During this holiday season, San Francisco 49ers players, staff and their families helped make spirits bright for those who need it most throughout the Bay Area.
Check out some of the community work that members of the 49ers hosted throughout the month:
49ers Hope for the Holidays
Earlier this month, the 49ers organization hosted their annual Hope for the Holidays event. The evening of giving back helped support over 175 underserved families with a drive-through distribution held in the Levi's® Stadium parking lot.
Twenty-three 49ers players and their families joined front office staff to help deliver numerous resources into the cars that drove through the stadium lot, including food and cooking supplies from Second Harvest Food Bank, Pepsi, Clover Sonoma, Peet's Coffee, Kingsford, glasses from Zenni Optical, shoes from Shoe Palace and toys provided by Toys for Tots.
"I came out to really just give back and help out the community that comes to our games and supports us every Sunday, Thursday, Monday or whatever day it is when it's time to suit up," defensive back Jimmie Ward said. "Coming out here and showing my support is really big time, really meaningful."
Fred Warner x Levi's® Holiday Shopping Event
Linebacker Fred Warner partnered with Levi's® to surprise 15 single mothers from the Women's Achievement Network and Development Alliance (WANDA) of Silicon Valley with a holiday shopping trip. WANDA is a local Bay Area nonprofit that empowers low-income single mothers with the knowledge, skills and financial assets to develop and achieve economic self-sufficiency and upward mobility.
Warner joined the nonprofit group to shop for new Levi's® gear. Each mother got to take home a jacket, top, pair of bottoms and an accessory just in time for the holidays.
A week after the holiday shopping event, Warner was in attendance for the Wender Weis Foundation for Children's 13th annual Holiday Heroes event at San Francisco's Oracle Park that celebrated sports and philanthropy.
At the event, the 49ers linebacker received the 2022 Inspiration Award for his work on the field and in the community. Warner shed tears during the award ceremony, as he was surprised by his younger brother, Troy, who flew into town from Salt Lake City, Utah to present him the trophy.
"It means the world, honestly," Warner said in an interview with Jason Dumas of Kron 4 News. "Anything off the field is just important as on the field to me. Touching as many lives as possible, knowing that I have the platform I do to impact as many lives as I can, it means a lot to me. I'm always looking to inspire in any way."
The John Lynch Foundation Christmas Party
Santa Claus visited Levi's® Stadium for the John Lynch Foundation's 26th Annual Christmas Party. 49ers general manager John Lynch and his family hosted the Boys & Girls Club of Silicon Valley and local military families from the Northern California community for a brunch that included photo opportunities and gift giving.
Before the event, the John Lynch Foundation secretly collected wishlists from all of the children planned to be in attendance. At the stadium, Santa and the Lynch family surprised their guests with the gifts of their dreams. Following the gift presentation, the families attended a private viewing of a 49ers practice.
"It's a great time of year – Christmas, the holiday season, and we've got a lot to be thankful for," Lynch said. "I'm especially thankful for the military in our country... America's got a lot of great freedoms and it's because of the sacrifice of these families."
