The NFL Alliance gave back to the community by donating over $4,000 to the athletic department at King/Drew Medical Magnet High School. The Alliance, co-created by Kevin Harris, is made up of fan groups for certain teams in the NFL. Harris is also the president of a Dallas Cowboys fan club called the Star Studded Cowboys Connection.
The organization found out that King/Drew had financial restraints in their athletic department.
“They’re superior in their academics, but their athletics were suffering because they don’t have money to travel, they don’t have a field to play on,” Harris said. “The softball team won a championship, they didn’t have enough money to even purchase rings to give them proper acknowledgement.”
King/Drew also did not have the funds to get rings for the boys’ basketball team who won the division II City Section Championship in March.
“To be a champion and not be recognized by your school, that doesn’t sit well with me,” Harris said.
In order to raise the money, the NFL Alliance hosted a bowling event called ‘Super Bowl.’ This year marked its fourth year of the Super Bowl competition. The bowling event was held during Unity Weekend, a time when the fan groups come together to support one another.
“Everybody likes to bowl,” Harris said. “That’s the only way that we could have got together.”
During Unity Weekend, the NFL Alliance sold t-shirts to raise money. All the profit made on the shirts and the money raised at Super Bowl went to King/Drew. They also had a picnic the day after the bowling event.
The NFL Alliance consists of fan clubs for the Cowboys, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Oakland Raiders and the New York Giants.
“Football has always been the equalizer,” Harris said. “I feel a need for us to come together as Black people.”
The NFL Alliance has donated money to the Cancer Society and fundraised for prostate cancer. The Alliance was established in 2014 and has done philanthropic events on its own.
In their five years of existence, the Star Studded Cowboys Connection has clothed and fed the homeless and created a partnership with the Children’s Way Foster Care Agency. Every year, the Cowboys Connection hosts a toy drive for the children of the agency and fed families during Thanksgiving.
“We’re always in the community helping out,” Harris said. “Always.”
