To kick off the NFL and DoSomething.org’s Huddle Up to Play It Forward initiative, NFL employees spent a morning alongside local Fuel Up to Play 60 students, competing in a health and wellness themed scavenger hunt to improve their community. Huddle Up to Play It Forward, the current focus in a year-long partnership between the NFL and DoSomething.org, encourages fans of all ages to create cleaner and safer places to play. The scavenger hunt created a fun and interactive way for students and employees to exercise, while also making the city a cleaner place.
60 students from Urban Assembly for Future Leaders, Eagle Academy for Young Men of Harlem, New Design Middle School, and PS/MS 161 joined 30 NFL league employees to pick up as much plastic, cardboard, aluminum, and other forms of litter that they could find on the NYC streets. The scavenger hunt consisted of a 25-item scorecard, challenging teams to pick up specific trash items and take pictures in front of landmarks such as Rockefeller Center, Chrysler Building, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The event gave everybody a chance to get physically active and explore historical areas, while also creating a cleaner path across Midtown Manhattan. The team with the most points was also awarded a prize.
“We were thrilled to kickoff Huddle Up to Play It Forward with a cleanup scavenger hunt at our office with NFL employees alongside Fuel Up to Play 60 students and teachers,” said Megan Mendoza, Community Relations Manager, NFL. “Both the employees and students had a blast getting physically active while cleaning up the community.”
Once the scavenger hunt was complete and all trash and recycling bags were brought back and disposed of properly, the group congregated in the Huddle Café inside the NFL office for a barbeque lunch. During the lunch, Mendoza talked to the group about the importance of giving back, referencing Walter Payton as a prime source of inspiration. Kevin Boothe, the Manager of Football Operations Strategy and Business Development at the NFL, and former Super Bowl Champion, also shared words of encouragement with the students. The takeaway for the group was that by giving just a little bit of your free time towards cleaning up your community you can make a big difference.
Huddle Up to Play It Forward will continue through August 15th. We are encouraging all fans to do their part to get out and get moving, while also giving 100 minutes of their time to help clean up their community. Share your volunteer experience on social using #NFLHuddlefor100 or visit DoSomething.org to learn more about Huddle Up to Play It Forward and find other volunteer opportunities.
