New York Jets

Jets team up to donate $800,000 to social justice causes

Published Dec. 20, 2018 5:23 p.m. ET

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets players, coaches and ownership have teamed up to commit to donating $800,000 to social justice causes.

The team announced Thursday that funds will be given to five nonprofit organizations that focus on combating social inequality and reducing barriers to opportunities for people.

Jets players and coaches committed $200,000, and the team will match that donation. Team Chairman and CEO Christopher Johnson added a $250,000 donation, and additional funds were donated by the New York Jets Foundation and the NFL Foundation's Player Matching Grant.

The Jets' players leadership committee, which includes quarterback Josh McCown, offensive linemen Kelvin Beachum and Ben Ijalana, and nose tackle Steve McLendon, selected five organizations to which the funds will be directed: The Black Alliance for Just Immigration, JustLeadershipUSA, Breakthrough New York, The Legal Aid Society's Decarceration Project, and The New York Foundling. Each organization will receive a $160,000 grant.