Young, aspiring football players in Queens got a $14,000 assist from the NFL — after Commissioner Roger Goodell read about them in The New York Post.
NYPD Det. Patrick Blanc kicked off a fundraiser for the Southside Seahawks last month after The New York Post published an article about his goal to raise $60,000 for equipment, three times what he raised last year. Carolina Panthers player and Queens-native Derek Dennis helped with the effort and met with the players, ages 5 through 14.
Goodell saw the story and decided to act.
“I thought what Derek was doing for those kids in Queens was outstanding and I asked our staff to find a way to support him and the Southside Seahawks,” he said.
Goodell passed a copy of The Post article onto the NFL Foundation, which then contacted the Southside Seahawks and donated $11,000 worth of gear.
Dennis kicked in another $3,000. The pro-player said he wants to give inner city children from his hometown the opportunities he found through the game.
“Queens doesn’t have many NFL players from the area so I’m just paying it forward,” he said. “The NFL Foundation matching player grant gives me the opportunity to maximize the impact the game can have on the community and I’m grateful for the help the league is giving me.”
The Seahawks received 90 youth helmets and shoulder pads, as well as step-over bags, blocking shields and tackling dummies.
The NFL Foundation’s gift is the largest donation Blanc has seen go to the players. With Dennis’ help, the players have received about about $23,000 this year.
“The NFL has such great success on the field and their success spilled over into the community,” Blanc said. “It’s a great feeling to be able to give back to the community. There’s a lot more to be done, but with this teamwork, there’s no limit. We’ll get there.”
Blanc and Dennis are working on recruiting a few more pros to help coach youngsters in Queens through some drills on June 28.