Community

9th Grade Nation

The Steelers host the 9th Grade Nation Kick-Off event each year at Heinz Field. The program includes Pittsburgh Public Schools ninth grade students and symbolizes how all members of their graduating class are beginning an exciting and important phase of life – High School.   Coach Mike Tomlin speaks to the students about the importance of working hard and succeeding in life.

Academics in Motion

The Steelers and PPG Foundation partner to support Academics in Motion (AIM), which uses sport as a vehicle to improve the academic, athletic, career and personal development of students from economically disadvantaged communities.  The program places a youth development coach in local high schools to work with student athletes to improve GPA and college readiness, and increase graduation rates, SAT and ACT participation, parental involvement and the number of students going on to college.  www.academicsinmotion.org

All-Pro Dad

Steelers’ Coach Mike Tomlin is a member of the All-Pro Dad Team, a program of Family First. The All-Pro Dad Team is a resource for men who want to become better fathers. Team members include active NFL players, coaches and alumni who speak to fathers about positive parenting through radio and TV spots and billboards. To learn more about All-Pro Dads, visit www.allprodad.com

American Heart Association

The Steelers, the NFL and the American Heart Association (AHA) partner on the Play 60 Challenge, a health and fitness program that incorporates physical activity for middle school students into daily classroom and after-school activities.  www.heart.org

Animal Friends

Long snapper Greg Warren hosts, along with several of his teammates, an evening at the Hundred Acres Manor Haunted House each October, from which Animal Friends is a beneficiary. www.thinkingoutsidethecage.org.

Art Rooney Scholarship Fund

The Art Rooney Scholarship Fund annually provides college scholarships for three graduating senior at the high schools located on Pittsburgh’s North Side, where Art Rooney Sr. himself spent most of his life. The annual Gatorade/Steelers 5K Race, Fitness Walk and Kids’ Kickoff Run is the major fundraiser for the scholarship fund. The event is features a 3.1-mile level course on the North Side highlighted by a spectacular finish on the warning track in Heinz Field.

Atlas & Athena

The Steelers and the NFL partner with the Atlas & Athena School Program to promote healthy living and reduce the use of steroids and drugs among high school athletes.  Student leaders work with their peers on gender-specific ways to improve their sports performance by eating better and training correctly. www.atlasathena.org

Boys & Girls Club

The Steelers annually sponsor the Boys and Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania Dapper Dan Flag Football League and host the league championships at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex indoor practice facility. The team also participates in the annual Gridiron Taste and Talent fundraiser and players occasionally visit the different club sites. www.bgcwpa.org

Breast Cancer Awareness

The Steelers participate in numerous breast cancer awareness initiatives each year including NFL Breast Cancer Awareness month, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, player hospital visits and special pink-logoed merchandise sales. 

**At the breast cancer awareness game in October, the team recognizes local breast cancer survivors in a pregame ceremony. Many Steelers players wear pink uniform items to bring more awareness to this important cause. 
**Players with a connection to the disease – quarterback Dennis Dixon and offensive tackles Tony Hills - visited Magee-Women’s Hospital of UPMC to participate in a nutritional cooking class for breast cancer survivors and patients. The players spent time prepping healthy menu options then served the dishes to the ladies in attendance.
**Tight end Heath Miller and his wife Katie chair the annual Bid for Hope to benefit A Glimmer of Hope Foundation, which raises funds for breast cancer research.  www.symbolofthecure.com
**Members of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority distribute breast cancer information at GameDay Live before the breast cancer awareness game.

Cancer Caring Center

A portion of the proceeds from the annual Steelers Style Fashion Show goes to the Cancer Caring Center.  Safety Ryan Clark and his wife Yonka chair the annual Cancer Caring walk and have lunch with the top 10 fundraisers. The Cancer Caring Center is dedicated to helping people diagnosed with cancer, their families and friends cope with the emotional impact of cancer. www.cancercaring.org

CASA

Each year a Steelers player serves as the honorary chair for the CASA Tailgate Party.CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) works with children in the child welfare system who are neglected or abused. The advocates serve as a voice for the children in court and other situations to help ensure that every child has a safe, supportive and permanent home. Chris Arians, wife of offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, is one of the CASA volunteers, serving the agency for 14 years, most recently in Allegheny County. 

