LITTLETON, Colo. – Normally the Broncos' offensive linemen spend their weekends protecting the quarterback and opening up holes for running backs. But Saturday in the Sam's Club in Littleton, many of those Broncos were protecting the Christmas spirit and helping pick out presents for opening up later in the season.
Ryan Clady and his charity the Sharon Kemp Clady Foundation, named for his late mother, held the second annual Holiday of Giving event Saturday. With the help of some of his teammates and Sam's Club, Clady and his foundation were able to provide $1,000 to each of 10 families in need to use on any item in the store.
"I'm not really into some of the other things – football camps and stuff like that. So this is something kind of up my alley – just helping less fortunate families," Clady said. "I've done it in the past. When I was younger, we weren't exactly the richest coming up but we were able to help out less-fortunate families.
"It's definitely a blessing and I'm glad to be here."
The families were from the Goodwill Industries of Denver's Youth Career Development Program and there were also some youth and representatives from the Urban Peak Homeless Shelter.
Each family or group of shoppers was accompanied by a Bronco and a Sam's Club associate to help them navigate through the store.
Last year, five families were a part of the Holiday of Giving. This year the event was twice that size.
"This is just a way to give back through my foundation, the Sharon Kemp Clady foundation," Clady said. "Last year we did this for the first time with five families and it was a great time. We tried to do it a little bigger this year – we doubled the families with 10 families. It's a great way to help some of these people that are less fortunate to be able to have a great Christmas and enjoy their family and enjoy themselves these holidays."
The items that each group picked out varied from food products to clothes and even laptops but Clady emphasized that the importance of the afternoon was enjoying the season and enjoying family.
"Not everybody gets to have a good Christmas – I mean I've never experienced a terrible Christmas – but I would like to help people that are less fortunate be able to have a good Christmas and enjoy themselves," Clady said.