„Through My Cause My Cleats, the league raises awareness of the hundreds of nonprofit organizations the NFL family supports throughout the year“, sagte Anna Isaacson, Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility der NFL. “We appreciate the passion with which players, coaches and legends support this initiative each season and are grateful for the commitment they show to strengthen the causes that mean most to them.”
“Since launching in 2016, this initiative has provided players with a platform to make a greater impact off the field and in their communities.”sagte Tracy Perlman, Senior Vice President of Player Operations bei der NFL. „My Cause My Cleats aligns with the NFL’s commitment to giving players a voice and creating positive change in communities around the world.”
This year, My Cause My Cleats will launch promotional efforts on Thanksgiving Day, including a marketing spot highlighting the many causes NFL players have chosen to support. The 90-second spot stars Christian Gonzalez (New England Patriots), Tucker Kraft (Green Bay Packers) and Deebo Samuel Sr. (San Francisco 49ers). Gonzalez will highlight the important work of KyleCares that promotes open and honest communication about the mental health challenges facing youth and young adults in today’s society. Kraft will introduce the Cheyenne River Youth Project, whose work aims to give Lakota youth access to the resources and opportunities they need for a successful future. Additionally, Samuel will promote the work of SPAAT, which provides support programs to help student-athletes make a successful transition to college and the pros. Watch the 90-second marketing spot here.
After Weeks 13 and 14 games, players can donate their sneakers by auctioning them off on NFL Auction. The NFL does not profit from the sale of these athletic shoes. All funds raised will be donated by the NFL Foundation to the players’ chosen charity. Fans can bid on these trainers here throughout the season.
Rayze fundraising partnership
This year, for the first time, the NFL also partnered with Rayze, a mobile-first platform founded by seven-year NFL legend Carl Nassib. Rayze provides a platform for nonprofit fundraising, corporate giving, and individual engagement. With “My Cause My Cleats,” Rayze empowers NFL players, coaches and staff to bring awareness to causes they care about and raise much-needed funds. By downloading the Rayze app, My Cause My Cleats participants will receive their own custom “Champion” donation links and QR codes that they can share across social media platforms to encourage fans to support their causes . Fans can support players with their individual fundraising efforts through Rayze here.
„My team and I are very pleased that this partnership has come about. My Cause My Cleats has brought awareness to thousands of nonprofits over the years and highlighted the generosity and leadership of the NFL and its playerssaid NFL legend and Rayze founder and CEO Carl Nassib. “Our goal is to provide the infrastructure to continue connecting these great organizations with generous fans and supporters for years to come.”
AWS sports shoe customization
Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills), Maxx Crosby (Las Vegas Raiders) and DK Metcalf (Seattle Seahawks) have put an innovative new twist on My Cause My Cleats, partnering with AWS to leverage generative AI in their design process and address the concerns that to support them in their local communities. Using AWS tools, these players had hands-on control over style, color and textures, combining technology and purpose in a unique, interactive experience to personalize their athletic shoes, which were then hand-painted by artists.
Fans are invited to join the creative process and create their own digital version of athletic shoes using AWS’s generative AI app to support the causes they care about. Fans can design their own sneakers online here.
„We are truly honored to be part of such an impactful initiative as the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats,” said Julie Souza, Global Head of Sports at AWS. “By combining AWS’s generative AI with design inspiration from some of the NFL’s biggest stars, players were able to add personal touches to their sneakers that visually represent the causes they care about. We’re also excited to involve fans in the design process and create digital sneakers online that highlight causes that matter to them personally.”
