News
Burrow Heisman Win Inspires Record Setting Fundraising
By: Atish Baidya
Posted on:
Update 12/17/19
As of 11:20 a.m. today more than 10,000 people have donated $358,278.
Fundraising campaigns on social media inspired by Joe Burrow’s Heisman Trophy acceptance speech have raised more than $200,000 in just over 24 hours.
In the emotional speech on Saturday in New York City, Burrow put a spotlight on the issue of hunger in southeast Ohio.
“Coming from southeast Ohio, it’s a very very impoverished area,” Burrow said. “The poverty rate is almost two times the national average. There are so many people there that don’t have a lot. And I’m up here for all those kids in Athens and in Athens County who go home to not a lot of food on the table, hungry after school – you guys can be up here too.”
Joe Burrow graduated from Athens High School in 2015. His father, Jim Burrow, was an associate head coach at Ohio University from 2015 – 2018 and defensive coordinator from 2005 -2018. His mother, Robin, is an elementary school principal.
Athens County Food Pantry (ACFP) CEO Karin Bright says the entire situation has been unbelievable.
We are just so grateful and so thankful for the people who started these fundraisers,” Bright said. “For Joe Burrow for bringing light to the issue of hunger in Athens County, for the people how have donated, what an amazing set of circumstances.”
It is a game-changing amount of money for the ACFP and Bright says the organization is going to carefully consider how to best use the donations.