By Lisa Zimmerman | Engagement Insider
John and Linda Lynch never questioned whether they would get involved in community and charitable endeavors. Both were raised in families where giving back wasn’t a choice; it was ingrained as a responsibility. The couple, who first met at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, have been married since 1994, following Lynch’s rookie season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who drafted him out of Stanford in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft.
After years of participating in a variety of charity and community events in the Tampa area, the Lynches decided that they wanted their efforts to become more focused and, in 2000, they launched The John Lynch Foundation.
The couple both come from families where sports and education were at the forefront so they knew they wanted that to somehow be at the center of what they did. Lynch’s father played football for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Linda played tennis for the University of Southern California and then had a brief semi-pro career. Her brother, John Allred, was a tight end with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears.
“Linda and I started saying, ‘we’re doing great things, but are we really having an impact on any one thing?’” Lynch recalled. “So it was an effort to really have an impact on something we were passionate about. Our heart was with kids, with student athletes, this is what we needed to do.”
The foundation’s primary mission is to recognize and provide scholarships to high-performing student athletes who also have made a commitment to giving back in their communities. Fifteen years later the foundation is going strong. To date, there have been 148 recipients with a total of $725,000 awarded.
The foundation is inclusive of all students including those with disabilities. Among the participants in their programs have been children with Down syndrome and Paralympics athletes – including a double amputee.
And they have been overwhelmed by, and impressed with, who they’ve met along the way,
“The kids we reward, the amount of time they give to their communities is incredible,” Linda said. “It’s a balance, but I truly think you are happier by helping other people, it should not be all about you. It’s important to teach our kids to be happy, productive citizens.”
Their work has been focused in the cities in which Lynch played -- Tampa Bay and Denver, where Lynch played from 2004 – 2007. Currently they have endowed scholarships in both cities that will live in perpetuity. They are exceedingly grateful at how their cause has been so strongly embraced especially in the years following Lynch’s retirement from the NFL in 2008, which had been a concern. Since 2008 he has been a color commentator for NFL on FOX, but they have maintained their ties to the communities where they built the foundation.
“The greatest thing is our two best years of fundraising has been our last two years,” Lynch said. “That speaks volumes, because I have to say I always [wondered], ‘how am I going to get people to support this when I’m done playing?’ But, our support has never been better. There are unbelievable people out there. They see what these kids are doing. It’s pretty phenomenal.”
The foundation holds a variety of fundraising events throughout the year to raise the money that they donate. They also have monthly awards ceremonies including their Star of the Month in Denver. Each month, eight students are recognized for their accomplishments in academics, athletics and community involvement. Lynch hosts all the ceremonies.
In addition to their scholarships, the foundation raised one million dollars for a new Boys & Girls Clubs facility in San Deguito, CA, an organization that Lynch has a long-time involvement with. They also host Christmas parties for disadvantaged families.
From the start, the Lynches have passed this spirit of giving to their four children, who range in age from eight to 15. “From the time they’ve been at my ankles they pass out the awards and hear the stories,” Lynch said.
“They get upset when they can’t be involved,” Linda said of their children. “They can’t miss school for foundation events and they don’t like that.”
The example they are setting for their own children is the same one they hope to impart on everyone they interact with.
“My dad and John’s parents, my brothers, it’s how we were all raised,” Linda said. “They’re so many people who give back and it doesn’t have to be on a huge scale. You can help the person next door. I think it’s important, especially today, with the world we’re living in.”
The Lynch family is certainly doing its part, and then some.
For more information about The John Lynch Foundation: www.johnlynchfoundation.org.