Most Valuable Philanthropist Awards

Champions for Philanthropy’s Most Valuable Philanthropist Awards are designed to honor current and retired professional athletes who are making a significant difference in the community. The awards ceremony brings together guests from the business, philanthropy and sports worlds to celebrate the high-impact philanthropic efforts of professional athletes, as well as a community member who has made an impact, and to inspire others to follow their lead.

Champions for Philanthropy hosted the inaugural Most Valuable Philanthropist Awards in January 2019 during Super Bowl Week in Atlanta. Honorees included Josh Norman (Washington Redskins), Takeo Spikes (retired NFL legend), Darius Philon (Los Angeles Chargers) and Community Champion Rob Vaka (SignaturePro).

Super Bowl Awards

February 2021 - On Friday, February 5, Champions for Philanthropy conducted a virtual ceremony to celebrate our Most Valuable Philanthropist (MVP) Super Bowl Award recipients. The honorees included NFL Hall of Famer, Terrell Owens (Most Valuable Philanthropist), Michael Thomas of the Houston Texans (Most Valuable Philanthropist), Justin Simmons of the Denver Broncos (Rising Star) and Tony Orr of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (Community Champion). Dave Meltzer (2020 Community Champion) started us off with a one-on-one chat with Terrell Owens, and former honorees Grady Jarrett (2020 Most Valuable Philanthropist) and Rob Vaka (2019 Community Champion) joined the group for a fascinating conversation about philanthropy.

January 2020 - On Thursday, January 30, Champions for Philanthropy presented our Most Valuable Philanthropist (MVP) Super Bowl Awards at the Mondrian South Beach in Miami. The honorees included Santonio Holmes, 2009 Super Bowl MVP (Most Valuable Philanthropist), Grady Jarrett, 2018 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, (Most Valuable Philanthropist), and D.J. Reader of the Houston Texans (Rising Star). Sports industry veteran David Meltzer was honored as our Community Champion and facilitated a thought-provoking discussion on philanthropy.

January 2019 - On Thursday, January 31, Champions for Philanthropy presented our inaugural Most Valuable Philanthropist (MVP) Super Bowl Awards Brunch at The Estate in Atlanta’s Buckhead area. Honorees included Josh Norman of the Washington Football Team (Most Valuable Philanthropist), Takeo Spikes, retired NFL player (Most Valuable Philanthropist), Darius Philon of the Los Angeles Chargers (Rising Star), and Rob Vaka of SigniturePro (Community Champion). The brunch was hosted by NFL veteran Brandon Boykin and moderated by industry leader David Meltzer, who facilitated a riveting conversation about philanthropy.

Basketball Awards

June 2019 - On Wednesday, June 19, the eve of the NBA Draft, Champions for Philanthropy presented our first Most Valuable Philanthropist (MVP) Basketball Awards at Glasshouse Chelsea in New York City. The honorees included Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat (Rising Star) and retired NBA champion Derek Anderson (Most Valuable Philanthropist), in addition to Miracle on the Hudson survivor Dave Sanderson (Courage Award). NBA analyst Sarah Kustok hosted the event and moderated a captivating discussion about philanthropy with the honorees.