Black 14 Philanthropy Donates 36,000 Pounds of Food to Atlanta Community Food Bank

On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, the Black 14 Philanthropy, in collaboration with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the College Football Hall of Fame, donated 36,000 pounds of food to the Atlanta Community Food Bank in East Point, Georgia. The donation brings the Black 14's total to 1.75 million pounds of food donated across the country since 2020. Mel Hamilton and Tony McGee, members of the Black 14, represented the philanthropy at the event. "One of our missions is to help the communities that need food," said Hamilton. "We want to feed as many people as we can." The Black 14 Philanthropy was established in 2019 by surviving members of a group of 14 Black football players who were unfairly dismissed from the University of Wyoming football team in 1969 after asking to participate in a peaceful racial protest prior to a game against Brigham Young University. The athletes have since reconciled with the University of Wyoming, BYU, and the Church, and began collaborating with the Church in 2020 to donate food to food banks around the country. The nonperishable food items, including applesauce, beans, macaroni, peanut butter, and rice, will assist the Atlanta Community Food Bank's 700 partner agencies serving 29 counties. Kyle Waide, president and CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, emphasized the donation's significance: "We're serving 70% more people today than we did four years ago. Inflation has just caused lines to get longer at food pantries all across our community." This marks the second collaboration between the Black 14 and the Church with the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, following a February 2024 donation of 40,000 pounds.