Denzel Defending for Dollars

This season Denzel Ward is continuing his mission of raising awareness about heart health and positively impacting the heart disease epidemic! Now that football is back, every pass Denzel “The Warden” Ward intercepts or defends this season could mean big things off the field in educating our communities on the importance of heart health, prevention and treatment and providing resources for action.

In 2016, the Ward family experienced first-hand the unexpected loss of their patriarch, Paul G. Ward Jr., to cardiac arrest while he participated in a spin class. While there was an automated external defibrillator (AED) at the gym where he collapsed, no one used it. He was only 46 years old, and his premature death left behind a purpose that drives us every day.

Ward and his family created the Make Them Know Your Name (“MTKYN”) Foundation to take action to positively change the outcome of cardiac episodes in communities across the United States, including educating people on how to use a defibrillator and how to perform hands-only CPR which can triple survival rates!  Through this work and your generosity we have been able to donate CPR training kits to schools and donate AED machines to local establishments and provide necessary training for staff so they feel confident should they have to use the machine.  But it certainly doesn’t stop there.  We know the statistics all too well of how cardiovascular risks impact the black community at alarmingly disproportionate levels. That’s why funds raised this season will go towards initiatives focused on helping and educating our black communities on taking charge of their health and provide health screenings to those who need it most.

Join the Ward family, MTKYN, and our community of individuals and organizations willing to take action to help change the course of the heart disease epidemic by betting on the Warden locking down his opponents this season!

“I know firsthand how loyal and passionate Ohio fans are for their families and their football. So I’m humbled you would join me in combining both of those passions to raise money and awareness to protect and educate our communities about heart health, hopefully preventing tragedies like the one my family lived through. You’ll never know how much your support of MTKYN means to me.

Now let’s go do this Cleveland!” - Denzel Ward