- Location: Gilbert, AZ
- Category: Non profit providing scholarships to AZ high school football players
About
The Valley of the Sun Chapter was chartered in 1971 and is today one of the National Football Foundation's largest and most active chapters. Our stated mission is “to honor the traditions of the game of football at the amateur level; to recognize academic and athletic excellence as well as community-school achievements at the college, high school and youth levels; and, to conduct programs that further the character-building qualities of the game and fulfill a demonstrated need, especially to the underserved population.”
As a 501©(3) non-profit organization, we place great emphasis on education as it relates to effective, sports-based programming. We have been able to develop collaborative partnerships with other groups committed to promoting amateur football in Arizona where our combined efforts result in greater impact and a higher level of success. In a single sentence, our purpose is “Making athletics better for kids, and making kids better through athletics".
For over 40 years the Chapter's Scholar-Athlete Scholarship program and Annual Awards Banquet has been our signature event as we honor Arizona college and high school football players for their academic, athletic and leadership accomplishments. We have recognized in excess of 1,200 student-athletes from over 186 high schools and the Arizona colleges and universities, and since 1988 the Chapter has awarded almost three-quarter-million dollars in college scholarship commitments.
In addition, each year we honor deserving adults who have made significant contributions to the game and have distinguished themselves in later life.
The Chapter has promoted the candidacies of deserving retired coaches and former All-American players for the College Football Hall of Fame. Seven coaches and thirteen players from Arizona's three major universities have been inducted into the Hall, which is now located in Atlanta, Georgia. The most recent inductees are Arizona State Sun Devil All-American QB, Jake "The Snake" Plummer, and former ASU Sun Devil Head Coach Dennis Erickson, both of whom will be honored in New York City by the NFF/CHOF on December 10, 2019.
