Andy Dalton wins NFLPA’s Week 8 Community MVP award

Andy Dalton celebrated his 30th birthday last Sunday, and now he will be able to celebrate winning the NFLPA Community MVP for his charitable efforts. Dalton helped raise $30,000 to financially assist families of seriously ill and physically challenged children.

Dalton has constantly been giving back to the community since joining the Bengals in 2011, but his most recent event, A Night in the Jungle, involved him and his wife Jordan Dalton, hosting more than 500 guests at Paul Brown Stadium.

The event involved several family-friendly events for children to take part in. Dalton even spent an hour throwing touchdown passes to kids, and meeting with families of children with special needs and chronic or critical illnesses. There was also a tailgate-themed dinner for everyone to enjoy.

The event ended up raising $30,000 dollars for the Pass It On Fund, which is part of the Andy & Jordan Dalton Foundation. Through the program, the couple accepts applications from low-income families who are requesting aid for the high costs of their children’s treatment. The couple personally reviews each application, and they end up either fully or partially covering nearly every request made by local families.

The Andy & Jordan Dalton Foundation’s Pass It On Fund has assisted 93 families through the award of grants totaling $198,295 this year alone. These grants have helped drastically improve the longevity and quality of life for these children by covering the costs associated with medical equipment, therapy, and even life-saving surgeries.

The NFLPA will make a $10,000 contribution to a foundation or charity of Dalton’s choice. He will also be eligible along with the rest of the 2017 Community MVPs to win this year’s Byron Whizzer White Award. It is the highest honor the NFLPA can give to a player.

As always it is just incredible to see Bengals’ players donate their time and money to help support the community. It helps remind us all that there is good in this world, and it especially reminds us that these people are human.

Dalton and his wife have also started the Andy & Jordan’s hub, which provides families with entertainment like iPads, mobile televisions, gaming consoles, and much more during long hospital visits. They also host a Date Night for parents of seriously ill or physically challenged children. The event allows the parents to drop children off for a fun evening, while the parents are treated to an all-expenses-paid private dinner.

Dalton’s willingness to give back makes it easy to pull for him as not only the quarterback of the Bengals, but as a person in general. Dalton also offered up a heartfelt thank you to Cincinnati while accepting the award that really cements the Daltons status as great people.

“Cincinnati has been home to us since we arrived and we feel that our foundation is just taking off and that would not have happened without the support of everyone around us,” Dalton said. “This award is for the city of Cincinnati and honors the families we have been able to serve through our foundation.”