Mizzou had some greats in the stands cheering the Tigers on in their game v. Texas A&M. Pictured are former Mizzou football player and NFL star Sean Weatherspoon, former Mizzou coach and Super Bowl Champion Coach Andy Hill, Hall of Fame Coach Gary Pinkel, and former Mizzou star, NFL great and 2023 Hall of Fame inductee Jeremy Maclin.
Once a Tiger, always a Tiger! MIZ!
It’s an honor coaches dream of, and for former University of Missouri head football coach Gary Pinkel, it’s come true. Coach Pinkel was officially inducted into the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame on December 6, 2022 at the 75th annual National Football Foundation Awards Ceremony held in Las Vegas.
Coach was joined by family, friends, colleagues, and former players on this memorable night as he accepted this honor. Enjoy these photo memories from the College Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Coyote Hill exists to give children in foster care a safe place to be a child. Each year, hundreds of children enter foster care in Missouri and for more than 30 years, Coyote Hill has worked to keep kids safe.
In November, the GP M.A.D.E. Foundation gave Coyote Hill Children’s Ranch $5,000 as a challenge grant for Giving Tuesday. Coyote Hill leveraged the donation match into an incredible $23,000 in one day!
When asked about his work with Coyote Hill, Coach Pinkel said “I feel like I’m doing something significant. We’re really trying to reach out and help kids. We’re going to keep trying to raise more money to help more kids.”
GP M.A.D.E. partners with Coyote Hill because the organization is a perfect reflection of the foundation’s own goals— making a difference every day in the lives of others.
To help Missouri children battling cancer, a core pillar of our mission, the GP M.A.D.E. Foundation donated $15,000 to the National Children’s Cancer Society (NCCS). This grant supports the NCCS Transportation Assistance Fund.
The National Children’s Cancer Society, headquartered in St. Louis, provides emotional, financial, and educational support to children with cancer, their families, and survivors. The NCCS Transportation Assistance Fund alleviates the financial burden of travel and lodging for families who have a child with cancer. This includes transportation expenses such as mileage, airfare, and lodging when a child needs to stay near the hospital for treatment and nonprofit lodging is unavailable.
With the NCCS Transportation Assistance Fund, families can focus on the only thing that matters – getting their child well again.
Learn more about the National Children’s Cancer Society here.
In fall of 2022, the GP M.A.D.E. Foundation donated $15,000 to Ellis Fischel Cancer Center. This grant funded the purchase of portable CADD pumps for prolonged administration of chemotherapy drugs for acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients. Treatment for this type of leukemia includes a medication that must be given by IV continuously for 28 days, and CADD pumps make this possible.
For the first time ever, Mid-Missouri children battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia can acquire CADD pumps in Columbia, rather than having to travel to St. Louis or Kansas City.
Ellis Fischel Cancer Center is part of the University of Missouri Health Care and was the first comprehensive cancer center west of the Mississippi River. Ellis Fischel’s team of physician specialists and other trained professionals work together with a common goal: to provide the latest cancer treatments and improve quality of life for thousands of people each year.
A core value of the GP M.A.D.E. Foundation is to support Missouri children battling cancers including leukemia and lymphoma. We are grateful to our supporters who Make A Difference Every-day in the lives and futures of children and youth.
In early December, the Southeastern Conference inducted several former players and coaches into its 2022 Legends Class. From the SEC:
“The 2022 Football Legends Class includes 14 former stars who excelled on the gridiron and helped write the rich history of the sport at their respective institutions. This year’s class includes All-Americans, All-SEC selections, Academic All-Americans, a Heisman Trophy winner and a Hall of Fame head coach. The group represents teams that won SEC Championships, won Super Bowl titles and are represented in state, school and college football halls of fame.”
Coach Pinkel was honored to be among the 2022 class, which included:
Alabama – Ozzie Newsome, Split End, 1974-77
Arkansas – Steve Korte, Offensive Guard, 1981-82
Auburn – Ben Tamburello, Guard/Center, 1983-86
Florida – Alex Brown, Defensive End, 1998-2001
Georgia – Thomas Davis, Linebacker, 2002-04
Kentucky – Joe Federspiel, Linebacker, 1969-71
LSU – Todd McClure, Center, 1995-98
Ole Miss – Eli Manning, Quarterback, 1999-2003
Mississippi State – K.J. Wright, Linebacker, 2007-10
Missouri – Gary Pinkel, Head Coach, 2001-15
South Carolina – Alshon Jeffery, Wide Receiver, 2009-11
Tennessee – Peyton Manning, Quarterback, 1994-97
Texas A&M – Johnny Manziel, Quarterback, 2012-13
Vanderbilt – Allama Matthews, Tight End, 1979-82
The class was announced at the SEC championship game in Atlanta on December 3, 2022.
