In honor of First Responders Day on Tuesday, Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to the families of first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice, was recognized throughout the sports world over the weekend and into the World Series on Monday and Tuesday nights.
Across 12 NFL games this past weekend alone, Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light presented over $250,000 to fund academic scholarships for Folds of Honor recipients. An additional $125,000 was presented on behalf of Budweiser during Game 3 and Game 4 of the Fall Classic.
The donations add to the already $33 million donated by America’s largest brewer since the organization was founded in 2007 by Lt. Col. Dan Rooney.
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"We’re so blessed. Anheuser-Busch takes us places we couldn't go on our own. We call it the force-multiplier effect," Rooney said in a recent interview with FOX Business. "They’ve donated $33 million and helped us fund 6,600 scholarships, but I would say an equally important part of the relationship is the places that we get to ride as their wingman. The World Series, the NFL, just such a blessing.
"Folds is one of those things, when you hear it, the answer is ‘yes,’ but it's a real challenge to get the message out. So seeing it come to life, to meet sacrifice with hope in a lot of different ways, don't underestimate the power of bringing people together. Because in this world, where everything seems like it has to be a red or blue issue, we come together with Anheuser-Busch, and it’s red, white and blue. It’s about military and first responders, and regardless of where you fit on the political spectrum, the vast majority of America comes together in those places."
In addition to a scholarship, Folds of Honor, Bud Light and the Pittsburgh Steelers donated Super Bowl tickets to Giacinta Cassa Salandro-Zilli, who lost her father, an assistant police chief, in 2016, ahead of Sunday night’s Steelers win against the Green Bay Packers.
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"Sports are the place where we all come together. Even though we're divided, we’re on one side of a team or another, but we come together," Rooney said. "I always tell people, sit in the silence after the national anthem. There’s just this beautiful place where our name still holds true. We’re the United States of America. When you go to those places, sports more than ever are an escape. You don’t have to worry about the other stuff that’s going on for three hours—you root for your team, drink a cold Bud Light and have permission to step out of the ever-present responsibilities we all have and the things out of our control."
The organization has been a rousing success, but Rooney believes there is always more work to be done.
"I always hope that when we show up, it just reminds people that freedom is not free, it reminds people that every six seconds, 911 is dialed in this country, and we got a group of people running to rescue us, and it creates this moment of unity," Rooney said. "Thank God we've got our military and first responders, because our country would look very different, and they're at the foundation of all the freedoms that we enjoy in this country.
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It’s just this beautiful reminder to come together. And in a moment of reverence in these traditional American values, it's so cool to watch that be brought to life through Budweiser and Bud Light, because they don't have to take Folds of Honor into these places, but it is such a credit to who they are. They’re just really good people, and using their platform to do good. My 18 years in this, life is about serving others, and if we all did a little of that, what a better place it would be."
