICK SURTAIN
Patrick established the “Patrick Surtain Foundation” to help promote literacy. Surtain participated in relief efforts
in his hometown of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and provided game tickets for hurricane victims
who relocated to Kansas City. Patrick hosted a weekend of events in New Orleans in the summer of 2006, celebrating the
city’s post-hurricane renewal. Events included a football camp, a concert and picnic that were attended by many of his
NFL colleagues. He has also taken part in the Starbright Video conferencing program that allows athletes and children
to talk with children in another city’s hospital and has assisted Habitat for Humanity to build houses in the Miami
area.
Patrick invited the kids of Education First, Athletics Second program to join him and members of the Chiefs staff for
his “Goal Power” program. The Saturday before selected home games Pat along with three employees of the Chiefs coming
from departments such as training, public relations, and media would meet up with the kids to teach them of the
different aspects of their career. The goal of this program is to show the children that there are other ways to stay
involved with sports in your future other than playing in them.
BRIAN WATERS
Brian established the “Brian Waters 54 Foundation” in 2005 to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. He
works closely with the Love Fund for Children and serves as co-chairman for the Chiefs First Downs for Down Syndrome
program which raises $400,000 annually based on the production of the Chiefs offensive line. Brian hosts annual Punt
Pass & Kick competition for 50 athletes from the Kansas City Metro Special Olympics. This event includes
medals, t-shirts and lunch for everyone. More than 20 of his teammates participate, along with Coach
Edwards. Brian also volunteers in the Pro Bowl Special Olympics Punt Pass & Kick event while he is in
Hawaii.
Waters has also visited the Willa Gill Center where he assisted serving some 60 individuals a Thanksgiving meal.
Following the meal, Waters presented each child with a sweatshirt to help keep them warm in the coming months. The
majority of these individuals are homeless youth, many of which were forced into this circumstance as a result of an
abusive or uncaring home situation. This wasn’t the only group he helped keep warm over the holidays. Waters also lead
a drive for all Chiefs players, coaches, staff, cheerleaders and Ambassadors. Supporting Project Warmth, the Chiefs
family donated clothes, shoes, coats, and blankets to the Salvation Army.
This Texas native also decided it was time for him to reward the efforts of some children who held a special place in
his lineman sized heart. As a result Brian hosted a “Going to Kansas City” trip for a group of kids from the Promise
House STAR Program from the Lone Star State. This outing included a stay at a local hotel/water park, personal tour of
Arrowhead Stadium with a visit from Coach Herm Edwards and even an excursion to the historic 18th & Vine district’s
Negro League Baseball Museum and American Jazz Museum. In addition to the kids from Promise House, Brain had some
special guests tag along on the trip… A camera crew. The entourage was documenting this outing for the latest in the
award-winning linage of NFL/United Way commercials. Drawing more than 120 million viewers each weak during the football
season the NFL/United Way commercials open a lot of eyes to the efforts the League and its players put forth to better
the lives of those in need
In addition to a scholarship program and free football/basketball camps held in Texas, other agencies in his home stat
that he uplifts includes Waxahachie Pee Wee Football and Waxahachie Habitat for Humanity.
Brian spends a lot of time with the children of the Love Fund throughout the season. Once a month he would meets a
group of children from the program at the stadium for a special pizza party and private tour of the stadium. At the
last party Brian presented the Love Fund with a special giant check for $20,000 which was a combination of monies that
his foundation had raised over the year. Brian also gave a number of tickets for each home game to the Love Fund so
that the children that see him at the pizza parties got a chance to see him on the field. Brian concluded the year by
joining with the Love Fun for their annual tree lighting ceremony and celebration.
Brian has also served as a mentor to the Central High School football team in Kansas City as a part of the NFL Play It
Smart program. He is a volunteer at Genesis School, an alternative school in Kansas City and has hosted 50 students
displaced throughout the Kansas City, Missouri School District by Hurricane Katrina on a shopping spree for school
supplies and clothes.
As a result of all his philanthropic efforts, Brian was named Kansas City Chiefs Man of the Year.
For more information on the Brian Waters 54 Foundation visit his webpage at: http://www.brianwaters54.net/
JEFF WEBB
Jeff is an alumni from the Police Athletic League from his home town of Pontiac, Michigan. Therefore he now uses his
influence and character at local PALs in the metro area. PAL is an organization that provides opportunities to bring
young athletes together to compete in a championship environment in several sports. http://www.kcpal.org/
