NFL reprises Draft-a-Thon to raise money for pandemic relief

<p>NEW YORK &mdash; The NFL is bringing back the Draft-a-Thon that raised money last year for charities dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.</p>
<p>The league announced Thursday that this year’s three-day fundraiser coinciding with the NFL draft April 29-May 1 and hosted by NFL Network’s Kay Adams will raise money and awareness for pandemic recovery efforts.</p>
<p>The fundraiser will focus on four national nonprofit organizations that are supporting underserved communities in the following areas: health disparities ( <a href="https://www.cdcfoundation.org/making-an-impact-COVID-19">CDC Foundation</a> ), bridging the digital divide ( <a href="https://edtrust.org/">The Education Trust</a> ), food insecurity ( <a href="https://www.feedingamerica.org/">Feeding America</a> ) and mental health ( <a href="Usersclare.graffAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsINetCacheContent.Outlook8Z5I0GMHMHAnational.org">Mental Health America</a> ).</p>
<p>“It’s imperative to help those in need as we navigate toward recovery from the pandemic,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “Through Draft-a-Thon, the NFL Draft will serve as a platform to create action and change.”</p>
<p>Like last year, the <a href="https://relief.nfl.com/">Draft-a-Thon</a> will be featured across the live draft coverage on ESPN and NFL Network. </p>
<p>Draft-a-Thon LIVE will stream across NFL social and digital platforms including Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, Reddit, and <a href="http://nfl.com/DraftaThon">nfl.com/DraftaThon</a>. </p>
<p>Last year’s draft was the most-watched ever, with 55 million viewers and the Draft-a-Thon raised $6.6 million to contribute to COVID-19 relief. Overall, the NFL contributed more than $100 million last year for pandemic relief.</p>
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