GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A few months after launching the Dillon Family Foundation, Packers running back AJ Dillon and his wife, Gabrielle, have debuted their newest initiative.
The couple announced their “Carry for a Cause” campaign Wednesday, ahead of this weekend’s home opener.
For every rushing yard recorded at Lambeau Field this season by a Packers running back or quarterback, the foundation will donate a backpack of food to a child in need. House of Hope in Green Bay will distribute the backpacks.
“It makes each one of those carries really, really change and impact some of these lives, and that’s what our foundation is about. It’s about empowering families and it’s about combating food insecurity within our community,” AJ said. “Putting those two things together, with football and fun.”
AJ will not play for the Packers this season, as he was placed on injured reserve with a season-ending injury.
Even though I’m not necessarily out there, my teammates, my running backs, everybody knows what we have going on, they know about this cause. So for them to go out there and try to get those extra yards to help this foundation, to help the community. It’s all a team. So I’m going to be cheering for those guys extra hard now.
Gabrielle said hunger relief is a cause that’s near and dear to both their hearts.
“One thing that we are really passionate about, together and our foundation, is children, youth and food,” she said. “We know so many kids don’t have a lot of resources, especially when they leave school. So the idea was kind of centered around, let’s give them a backpack full of things as kind of a symbol to take home, so they can have more resources at home.”
Because Gabrielle grew up in the Green Bay area and AJ has spent his entire NFL career with the Packers, giving back to the community they call home is extremely important to them.
“It’s great to see that we’re actually making an impact within the communities,” AJ said. “The goal is to continue to help as much as we can and over time, help as many people as we can.”
In July, the Dillons partnered with Feeding America and helped pack 375 meals to be delivered to families across Northeast Wisconsin.
Anyone who would like to assist with the campaign can donate $28 to the Dillon Family Foundation for an additional backpack of food to be donated to a child in need. Fans who “Quad”ruple their donation to $112, in honor of Dillon’s “Quadzilla” nickname, will receive a Dillon Family Foundation hat.
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