Keenum: ‘We Want These Kids to Have the Same Opportunities to Live Out God’s Plan for Their Lives’
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — Back in middle school, the yet-to-be-discovered football star and quarterback Case Keenum started attending camps with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). He stayed involved with FCA in high school as well as at the University of Houston, where he played college football. Today, Keenum has teamed up with FCA and Compassion International to Fill the Stadium (FtS), which is an initiative which provides essential food, medical care and support for children around the world and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Pro athletes from all over the country and [athletes] in our [FCA] Huddles are teaming up with Compassion International to help kids in crisis around the world,” stated Keenum. “Because of COVID-19 complications, kids around the world need our help. They’re going hungry and some are facing starvation.”
To date, almost $25 million has been raised in Compassion International’s Fill the Stadium initiative, aiding more than 49,000 children and their families living in extreme poverty in the wake of COVID-19. In addition to Keenum – who is focusing his promotion of the FtS initiative toward the FCA chapters in his home state – over 40 professional athletes and national leaders have personally joined the Fill the Stadium lead team to help save children in crisis in the developing world.
“… We want these kids to be able to survive so that they can have the same opportunities to live out God’s plan for their lives,” continued Keenum. “It’s why we’re teaming up with Compassion to stand in the gap for 70,000 kids who are at risk. Those kids could fill an average NFL stadium, so let’s fill every seat. I want to challenge each FCA Huddle to team up and raise $500 to fill one seat, but don’t stop until you fill every seat that you can.”
Joining Case Keenum in leadership roles for Fill the Stadium efforts are such standout professional athletes as Nick Foles, professional football MVP quarterback; Adam Engel of the Chicago White Sox; Nick Ahmed of the Arizona Diamondbacks; Alyssa Naeher of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team; Jordy Nelson, former professional wide receiver; Carson Palmer, former professional quarterback; Devin and Jason McCourty, defensive backs of New England; Nate Solder of the New York Giants; Jaccob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes; Brock Huard, FOX Sports Broadcaster and former professional quarterback, and many others.
So far, the FtS initiative has “filled” more than 49,000 seats — continuing their commitment and leadership — on their way to the goal of helping 70,000 children. In this era of coronavirus, “We are all experiencing the reality of empty stadiums,” says the Fill the Stadium team. “It’s why this effort so desperately needs a caring, prayerful and thoughtful community to join together in this needed relief.”
To learn more, visit the Fill the Stadium website, and Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Founded in 1952,Compassion International is a Christian child development organization that works to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name. Compassion revolutionized the fight against global poverty by working exclusively with the Church to lift children out of spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty. Compassion partners with more than 8,000 churches in 25 countries to deliver its holistic child development program to over 2 million babies, children and young adults. Its child sponsorship program has been validated through independent, empirical research.