Central Blood Bank Blood Drive

The Steelers hold an annual blood drive in the Steelers locker room at Heinz Field around the holidays as well as a Draft Day drive at Fan Blitz.  Please check www.steelers.com for information on the next blood drive. www.centralbloodbank.org

Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC

Steelers players and team mascot Steely McBeam make frequent visits to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh to bring a smile to kids who are battling health issues.  Players participate in various events for patients and their families and the WDVE Radiothon at the hospital.  The team annually holds a collection at a home game. www.chp.edu

Cystic Fibrosis

Defensive End Brett Keisel serves as honorary chair of the 65 Roses Sports Auction to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  The foundation raises funds for research to discover a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.  www.cff.org

Extra Mile Education Foundation

Every time the Steelers score from the Red Zone at Heinz Field, H.J. Heinz Company and Giant Eagle make a donation to the Extra Mile Education Foundation. The foundation provides support for parochial elementary schools educating children of inner-city families. Extra Mile Education Foundation subsidies make tuition in the schools affordable for disadvantaged families seeking a quality, values-based education.  Coach Mike Tomlin serves as honorary chair of the annual Extra Mile golf outing. www.extramilefdn.org

Each fall the Steelers host a "Gala Pittsburgh Sports Night" at Heinz Field to raise much-needed funds for North Side children and their families who attend local Catholic schools. The North Side Hall of Fame Award is presented and former Steelers RB Franco Harris was one of the 2010 recipients.  The evening also features current and former athletes from the Steelers, Pirates, Penguins, as well as local college athletes. 

Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank

The team holds an annual food drive at a home game to encourage fans to help those less fortunate. Steelers players, including linebacker LaMarr Woodley have donated and distributed turkeys and all the fixings for a Thanksgiving dinner in the Pittsburgh area.  www.pittsburghfoodbank.org

Heroes at Heinz Field

The Steelers partner with the VA for a special evening at Heinz Field for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans.  Participants, many injured in the war, try out their football skills with the help of Steelers players.  Afterwards they are treated to a dinner to thank them for their service to ensure our continued freedom.  www.visn4.va.gov

Highmark Caring Place

The Steelers support the Highmark Caring Place, a center for grieving children. The annual Hoge/Starks/Ward golf outing is held at Southpointe Golf Club and is chaired by Wide Receiver Hines Ward former Offensive Lineman Max Starks and  Running Back Merril Hoge. The players also attend a luncheon honoring students who have raised money for the charity. www.highmarkcaringplace.com

Holy Family Institute-Pittsburgh Steelers Courage House

Greta Rooney chairs the annual Courage House Awards luncheon. Each year a Steelers player is chosen as the Ed Block Courage Award winner for overcoming illness or injury.   Head Coach Mike Tomlin presents the award to the player. www.hfi-pgh.org

Homeless Children’s Education Fund

Defensive End Brett Keisel and his wife Sarah chair the annual fundraiser for the Homeless Children’s Education Fund which serves as a voice for homeless children in Allegheny County to ensure they are afforded equal access to educational opportunities.  Long snapper Greg Warren hosts, along with several of his teammates, an evening at the Hundred Acres Manor Haunted House each October, from which the Homeless Children’s Education Fund is a beneficiary. www.homelessfund.org 

Leukemia/Lymphoma Society Light the Night Walk

For the second year in a row, many Steelers players and family members attended the annual Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Light the Night Walk at Heinz Field in support of Elijah Smith, son of defensive end Aaron Smith and his wife Jaimie, in his battle against leukemia.  The players joined “Team Elijah” and sported t-shirts designed by Elijah.  www.lls.org

Lupus Foundation

Offensive Tackle Willie Colon is the honorary chair of the annual Lupus Loop which takes place on the north shore next to Heinz Field.  Willie chose to get involved with the Lupus Foundation because his mother suffers from the disease. www.lupuspa.org

Make-A-Wish

The Steelers organization works closely with The Make-A-Wish Foundation to grant wishes. The wishes include meeting favorite players, a behind the scenes look at the Steelers practice facility and tickets to a home game. www.wishgreaterpa.org

Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)

Each year several Steelers players participate in MDA’s Pittsburgh Muscle Team event.  This event benefits families living with neuromuscular diseases in western Pennsylvania.  www.pittsburghmuscleteam.org

NFL Play 60

The NFL’s program for an active generation encourages kids to be physically active for 60 minutes each day in an effort to combat childhood obesity.  Many Steelers events incorporate the Play 60 message with players demonstrating the importance of fitness and activity.  One of the major efforts is building a Steelers Youth Fitness Zone at an area non-profit. www.nflrush.com

Operation Once in a Lifetime

For the second consecutive year, the Steelers and safety Troy Polamalu hosted a group of Purple Heart recipients at a home game.  All were wounded in combat but are still active duty military. The visit was arranged with Operation Once in a Lifetime, which works to make the dreams of soldiers and their families come true by providing financial and moral support. www.operationonceinalifetime.com

Pro vs. GI Joe

Several Steelers’ players battled a group of American soldiers in the second annual Pro vs. GI Joe event.  Pro vs. GI Joe is a non-profit organization founded to bring troops stationed overseas together with professional athletes and other celebrities in the states to play video games via the Internet. The challengers were troops currently deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait as well as local troops from the Army’s 316^th ESC based in Coraopolis, Pa. Utilizing webcams in both locations, the players and soldiers were able to see each other compete and “trash talk” one another.  www.provsgijoe.com

