The Broncos are always so thrilled to be able to host our annual Denver Rescue Mission Holiday Party at the Crossing Facility. This year’s party held December 9 was no exception. It is an extremely moving experience for staff and players alike.

The following is shared from the perspective of Angie Nelson, a case manager at the Crossing.

Thank you so much to Greta, Devany, Mark Bodman, Lisette, The Crossing Management, STAR Youth Program, STAR Case Management AND EVERYONE ELSE INVOLVED for putting on such a fantastic party for our residents last night!

Last night, 182 residents of the STAR Program were given the VIP treatment at a Christmas Party held in their honor, with special guests from the Denver Broncos, including players and cheerleaders. This is my third year helping to work at this event, and it was the best one by far!

The following reflection, shared by Peer Leader Gabe Bustos of the Commerce City Boys & Girls Club, recaps his experience at last week’s NFL Hometown Huddle in partnership with Mile High United Way:

On October 14, each of the Boys and Girls Clubs of MetroDenver took about a dozen kids that participate in What Moves U to the Hometown Huddle in the INVESCO field. There, a group of Broncos players were waiting for us to arrive. When we did arrive the Broncos Players were all very friendly. They answered all the questions we had ready for them (Their name, what position they play, and of course their height.) The people that were organizing this event gave every child a shirt with the Broncos logo and the name of their club. Everyone looked really excited to be there and was anxious to start the activities. There were loads of press everywhere, taking pictures and filming every moment.

One of the C-City kids made really good friends with the Broncos players and started showing him his dance moves. Immediately there was a challenger from the Broncos Boys and Girls Club. All eyes were on them as they battled it out, Even the press. There was one really strange thing — there was a pet turkey in the crowd. The turkey was advertising a marathon they were going to have on Thanksgiving Day.

The following is a guest blog written by Lucia Madera, a Keystone Club member of the Denver Broncos Boys & Girls Club.  Lucia participated in the annual NFL Hometown Huddle with Mile High United Way and the Broncos on Tuesday, October 14th, a day selected to highlight fitness in partnership with the American Heart Association and NFL’s What Moves U program.  The kids enjoyed a 2-lap Fitness Walk around INVESCO Field, while receiving encouragement from Denver Broncos players Jack Williams, Carlton Powell, Wesley Woodyard, Calvin Lowry, Niko Koutouvides, Eddie Royal, Darrell Hackney, and Louis Green.

Thanks to the Broncos sponsoring the Boys & Girls Club, the Montbello community has changed drastically. Before we had a Boys & Girls Club in Montbello, most of the kids spent their free time in the streets getting in trouble or at home watching TV. When the Broncos Boys & Girls Club opened in August 2003, a world of opportunities opened for many. When I started attending the Boys & Girls Club, I began to be more physically active. I no longer stayed at home to watch TV. I began to play sports such as soccer, basketball, volleyball and even football. Staying involved in the club has kept me and many other kids and teens out of trouble. The Boys & Girls Club staff has made sure to keep us active by introducing programs like What Moves U. This is a program designed to encourage kids to be more physically active, by sponsoring fun motivating activities.

We had the wonderful opportunity this week to formally launch the NFL What Moves U program in partnership with the Amercian Heart Association and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver.

We had ten Broncos players at various Clubs this past Tuesday to join in the kick off (Champ Bailey, Karl Paymah, Erik Pears, Chris Kuper and rookies Eddie Royal, Carlton Powell, Jack Williams, Ryan Clady, Ryan Torain, and Jack Williams) and one special young lady, Regina Robles, who will be the program peer leader from the Cope Branch, summarized her initial experience as follows:

There are several things that I liked about the Broncos coming to Cope and participating with a game called “Spiders and Flies”. I think that it was a great experience and I think that the kids had fun as well as the Broncos. This experience was fun to watch the Broncos interacting with the kids and watching them all smile and laugh together. At first almost every one didn’t know what Spiders and Flies were so I explained to them that the Spiders where in the middle. You can start off with one or more in the middle– it just depends on how many people are playing the game. As for the Flies, they’re on the wall and when someone blows a whistle, the flies try to run to the other side without getting touched by the spiders. When we played that game, the Broncos (Rookies Eddie Royal, Ryan Torain, Ryan Clady, Wesley Woodyard, Carlton Powell, Jack Williams) were all laughing and smiling with all the kids. Also the guys were sometimes the spiders and some of them were not.

Our Community Development office here at the Broncos would like to extend a special thank you to Domonique Foxworth for all of the work he did to advance the organization’s mission in the community.

