Joe Burrow: Foundation and Service

9/30/2022

This month, Joe Burrow launched the Joe Burrow Foundation, which aids in aiding children's mental health and food insecurity. Burrow stated that the foundation is run as a family operation, with his father, Jimmy Borrow serving as co-president and his mother, Robin Burrow, as secretary.

According to the parents of star Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has always had an accepting and outgoing character. In 2005 Jimmy Burrow, Joe Burrow’s father, became the defensive coordinator at Ohio State University’s football program in Athens Ohio, bringing along his family. The neighborhood Joe Burrow Grew up in included many kids from all different backgrounds.

Robin Burrow, Joe Burrow’s mother stated, “Joe never chose friends based on where they came from or how much money their parents made,” “He was always aware of friends and classmates who went hungry. He saw it firsthand.” 

Joe Burrow stated, "The people in the communities I grew up in have supported me throughout my career” and he stressed that, “using my platform for good and helping them is the least I can do to give back to the places and people I call home." Burrow has been living up to his mantra of using his platform for philanthropy. Even in his early career, as soon as he gained enough public influence by winning the 2019 Heisman Award, he dedicated his acceptance speech to raising awareness about food insecurity. He opened a GoFundMe, an online fundraiser for the local county pantry, which eventually evolved into a dedicated foundation, dubbed the Joe Burrow Hunger Relief Fund.

With the influence and aid of his mother Robin Burrow, the foundation also extended its focus to Appalachian Ohio, noting its needs. Robin Burrow works as a Principal in SouthEastern Ohio and attributes her job as a place where she, “sees kids grow and succeed every day” but, “also recognizes the stress and challenges that student and their families face." 

The foundation is still in the works laying out its first major steps. In their first week since their launch, $35,000 was raised for their operations to begin. The organization aims to link with local communities, towns, and municipalities to build networks of food pantries. A significant amount of the funding for their promising endeavors comes directly from Joe Burrow’s advertising contracts, money he could otherwise keep for himself. Additionally, they transparently announced that some of the money from the Joe Burrow Hunger Relief Fund will now also be allocated to the setting up of the network of pantries, a long-term project. 

The foundation is also looking to make an immediate impact in the community. They announced an initiative to pay 20 selected families’ outstanding medical bills at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. The choice to tackle children's mental health came mostly from Robin Burrow’s input. She serves on the board of the Appalachian Children’s Coalition, an organization dedicated to the needs of those children. She stated, “We see this firsthand there are skyrocketing levels of anxiety, depression, and since the pandemic children are not able to focus or deal with conflict as well. We’re trying to build back this self-efficacy piece.”

Burrow’s ventures into philanthropy illustrate how even those with fame and fortune can feel obligated to serve their communities and those in need. Burrow’s aiding and considerate spirit may be attributed to his upbringing as a football player. Football is a means for youth to connect with their towns, as they represent them each Friday in High school and eventually Burrow even representing the nearby Cinncinatti Bengals on Sundays. Football is a social sport; football is part of many communities which causes many eventual NFL players to feel a need to give back. Burrow said himself that he feels owes his community as they have supported him through his career. 

Additionally on an individual level, Burrow deserves credit for so vehemently ensuring that he aids his community and local area, even in times of extreme personal praise. He boasts many accolades: a 4 star High School quarterback, the winner of the 2019 Heisman trophy, the leader of the historical 2020 LSU national championship team, the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft and the quarterback to bring the Bengals to the 2022 superbowl. Yet he uses all of his fame as a platform to serve others, instead of lying complacent with his own achievements.

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Works Cited

Doyle, Céilí. "Joe Burrow's nonprofit is paying medical bills for families at Cincinnati Children's." Cincinnati.com, 17 Oct. 2022, www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2022/10/17/joe-burrows-foundation-pays-bills-for-kids-at-cincinnati-childrens/69568849007/.

Dye, Natasha. "Joe Burrow Launches Nonprofit to Address Childhood Mental Health: 'The Least I Can Do to Give Back.'" People.com, 4 Oct. 2022, people.com/sports/joe-burrow-launches-nonprofit-foundation-to-address-childhood-mental-health/.