Athletes for Hope was founded in 2006 by a group of elite athletes who all share a common bond – a deep commitment to helping others. These Founders included Muhammad Ali, Warrick Dunn, Mia Hamm, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Jeff Gordon, Andre Agassi, and Alonzo Mourning, among others.

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Each of our Founders have dedicated significant time, energy, and resources to various charitable causes. And in all of their journeys, they found a common theme: many athletes want to give back but don’t know where to begin. Our founders saw that the sports community is competitive by nature, which has led to a fragmented approach to philanthropy.

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And so, our founders decided to break the mold. By reaching out to professional, amateur, and youth athletes alike, Athletes for Hope was designed to bring all types of athletes together to educate and inspire them to channel their energy for a common goal: to make a difference in the world.

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Since our inception over 15 years ago, AFH has expanded our network and now works with thousands of athletes across virtually all sports and promotes equality, inclusion and diversity for all.