Miles
Well-known member
- Mar 18, 2019
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MASSILLON, Ohio — Pat Bowlen always dreamed big. He did so when he purchased the team in 1984, when he invested time and time again in necessary resources for the team and when he helped make momentous decisions that changed the direction of the franchise.
But few of those dreams have had the impact that matches his dedication to the Denver community when he and the Broncos decided to fund an entire Boys & Girls Club in 2003. With each passing year since then, the club has impacted more than 1,500 children.
So on the day that his family will accept his gold jacket on his behalf, nothing felt more fitting than for his children to champion that cause at the closest Club to the Hall of Fame in Massillon, Ohio, as they and the team donated 500 health and wellness bags to children and dedicated a memorial bench in their father’s memory in the Club’s garden.
“It’s an honor to unveil this bench as a family, and with the Broncos organization,” Brittany Bowlen said. “Our father strongly believed in the Boys & Girls Club mission, to help children grow into responsible citizens and to realize their full potential. His legacy continues with the Broncos, who are the only sports team that funds their own club today. To this day, we serve nearly 1,500 kids under his legacy and dedication. As a board member of the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver and on behalf of our entire family, thank you for letting us join you today.”
In the 16 years since the Denver Broncos Boys & Girls Club opened, Bowlen’s children have been able to understand why it meant so much to him.
“The Boys & Girls Club meant a great deal to my dad because he cared about changing the lives of all children,” Annabel Bowlen said. “He believed that boys and girls should be given the tools and the opportunities to excel to their fullest potential. He made a commitment to help youth in many different communities.”