Alex 'Class Act' Smith is the Chiefs’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year

[PAChiefsGuy]

The Alex Smith Foundation uplifts the foster care community, both in his native California and in his adopted Midwestern home. Its mission is to provide foster teens with the tools and resources needed to transition to successful adulthood. The demand is great for a demographic where half become unemployed within two years of leaving the system. Success has been found through the foundation's Guardian Scholars program, which provides a scholarship and year-round housing along with extensive individual support. In all, 23 former foster youth graduated from San Diego State University, with a 78% graduation rate, lapping the national rate of 3% for foster youth. This successful program was replicated by the college to produce another 205 foster graduates. Alex's efforts inspired Cornerstones of Care to establish a Youth Educational Success program in Kansas City just prior to him becoming a Chief. Overall, more than 40 youth have graduated high school and gone onto enroll in college courses or obtain trade training. Alex's relationship with the agency helped establish it as the local leader for foster care and as the beneficiary for the 34th edition of the Chiefs Charity Game. In the last decade, this fundraising initiative garnered more than $6 million, including $2.2 million in the past three years for the previous beneficiary.


Alex has personally donated over $600,000 to charitable causes since 2005, including all administrative costs incurred by the foundation. This unparalleled fiscal responsibility has allowed more than 90% of the $1.16 million raised by the foundation to directly impact foster youth. That threshold is nearly unprecedented, not just across the NFL, but throughout his peers in professional athletics. As a result, his foundation was identified by the Boston Globe (2/24/2013) as having a "winning formula" for an athlete's foundation. Likewise, the San Francisco Chronicle (3/12/2013) highlighted several former foster youth, specifically attributing their success "to Alex Smith and his foundation."

http://www.nfl.com/manoftheyear

Even if you don't like Alex 'Class Act' Smith as a football player the guy is a hell of a person. Proud to say I'm a fan of a team who has a QB who does all these charitable acts...

#GoSmittyGoChiefs