The Denver Broncos have a long-lasting relationship with all 18 branches of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, which is one of the club's 10 flagship community partners. In August of 2003, the club opened the Denver Broncos Boys & Girls Club in northeast Denver and expanded the club in 2008 to add the Darrent Williams Memorial Teen Center. The club now serves more than 1,500 kids annually.
In the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, the Broncos activate all of the clubs' NFL Play 60 work, which is the National Football League's campaign to encourage kids to be active for 60 minutes a day in order to help reverse the trend of childhood obesity.
This past September, the Broncos and Owen Boys & Girls Clubs each hosted a Broncos/Gatorade Junior Training Camp to kick off to the fall Play 60 Challenge.
DeMarcus Ware and five of his teammates spent Monday afternoon at the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver.
In October, the Broncos hosted their 2014 NFL Hometown Huddle in collaboration with Mile High United Way, Playworks and the American Heart Association. More than 300 kids from Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver came together at Sports Authority Field at Mile High to participate in a variety of activities aligned with the NFL Play 60 campaign. Broncos offensive tackle Ryan Clady, guard Ben Garland, tight end Virgil Green, defensive end Malik Jackson, tight end Dominique Jones, linebacker Brandon Marshall and wide receiver Nathan Palmer helped lead activity stations for the kids.
"I love the Play 60 event at the stadium—Hometown Huddle. That's my favorite for sure. I've only missed that one year since I've been here," said Clady.
Also in October, DeMarcus Ware brought a group of players to visit the Broncos club and then surprised a group of 40 kids by having them accompany him and other players for a private, advanced screening of the movie Annie.
"You never know how far they [the kids] can go," Ware said when asked about the importance of giving back through volunteering with the Boys & Girls Clubs. "They could be the next president, the next doctor that's fixing one of us, you never know."
In November, the Broncos and Sports Authority hosted more than 40 kids from 14 different branches of the Boys & Girls Clubs at the annual "Shop with a Bronco" event. Kids shopped with 15 Broncos players and were each given a $125 gift card along with a 20 percent discount at checkout.
In addition to player visits and Broncos events, Broncos Cheer and Miles the Mascot both spend time at the Boys & Girls Clubs branches across Metro Denver.
