Vikings create George Floyd Scholarship, make $5 million donation to social justice causes

The George Floyd death on May 25 has ignited anti-racism protests all around the world, with scores of people taking to the streets in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Across the globe, there have been several protests voicing outrage at the George Floyd death and sports organisations have also joined in to contribute in the fight against systemic racism. While major sports leagues are taking initiatives in several social welfare issues following the George Floyd death, the Wilf family and NFL's Minnesota Vikings have announced a donation of $5 million, in lieu of a ‘George Floyd scholarship’.

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George Floyd scholarship: Minnesota Vikings announce donation of $5 million for George Floyd scholarship

NFL's Minnesota Vikings recently pledged an endowment to the George Floyd scholarship. As per the George Floyd scholarship, the Minnesota Vikings are going to establish the project with an initial amount of $125,000 from the Vikings Social Justice Committee. The Vikings have also joined forces with Minnesota Lynx and Minnesota Timberwolves to use their influence and financial strength in fighting social injustice and racial discrimination across the United States, as per reports.

The owner of Minnesota Vikings, Zygi Wilf recently issued a press release where he went on to detail his plans of eradicating racial discrimination from the US. The press release of the Minnesota Vikings stated, “Our organisation and the players have shown a commitment to these causes over the last several years, but we know we need to and can do more. We want this investment to support the many diverse and meaningful social justice efforts throughout our country, but it can only be one piece of our overall work toward having a sustainable impact. Our actions within our communities will be the driving force for creating profound change.”

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George Floyd scholarship: Minnesota Vikings offer George Floyd scholarship

Following the killing of George Floyd, Minessota has been the epicentre of protests in the United States. While Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns was among the first to address the event and also took part in the Black Lives Matter movement on the streets in the city, the Vikings have now taken a productive step further in an effort to eradicate racism. Last year, the Vikings donated $250,000 towards various outreach programs like the St. Paul Public Schools Nutrition Services and Achieve Minneapolis, with $20,000 out of the $250,000 going to each of these efforts. 

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Image courtesy: Minnesota Vikings Twitter