NFL donates one million dollars to honor WWI vets
Donation to support the construction of the new National Memorial in Nation’s Capital
WASHINGTON, DC: The U.S. World War I Centennial Commission announced today that the National Football League (NFL) has contributed $1 million to the construction of the first-ever National World War I Memorial in Washington DC.
The U.S. World War 1 Centennial Commission which was enacted by Congress in 2013, has spent the last five years working towards the goal of building an eternal tribute to our veterans who served overseas over 100 years ago. The Memorial goal of $40 million has been funded primarily by private fundraising efforts, and is anticipated to be completed by Veteran’s Day 2021.
The NFL is now one of the lead donors to the Memorial, along with the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, the Starr Foundation, General Motors, FedEx, Walmart, the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, the Lounsbery Foundation, and several other corporations and foundations.
“This donation is a major boost to the memorial’s fundraising efforts,” said Dan Dayton, Executive Director, U.S. World War 1 Centennial Commission. “Words cannot express how touched we are by this pledge and the support the NFL has shown to the Commission. Veterans of all wars deserve the best we have to give. This commitment will ensure that we can provide a site that will tell the world of the sacrifices these men and women made for our liberty a century ago.”
The National Football League has shown great support for remembering America’s World War I veterans. During last season, alone, the Chicago Bears hosted a special pregame ceremony to honor the team’s original founder and owner, George Halas, who served in the Navy during World War I. On Veterans Day, the Kansas City Chiefs wore special poppy uniform patches as part of their game-day Salute to Service. In addition, the Green Bay Packers, Washington Redskins, New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Philadelphia Eagles, all helped to tell the World War I story via their jumbo-trons, game-day programs, and social media venues. These efforts were in direct partnership with the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission.
The U.S. World War I Centennial Commission was created by Congress in 2013 to provide public outreach, education programs, and commemorative events recognizing America’s 4.7 million World War I veterans. In 2014, Congress also authorized the Commission to create the new National World War I Memorial to honor those veterans, in the Nation’s Capital.
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Information on the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission can be found here:
www.WW1CC.org/valor
Information and imagery of the new National World War I Memorial for Washington DC can be found here:
www.WW1CC.org/Memorial
Information on the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, founding sponsor to the WW1CC, can be found here:
http://www.pritzkermilitary.org
Information on the WW1CC’s major sponsor, the Starr Foundation, can be found here:
http://starrfoundation.org
(Lede photo shows British and German troops playing soccer during the 1914 Christmas Day truce.)