Three NFL players are taking the field with custom cleats in support of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) and the First Responder Center for Excellence (FRCE) as part of the league’s annual My Cause My Cleats initiative.
Two offensive linemen from the Indianapolis Colts — center Danny Pinter and guard Matt Goncalves — will represent organizations within the NFFF family on Nov. 30 during their Week 13 home game.
Pinter will wear cleats adorned with the flagship NFFF, bringing awareness to the organization’s mission honoring America’s fallen firefighters and providing their families with services such as grief counseling, college scholarships, and job training.
Goncalves is championing the FRCE, an affiliate organization of the NFFF dedicated to protecting the lives and livelihoods of first responders nationwide through hands-on education and research initiatives. The designs of Goncalves’ and Pinter’s cleats are expected to be unveiled leading up to gameday.
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Grant Calcaterra, who aspired to become a firefighter before joining the NFL, also represented the NFFF during his club’s Week 12 game in Dallas. The design of his red Jordan 1 cleats portrayed a firefighter battling a blaze with the Nike swoosh emerging as rushing water from the fire hose. The NFFF’s logo appears near the heel.
“Having players from the Colts and Eagles support our mission on game day is a tremendous honor,” said Victor Stagnaro, CEO of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. “Danny and Grant have been longtime supporters of the NFFF, and we’re glad to welcome Matt into the fold with FRCE this season. My Cause My Cleats is all about athletes using their platform for good. We’re grateful to these players for shining a light on very real issues within fire service, as the funds raised from their cleats will directly help firefighters and their families across the United States.”
Participating NFL players can choose to auction their custom cleats through the league’s official My Cause My Cleats website. Visitors can also give to the NFFF or FRCE by searching for Danny Pinter, Matt Goncalves or Grant Calcaterra on MyCauseMyCleats.org; donations go directly toward supporting firefighters and their families.
Calcaterra is donating one cleat for auction at a June fundraiser in Portland, Oregon. His other cleat will be auctioned by NFFF to a fire hero family member. Proceeds from both auctions will benefit the NFFF, with details announced in the coming months.
For more information about the NFFF’s mission, services, and the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland, visit firehero.org.
For more information about the FRCE’s mission, trainings, and research initiatives, visit firstrespondercenter.org.
