COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Oct 15, 2024) – Every week, millions of people tune in to watch their favorite teams fight for victory on the football field. This week brings something new as a group of professional football players are working to raise funds and bring awareness to “Punts for Purpose,” an ongoing initiative that supports Compassion International to fight the devastating impacts of poverty in the lives of babies and their mothers.
Spearheaded by Atlanta Falcons punter Bradley Pinion and his wife Kaeleigh, with early support from Tress Way, a fellow punter in the league, “Punts for Purpose” aims to make a difference in the lives of mothers and babies living in extreme poverty, with the hopes of funding 500 survival centers in low- and middle-income countries by the end of 2024. This season, Pinion or Way will donate $1,000 for every one of their punts that lands within the 20-yard line.
During week 9 of the season (October 31 to November 4), Pinion and Way will be joined by other punters in the league to support Compassion’s goal to raise $7.5 million to fund 500 Compassion survival centers by the end of 2024. In just two years’ time, 500 fully funded centers could save the lives of 25,000 babies and their mothers. So far, the campaign has raised over $6.8 million and funded 455 centers.
“Seeing other punters in the league participate in ‘Punts for Purpose’ is incredible,” Pinion said. “It is truly humbling and exciting to have other punters join in on something my wife and I are so passionate about, especially since becoming a father myself. I know now, more than ever before, how crucial a baby’s first years can be, and how that can set the foundation for them to thrive the rest of their lives.”
“Dedicating my punts this season to ‘Punts for Purpose’ allows me to be part of something bigger than myself,” added Way. “We might be opponents on the field, but this week, we’re on the same team, doing what we can on the field to help 25,000 babies and their moms make it to their first birthday.”
A child’s first years of life provide a critical foundation for their future, but tragically many babies are not afforded the opportunity to thrive. Every year, 2.6 million babies living in extreme poverty don’t survive their first 28 days, and most of those die within the first week of life due to pre-term birth or delivery complications. In many regions of the developing world, mothers also face severe and life-threatening conditions. Approximately 830 women die each day from pregnancy or childbirth complications.
To learn more about “Punts for Purpose,” click here.
Compassion International previously teamed up with professional athletes from numerous sports to complete Fill the Stadium, an effort in direct response to food shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign raised over $38 million and provided life-saving food and support to 76,473 children around the world.