The San Francisco 49ers Foundation announced on Wednesday that Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice will serve as honorary chairman to aid in the foundation's mission to educate and empower Bay Area youth.
As the 49ers Foundation's inaugural honorary chair, Rice will work alongside the 49ers Foundation to elevate the team's charitable causes. 49ers Foundation marquee beneficiaries include programs such as the 49ers STEM Leadership Institute, 49ers Academy, 49ers EDU, 49ers PREP presented by U.S. Bank and more.
"The 49ers Foundation has been around for nearly three decades and does a lot of great work to help underserved kids across the Bay Area," said Jerry Rice. "I'm excited to team up with them to give our youth a better shot at being great."
"Our Foundation's platform reaches, educates and engages tens of thousands of Bay Area youth annually through our diverse programming," said 49ers co-chair Dr. John York. "Jerry will bring great awareness and energy to our robust slate of activities and I know our Bay Area beneficiaries will be greatly served by him as an extension of the Foundation."
In his capacity as honorary chairman, the three-time Super Bowl champion and 13-time Pro Bowler will appear at 49ers Foundation-related events and charitable initiatives throughout the calendar year.
Last year, the 49ers Foundation invested more than $4 million back into the Bay Area community and in its 27 years in existence has donated more than $40 million. For its comprehensive community outreach efforts, the 49ers were named the 2017 ESPN Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year.
