Never one to seek the limelight for his commitment to honoring military families, it was an unexpected emotional surprise that was given to San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle on Wednesday.
The very service members and families he has embraced this season informed him that they will be heading to Palm Springs on February 3 to present him with the 2024 NFL Salute to Service Award.
George Kittle’s Impactful Mark on Families
George Kittle has always had the intention of supporting military members and their loved ones not just for a few gestures of solidarity but to forge deep, meaningful relationships. In the past six seasons, he has given away more than 400 game tickets to veterans and active duty servicemen, so that they can come and experience NFL football right in front of them. His family’s Hidden Pearls Podcast has profiled more than 60 veteran stories and has given nearly 60 veterans a stage from which to speak and raise awareness of what they are fighting through.
Kittle’s dedication doesn’t stop there. He has donated more than $250,000 to veterans’ nonprofit organizations, like the Pat Tillman Foundation, TAPS, Merging Vets and Players, Operation Freedom Paws, and Operation Surf, among others. In addition to his financial contributions, his advocacy is also made manifest in an app he helped create to supply veterans with free mental health sources, create off of the meditative practices he integrates into his own game day routine.NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell lauded Kittle’s commitment, where he said, “George Kittle truly represents the Salute to Service Award.” We selected him to honor service, dedicating a great deal of time to working with various military organizations, he’s the ideal choice for this honor.”
Here, as part of the award, Kittle’s chosen military charity will receive $25,000 donations from USAA and the NFL Foundation in support of his mission to give back, respectively, to those who sacrifice so much.
Upon receiving the news, Kittle expressed his gratitude and reiterated his belief that the real heroes are the service members themselves. “We are allowed to live the lives we live here because of the sacrifices they make. We’re just trying to honor them, show our support, and share as much love as we can.”
What Kittle has accomplished has left an incredible mark on the military community, and this award is a recognition of his ongoing efforts — on and off the field.