Following the rush of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is a unique opportunity and reminder to observe and support causes and charities that are meaningful making an impact in the lives of our neighbors.
Since 2019, the GP M.A.D.E. Foundation has partnered with supporters to distribute nearly $300,000 to Missouri organizations that provide services fulfilling the three pillars of our mission, helping children in Missouri to:
In addition to local non-profit grants, the GP M.A.D.E. Foundation has awarded 49 Scholarships, valued at nearly $400,000, to low-income students from across the state, to attend college, university or vocational trade schools in Missouri.
We’re not done yet. We need your help to move the ball forward into 2023.
We’re celebrating Giving Tuesday with 30 days of giving – now through the end of the year. Make your secure, tax-deductible donation here at any of the levels below and receive a gift as our thank you for your partnership and support.
You can make a difference every-day in the lives and future of children and youth facing difficult challenges. The battle is real, and the fight is on. We need your help!
This holiday season, join me in giving gifts that will change the trajectory of a child’s life forever. Together we CAN Make A Difference Everyday!
Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Gary Pinkel
The rain didn’t dampen the excitement at the first annual An Evening with GP, held at the Atrium in Columbia, Missouri on November 4, 2022. Guests entered and walked back through time to the Pinkel era of Mizzou football, enjoying photos, memorabilia, dinner, and a four-quarter program recounting the highlights of Gary Pinkel’s illustrious college coaching career.
As the first-of-its-kind fundraiser for the GP M.A.D.E. Foundation, the event was a huge success. In total, An Evening with GP raised $110,000, which the foundation will use to fund 11 scholarships for 2023. Learn more about the GP M.A.D.E. scholarship program and meet the 2022 recipients here.
Our sincere gratitude to our presenting sponsors, Veterans United Home Loans, Chase & Hilary Daniel, and Chris & Sarah Cox. Additional thanks goes to Mike Kelly, Mike Alden, and Brad Smith who joined Coach Pinkel on stage for the program. We are also grateful to our many table sponsors, volunteers, board members, staff members, and to our vendors for helping us support life-changing educational opportunities for deserving Missouri students in need.
For more than 50 years, the Columbia Youth Football League has been introducing families to the sport of football in a fun and instructive environment. These talented young athletes are skilled and competitive, but sometimes find out-of-state travel difficult to afford.
Helping young football players see their dreams come true is right up Coach Pinkel’s alley. In October, the GP M.A.D.E. Foundation provided a grant to the Columbia Youth Football League, which enabled 15 eleven-year-old low-income boys to play in the competitive division. While eleven-year-olds did not win their state championship, the 9 and 13-year old divisions did! Extra funds from the GP M.A.D.E. Foundation helped send them to AAU Nationals in Davenport Florida. Each team came in second in the nation. Many of the players had never traveled, so this was a wonderful experience seeing new places while competing in a sport they love.
Congratulations Warhawks! You can learn all about the Columbia Youth Football League here.
15 years as a Mizzou Tiger on the field with a coach’s visor, and now a Mizzou Tiger for all posterity! On September 16, 2022, the Mizzou Alumni Association awarded GP M.A.D.E. Founder Gary Pinkel an honorary degree on September 16, 2022.
Coach Pinkel served as Head Football Coach for the University of Missouri from 2001-2015, earning the title of “winningest football coach in Mizzou history.” Coach Pinkel is well-known for mentoring his players on and off the field. His program “Mizzou Made” focused on four core values:
-Honesty
-Treat Women with Respect
-No Drugs
-Respect Cultural Differences
The result of this program was young men who put team first and found success on the football field and also in life. When Coach Pinkel retired from coaching and shifted to his focus to philanthropy, his “Mizzou Made” philosophy helped shape the GP M.A.D.E. Foundation — Making a Difference Every-Day in the lives of youths facing difficult challenges.
Congrats on your honorary degree coach, and many thanks to the Mizzou Alumni Association!