Jaguars Donate To Historic Jacksonville Neighborhood

The Jacksonville Jaguars spent Friday engaging in philanthropic endeavors, donating money to a local Jacksonville historic neighborhood and calling on fans to assist India as the country is ravaged by COVID-19.

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Owner Shad Khan have spent a day committing to philanthropic endeavors for the betterment of both their community and world.

Working through the Jaguars Foundation, Khan made a personal donation of $1 million to LIFT JAX. The organization supports work being done in the Eastside neighborhood—colloquially known as “Out East”—located just a mile from TIAA Bank Field.

The donation will benefit the Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation (HECDC) who uses a five pronged approach to enrich the area. According to the Jaguars and HECDC, those five priorities are:

• Food Insecurity – Provide year-round access to healthy foods and nutrition education and establish a permanent neighborhood market.
• Parks, Playgrounds and Green Spaces – Reimagine outdoor spaces to encourage healthy lifestyles and increase community wellness for all ages.
• Local Culture and Business - Celebrate the rich history and culture of the Historic Eastside neighborhood through support of local businesses and events such as the quarterly Melanin Market and other place-making activities.
• National Register of Historic Places - Support the application of the Historic Eastside neighborhood to the State Historic Preservation Office for designation to The National Register of Historic Places.
• Organizational and Community Support - Build the capacity of LIFT JAX and the HECDC to ensure operational support to continue to positively impact the Out East community.

“I love what LIFT JAX represents, so it’s my privilege to make this donation and help to set a course that I hope will have immediate and lasting impact,” Khan said. “This isn’t about cutting a check, however. It’s about all of us making a commitment of our time and resources, continued and uninterrupted, to empower our neighbors and break the cycle of poverty. That takes work and requires accountability, and the Jaguars Foundation is more than ready to do its part.”

The Jaguars Foundation and LIFT JAX—along with HECDC—have been working together for over a year to plan the best course of action for a partnership. The team has already provided meals during the holidays and volunteered in the community on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. New Head Coach Urban Meyer was invited to tour Out East in April to see the work HECDC is doing.

Urban Meyer takes a tour of Out East in April. Photo Courtesy: Jacksonville Jaguars, Credit-Logan Bowles

Now with the $1 million donation from Khan, LIFT JAX is looking to build on the foundation of work they’re already doing.

“As a nonprofit founded on the belief that community partnerships can help solve society’s complex challenges, LIFT JAX is grateful for the Khan Family and the Jaguars’ investment in Jacksonville’s Eastside neighborhood,” said David Garfunkel, president of LIFT JAX.

“The Jaguars’ donation will help advance the pillars of LIFT JAX’s Purpose Built Communities model which takes a holistic approach to strengthening neighborhoods through high-quality, mixed-income housing, cradle-to-career education, community wellness and long-term financial vitality. We are excited to work with the Jaguars, the Historic Eastside Community Development Corporation and community leaders to implement the priorities that residents have shared with us to create a more vibrant, thriving neighborhood for everyone in the Eastside.”

In addition to the donation to LIFT JAX, the Jaguars Foundation is calling upon DUVAL to do their part in community outreach as well. But in this particular case, the community is on the other side of the world.

The country of India has been ravaged by the global pandemic COVID-19. While vaccinations have settled cases down in most countries, India’s vaccine rollout couldn’t keep up with the massive population in conjunction with a new strain of the virus that rolled through the country this spring, spread by the Holi Festival.

Please join the Jaguars Foundation in supporting our friends in India who have been devastated by COVID-19. Our world is interdependent, and we join our partner @tech_mahindra and @techmahindracsr in this time of need.https://t.co/xalYGK8Fc8

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) May 21, 2021

With deaths piling up more and more each day—many due to the lack of oxygen in hospitals—the Jaguars and their partners Tech Mahindra are committing donations to "relentlessly working to direct the support towards the most vulnerable population including Healthcare workers, Security Personnel, Sanitation Workers, Migrant Workers, Farmers, Transgenders Community, Elderly People, Daily Wagers, Persons with Disabilities and more. We are forging collaborations to support oxygen requirement for Indian hospitals.”

At the time of publication, more than $43,000 had been raised.

The Jaguars’ fan base has become notorious for raising funds this offseason, ranging from money for a local historic firehouse to the favorite charities of new quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

If fans would like to donate to the India fundraiser, they can follow this link here.