As many of you know, Domonique was an integral part of opening the Darrent Williams Memorial Teen Center in Montbello.  Long before the Center opened in May of this year, Domonique had started a weekly writing class for teens of the Broncos Boys and Girls Club who proudly became the inaugural members of the new Teen Center.

He was committed to advancing literacy in our community and did so through work with College in Colorado and the summer reading program with Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver.

Furthermore, he was an excellent ambassador for some of the organization’s annual community events such as Drive For Life, our annual community blood drive with Bonfils Blood Center; NFL United Way Hometown Huddle and Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver Youth of the Year Gala.

On behalf of the metro-Denver community, thank you, Domonique and all the best to you.

It was 1977, probably one of the most memorable years in my life. It was 30 plus years ago, but some things you never forget. The Broncos were picked to finish last in the AFC West which had been dominated by the Oakland Raiders Here we are – playing in Super Bowl XII, facing the Dallas Cowboys, in New Orleans, in the Super Dome. A day etched in my mind that I will remember forever.

Here I am, after all these years, back in the “Big Easy”. This time I come back to New Orleans as an observer and coach. We were invited to come down July 10th – 13th to participate in this year’s NFL 7-on-7 National Tournament. Thanks to the Broncos Organization for sponsoring a team consisting of 12 athletes and three coaches from Colorado. I wish I could take credit for the idea to include me, but I give that credit to Cindy Kellogg. She thought it would be a great trip and she was so right. I say “Thanks” for making it possible.

Good morning, Broncos Country,

Our apologies to the reader who questioned whether or not we ever post anything new on our community page.  We do.

Summer has been all about our youth football commitment.  Thus far, we have had NFL Junior Player Development programs in Aurora (kudos to Billy Richardson who coordinated our effort at Hinkley High School) and in Denver (thanks to Jeff McDonald of Denver PAL who coordinated our 2 sites in Denver at East and Lincoln High School respectively).  Next week, John Ayers will run our JPD site in Broomfield. 

JPD is our joint program with the NFL geared toward teaching the fundamentals of football to the junior high school age group.  It has been extremely well received, especially in light of the fact that fewer and fewer school districts are offering junior high school football.

Hello Broncos Country,

 Our apologies for not updating our blog recently.  We do have some exciting things to share!  The month of May was highlighted by the Grand Opening of the Darrent Williams Memorial Teen Center, which as you all know, has been in the works for over a year.  The kids are absolutely in love with their new center, and it is wonderful to see it going to such good use so quickly.  A special thank you to the hard working staff we collaborate with at the Broncos Boys & Girls Club to make all these new visions reality:  Rich Barrows and Company (Guy, Meca, Dave, Amber, Karly, Julio . . .all of you are the best!!)

This past Monday was highlighted by the annual Mike Shanahan Golf Classic in partnership with the Phil Long Community Fund.  Many players hit the links with community members in the spirit of charity.  The tournament proceeds alternate between Denver and Colorado Springs (where Phil Long is headquartered) projects and this year’s proceeds will go to support a Phil Long designated project:  John Venezia Park.

Special thanks to  Kelly Woodward in our Community Development office who spearheaded the entire Shanahan Golf Classic.  Kudos!!

Have a great weekend in Broncos Country!!

Hello Broncos Country,

It is with heavy heart that I write to you this week. Billy Thompson and I went to the funeral service Friday of a dear member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver family — Placido “Plazy” De Santiago.

I first met “Plazy” several years ago when he joined our wonderful friend Hector Batres (the first athletic director at the Broncos Boys and Girls Club) as referees for our Annual Broncos Bowl youth football jubilee. Plazy was just terrific with the kids and it was immediately apparent how much he contributed to the lives of young people as the athletic director at the Owen Boys and Girls Club — the Club where he grew up.

What struck me the most at “Plazy’s” funeral service was how this wonderful man, in 28 short years of life, accomplished more good and touched more hearts than most people could ever hope for during their lives.

Happy Friday, Broncos Country.

We have learned some exciting news this week. Oprah Winfrey’s new show, The Big Give, will air a segment Sunday evening on the Denver Broncos Boys and Girls Club in Montbello.

Last year, Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler (along with teammate Tony Scheffler and former Broncos quarterback Preston Parsons) was contacted by one of The Big Give contestants who was challenged to spend some serious money in our community for worthy causes and people in need. Cutler took on the challenge and rallied his teammates to join him on a special delivery run to the Broncos Boys and Girls Club.

What was that special delivery about? Who actually benefited? Tune into The Big Give Sunday evening to find out. The segment will air on ABC at 8 p.m. MDT.

Have a great weekend in Broncos Country.