Voting for Nationwide’s Charity Challenge kicks off today

Columbus, OH – NFL players are known for their competitiveness…and for their community service. With some help from their fans during Nationwide’s 7^th annual Charity Challenge, this year’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award nominees can earn additional money for their charities and secure some bragging rights in the process.

Nationwide, the presenting sponsor of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, is inviting fans to show their support for their favorite nominee during the six-week social media campaign.

Now through Jan. 17, 2022, fans can vote for their favorite finalists on Twitter by using the hashtag #WPMOYChallenge and including the nominee’s last name and/or his Twitter handle anywhere within the tweet. The player whose name is used the most during that time will receive a $25,000 contribution to his designated charity, while the second and third place finishers will receive $10,000 and $5,000 donations respectively, all courtesy of Nationwide.

The trio of winners will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 18. Hashtag information, official rules and the Charity Challenge scoreboard can be found at nfl.com/manoftheyear.

This year’s contest is enhanced by several new voting incentives:

• Double votes – On January 4 and 5, votes containing #WPMOYChallenge + player name and/or his Twitter handle will count twice.
• Race to 1M – The first player to reach one million votes (measured by use of #WPMOYChallenge hashtag + player name and/or his Twitter handle) will win $10,000 for his charity. This bonus donation is independent of those that will be awarded to the top three finishers.
• Team contests – During Super Wild Card Weekend (Jan. 15-17), several teams around the league will host social media promotions giving fans a chance to win unique WPMOY-themed prizes.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce won last year’s Charity Challenge, collecting more than one million votes to finish first followed by then-Los Angeles Rams defensive end Isaac Rochell (now with Indianapolis Colts) and Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons.

“The Charity Challenge is a fun way to further showcase the nominees, rally their fan bases and provide some friendly competition for additional donations,” said Ramon Jones, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Nationwide. “With the new enhancements and incentives incorporated into this year’s Challenge, we’re excited to see which player will be the first to earn one million votes and the extra $10,000 donation for his charity of choice.”

The 2021 NFL season marks the eighth year of Nationwide’s sponsorship of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. Since 2014, Nationwide has contributed more than $1.3 million to the charitable foundations represented by the various nominees.

The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide will be announced during the NFL Honors broadcast on Thursday, February 10 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

For more information about the nominees, visit www.nfl.com/manoftheyear.