Nationwide’s Charity Challenge kicks off today with increased prize money, new voting option
Contest promotes and supports nominees for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide
Nationwide’s annual Charity Challenge kicks off today, giving football fans a way to help Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominees earn additional dollars for their chosen charities. As presenting sponsor of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, Nationwide is encouraging fans to take the challenge and vote for their favorite nominees now through January 8, 2024.
To commemorate its 10th year of sponsoring what is widely regarded as the NFL’s most prestigious honor, Nationwide will award the Charity Challenge winner an additional $10,000 for his designated charity, increasing the top prize from $25,000 to $35,000. The second and third place finishers will receive $10,000 and $5,000 donations, respectively, all courtesy of Nationwide.
Also, new this year, fans may vote directly on NFL.com/manoftheyear. Online votes will be combined with those cast in the traditional method of posting on X (formerly Twitter) by using #WPMOYChallenge followed by their favorite nominee’s last name and/or the nominee’s handle somewhere within the post. In cases where multiple nominees share the same last name (i.e., Justin Jones and Jonathan Jones), all valid votes must include the #WPMOYChallenge hashtag and the nominee’s X handle or full name.
During the “double vote” window on January 2 and 3, all online votes and eligible social posts will count twice. Also during the five-week campaign, several teams will be doing social media promotions, including giveaways, to support their nominees.
“Nationwide created the Charity Challenge as a companion campaign to further amplify the charitable causes supported by the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominees,” said Ramon Jones, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer for Nationwide. “It has been great to see how fans and players embrace the friendly competition, and we’re excited to up the ante this year in recognition of our ten-year partnership.”
The winners will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Hashtag information, official rules and the Charity Challenge scoreboard can be found at NFL.com/manoftheyear.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes won last year’s Charity Challenge. The second and third place finishers were Washington Commanders offensive tackle Charles Leno Jr. and Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins.
Beyond participating in Charity Challenge, fans also have the opportunity to contribute directly to some of the causes supported by the nominees through an online fundraiser hosted by Alltroo, the fundraising platform co-founded by three-time Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee, Kyle Rudolph. Visit Alltroo.com/manoftheyear to support the fundraisers of participating nominees. Prizes range from game tickets and field passes to unique experiences with the nominee. Thanks to Nationwide’s support, 100% of all donations will go directly to the nominees’ charities.
The 2023 NFL season marks the tenth year of Nationwide’s sponsorship of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. Since 2014, Nationwide has contributed more than $2.3 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 8 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.
For more information about the nominees, visit NFL.com/manoftheyear.