Greg Olsen Foundation Receives $125,000 From United Way As Part Of Walter Payton Man of the Year Finalist Honors

CHARLOTTE, NC — On Monday, United Way of Central Carolinas presented Panthers TE Greg Olsen and the Greg Olsen Foundation $125,000 as part of his Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year finalist honors.

As part of the honors, Olsen earned $250,000 in charitable funds, which included $125,000 for Receptions for Research: The Greg Olsen Foundation, and $125,000 to expand United Way’s Character Playbook initiative with the Carolina Panthers.

This portion of the award was presented during Olsen’s charity golf tournament benefiting the HEARTest Yard. The program supports families of babies affected by congenital heart disease. Receptions for Research’s other program, Receiving Hope, helps those battling cancer.

“Greg and Kara Olsen’s selflessness to turn their son’s heart defect and his mother’s breast cancer into an opportunity to help countless other families speaks to their remarkable character,” said United Way of Central Carolinas executive director Sean Garrett. “Greg is an incredible ambassador for the Carolina Panthers and our community as a whole, so we’re proud that United Way’s national partnership with the NFL could help expand his foundation’s work here locally.”

The other $125,000 portion of the award will got to help local expansion of Character Playbook. This program is a national partnership between the NFL Foundation and United Way that focuses on youth character development and healthy relationships during students’ critical middle school years.

The $250,000 in Walter Payton Man of the Year funds are provided by the NFL Foundation, Nationwide, and United Way Worldwide.