Sports Team or Philanthropists? You Decide.

Gas prices continue to soar. Foreclosures here in Denver are skyrocketing above the national average. Gloom and doom economics has become the blah, blah, blah that used to be the news. Yet one local business owner is fighting the urge to raise prices and is choosing instead to donate profits to local Colorado charities. This unprecedented move embraces the concept of "paying it forward" to the maximum degree, in hopes that he can raise social awareness here in the Mile High City.

Architect Mike Mahoney, Owner of the Denver Titans, one of the most successful minor league football teams in the nation, has announced publicly that they will not charge admission to any home football game for the 2008 season. Everyone will be admitted based on their love of football instead of their ability to pay. Instead of ticket sales, the Titans will accept donations such as non-perishable food, toiletries, school supplies, or cash for local Denver Charities. Then in a short ceremony between the 3 rd and 4 th quarter, these donations will be presented to the organization. This is in addition to the community service hours he requires of every player.

To fully understand the magnitude of this generosity, you need to understand how Minor League Football teams operate here in Colorado. These teams do not generally have million dollar endorsements or soft drink companies underwriting them. The players usually pay to play in terms of paying team dues, buying their own equipment, paying their own travel and meal expenses, and carrying their own insurance. Owners like Mike Mahoney, pay thousands for practice fields, stadiums, liability insurance, and concessions. Owners depend on gate admissions to break even. The Denver Titans are the only current CFC (Colorado Football Conference) team to eliminate player dues completely and instead charge their players community service hours which players earn at local hospitals, at-risk youth centers, homeless shelters, and even blood banks. Now with the donation of gate proceeds, the Denver Titans seem more like a summer "Santa Claus" than a typical Semi-pro football team. Mike Mahoney hopes to push the players, and the organization to look past the shiny championship they have won 7 out of the last 10 years, and look at the needs of those around them.

Of course, this would not be possible without the generosity of their flagship sponsors such as Bank of the West, Urban Accents, Red & Jerry's, DHE Computers, Kens Reproductions, and HBA of Metro Denver, just to name a few. It makes for interesting business partnerships, because the Denver Titans don't sell sponsorships or advertising. Instead, they invite local businesses to invest in the local social and economic welfare of others using football as a vehicle of good-will. This means that whenever the Denver Titans donate to various organizations, all of their business partners donate also. Hilda Vermillion, the team's Director of Administration, will ensure that letters are provided to all business partners acknowledging the many charities they have served over the course of the season. She will also make sure that the recipient charities know of the generosity of the numerous businesses that are making this possible. "Mike Mahoney is one of the most generous people I have ever known. His vision is enormous and even a little scary, but his enthusiasm is so contagious that I am excited to see how vast our impact can be."

Do you know of a local charity that would benefit from the Denver Titans? Do you know of a local business that would like to partner with us in impacting our community? If so, please send an email to hgvermillion@comcast.net or call 303-923-3760 for more information.