CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is launching a new nonprofit.
Burrow's father, Jimmy, said his son realized the magnitude of the impact he can make after his Heisman Trophy speech in 2019. Since that speech where Burrow spoke about tackling food insecurity in his community, $1.8 million has been raised for Athens County and the Joe Burrow Hunger Relief Fund.
Now, The Joe Burrow Foundation will allow him to build on those efforts and give back to families in the places that mean most to him.
"He somehow has a unique ability to relate to all different kinds of people," Jimmy Burrow said. "They see him on the field, they like how he plays and there's normally a lot of success with his teams. They see that he's a leader."
He is able to leave a lasting impact on every community he is a part of.
"I just think that their ability to relate to him and vice versa creates kind of a magic," Jimmy said. “LSU jerseys in Athens and Bengals jerseys at LSU … and you still see people at the Bengals games with LSU jerseys and Athens High School jerseys. So, it's pretty crazy."
Through his new foundation, Burrow will give back to each of the communities that have rallied around him — in Ohio and Louisiana. The Joe Burrow Foundation will continue to help meet the needs of families working to overcome food insecurity, but now they will also help with childhood mental health issues.
"That’s something I see is a big deal in society — especially with all social media going on and all the divisiveness in the country," Burrow said. "Mental health is going to play a big part in everyone’s lives going forward."
As an elementary school teacher and principal, Burrow's mother Robin has witnessed the need for more children’s mental health services firsthand.
"I've just seen an unbelievable increase in anxiety and just mental health in general," she said. "The kiddos are having a really hard time just problem solving and building friendships, but really the anxiety — it's just gone through the roof."
It’s a mission the Burrows will tackle together as a family.
"We’re excited to start," Burrow said. "I think it’s going to help a lot of people in underserved and underprivileged communities and provide some opportunities for them to have a better life."
Within the first 24 hours of launching the foundation, Jimmy Burrow said they had already raised over $25,000 in donations.
Anyone who wants to donate to the Joe Burrow Foundation can do so here.