Prostate Cancer Awareness

Each September, which is Prostate Cancer Awareness month, former Steelers linebacker Robin Cole, a prostate cancer survivor, hosts a booth outside Heinz Field before a home game to help promote awareness of the disease.  Several of Robin’s brothers are also survivors and they lost their father to prostate cancer.  In tribute to his dad and to promote screening and early detection, Robin founded the Obediah Cole Prostate Cancer foundation.  www.obcolefoundation.org

Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh

The Steelers, along with 84 Lumber, serve as sponsors of Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh. This annual program renovates the homes of low-income elderly in the Pittsburgh area with a goal of safety for the homeowner.  Steelers staff and players participate in the program each year along with 84 Lumber employees. www.rebuildingtogether.org

Rookie Club

The Rookie Club enables the new players to work as a group in order to gain confidence in their ability to interact with the community as Pittsburgh Steelers. It is an introduction to community service and provides on-going development during the player’s first year with the team as well as providing a sense of camaraderie.

Salvation Army - Project Bundle-Up

Players and their families annually take disadvantaged children shopping for winter outerwear as part of the Salvation Army’s Project Bundle-Up program. Patricia Rooney, wife of Steelers chairman emeritus Dan Rooney, and Joe DiNardo, retired WTAE -TV weatherman, are founders of the program.  Tight End Heath Miller hosts the annual miniature golf classic that raises money for Project Bundle-Up.  www.salvationarmyusa.org.

Shop with a Steeler

The Steelers partner with American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) for the annual Shop with a Steeler event.  Children from Kids Voice receive an AEO gift card and have the chance to shop with Steelers players for holiday gifts for themselves and their families.  KidsVoice is an agency which diligently guides each child through the court process and ensures that every agency involved meets the full range of a child’s needs.  www.kidsvoice.org

Steelers Style Fashion Show/Taste of the Steelers

The team annually holds two fundraisers as part of Steelers Style: Fashion, Food and Football.  The annual fashion show features current players and their families modeling clothing from local retailers. The show is chaired by Greta & Art Rooney and Mike & Kiya Tomlin, with two current Steelers players serving as co-captains. Proceeds benefit the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute and the Cancer Caring Center. Taste of the Steelers is a part of alumni weekend and features a sampling of culinary delights, along with an exciting auction of unique, one-of-a-kind items

Steely McBeam

Mascot Steely McBeam makes appearances at training camp, home games, Children’s Hospital and numerous charitable events. 

Toys for Tots-Marine Corps

Steelers fans generously brighten the lives of needy children during the holidays by donating to the annual Marine Corps Toys for Tots drive. www.toysfortots.org

United Way

Quarterback Charlie Batch serves as the team’s United Way spokesman and makes several appearances at corporate United Way campaigns each year. The annual Hometown Huddle is a program throughout the NFL partnering players with local United Way agencies to encourage volunteerism and giving back to the community.  The Steelers annually host the United Way’s campaign kickoff at halftime of a preseason game, featuring three corporate participants in a field goal competition.  The winner presents the United Way with its first campaign donation of the year. www.unitedwaypittsburgh.org

Urban Impact Foundation

The Urban Impact Foundation is a faith-based, nonprofit corporation which fosters Christian community development on Pittsburgh’s North Side. One of the outreaches is through athletic programs and events.  Several Steelers players participate in a football clinic held by UIF on Pittsburgh’s North Side each summer. www.urbanimpactpittsburgh.org

Veterans/Military

Steelers’ players visit the local VA Hospitals to spend time with the patients who have served our country. At several home games each year, veterans and active military personnel are honored for their service to the United States.  For Veterans Day, the Steelers honor a veteran from each of the wars going back to World War II and Pearl Harbor.  Color guards, representing all branches of the military, are present at each home game.  In pregame of the Steelers-Ravens playoff game, seven Pennsylvania Purple Heart recipients were honored for their valiant service and two soldiers received their Purple Hearts in a pregame ceremony.

Westmoreland County Food Bank

Steelers’ fans attending the night practice at Latrobe High School Memorial Stadium last August helped the less fortunate in Westmoreland County by donating food and money to the local food bank.  Giant Eagle matched the food donation pound-for-pound which meant twice as many residents were fed. The Westmoreland County Food Bank serves nearly 15,000 area residents each month including 4,000 children and more than 2,000 seniors.  www.westmorelandfoodbank.org

Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh

When cornerback Will Gay provided Thanksgiving dinner at the Women’s Center & Shelter in November, he shared with the women there that he lost his mother to domestic violence when he was a child and knows how much courage it took for them to leave their situations to go to a safe place.  As a result of the impact he made, Gay was invited to participate in the shelter’s Vignette Campaign to put a face on domestic violence and, in doing so, help survivors heal, encourage batterers to seek help and build empathy and understanding of this issue.  www.wcspittsburgh.org