EAGAN, Minn. – When Minnesota hosts Detroit at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, the Vikings will be using their feet to promote causes close to their hearts.
More than 50 players – including two currently on Injured Reserve – will don custom-designed cleats that recently were unveiled to each athlete. The footwear is painted to represent respective causes of the players' choice as part of the NFL's annual My Cause My Cleats initiative.
Among the organizations represented this year are some of the players' personal foundations or charities, including the Thielen Foundation, Raise the Barr Foundation and the Linval Joseph Foundation.
Others include causes with which players have personal or long-lasting connections; a handful of these stories will be highlighted on Vikings.com this week.
Below is a full list of the Vikings participating in Sunday's "My Cause, My Cleats" campaign through custom kicks. Players are listed in numerical order.
See which causes the Vikings are supporting with their one-of-a-kind cleats in this season's 'My Cause My Cleats' campaign.
Britton Colquitt
Organization: Love146
Cause: Ending child trafficking and exploitation
Sean Mannion
Organization: Team Gleason Foundation
Cause: Finding solutions for ALS patients
Connection: Mannion's father-in-law passed away from ALS in 2013.
Dan Bailey
Organization: Muscular Dystrophy Association
Cause: Curing muscular dystrophy
Kirk Cousins
Organization: Boys & Girls Clubs
Cause: Youth mentorship
Chad Beebe
Organization: American Cancer Society
Cause: Finding cures and providing support for patients
Connection: Beebe's grandmother recently passed away from pancreatic cancer.
Stefon Diggs
Organization: American Heart Association
Cause: Improving heart health
Connection: Diggs' father passed away from heart disease.
Adam Thielen
Organization: Thielen Foundation
Cause: Inspiring and empowering others to reach their full potential
Connection: Adam and his wife launched the Thielen Foundation in 2018.
Mackensie Alexander
Organization: Special Olympics
Cause: Providing athletics opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities
Mike Hughes
Organizations: American Cancer Society/Endometriosis Foundation of America
Cause: Advocacy for patients and continuing to research diseases
Harrison Smith
Organization: Big Brothers Big Sisters
Cause: Youth development
Connection: Building on college experience, Smith has hosted multiple events for Bigs and Littles.
Mike Boone
Organization: American Cancer Society
Cause: Supporting patients and supporting research
Holton Hill
Organization: Alzheimer’s Association
Cause: Supporting patients and reducing effects of dementia
Connection: Hill's grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's several years ago.
Alexander Mattison
Organization: City of Hope San Bernardino
Cause: Radiation oncology
Connection: Mattison's father underwent a bone marrow transplant for a leukemia treatment in his hometown.
Trae Waynes
Organization: Secondhand Hounds
Cause: Animal Welfare
Connection: Waynes has a passion for supporting pet adoption, having adopted multiple dogs.
Several Vikings players recently unboxed their cleats for the NFL's "My Cause My Cleats' initiative.
Jayron Kearse
Organization: Big Brothers Big Sisters
Cause: Youth development
Connection: Kearse has volunteered for the organization that fosters meaningful mentorship opportunities.
Xavier Rhodes
Organization: Boys & Girls Clubs
Cause: Youth development
Connection: Rhodes has hosted multiple events.
C.J. Ham
Organization: Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
Cause: Advancing research, clinical initiatives, patient services and advocacy
Connection: Ham's mother is fighting pancreatic cancer.
Ameer Abdullah
Organization: The Black Youth Project
Cause: Social justice
Connection: Abdullah, who is on the Vikings Social Justice committee, has a passion for advancing social justice.
Dalvin Cook
Organization: Minnesota Vikings Foundation/Vikings Table
Cause: Supporting youth health/fighting hunger
Connection: Cook helped launch the Vikings Table charity food truck this year.
Kris Boyd
Organization: Ronald McDonald House Charities
Cause: Children's health
Kentrell Brothers
Organization: Chiari and Syringomyelia Foundation
Cause: Treating rare diseases
Connection: Brothers' mother battles Chiari malformation.
Anthony Harris
Organization: One Love Foundation
Cause: Ending relationship violence and/or abuse
Connection: One Love was named in honor of a victim who attended Harris' alma mater, the University of Virginia.
Ben Gedeon
Organization: Navy Special Operations Foundation
Cause: Military
Connection: Gedeon's brother is in the Navy.
Eric Wilson
Organization: People Serving People
Cause: Helping homeless people through a family-focused shelter
Hercules Mata'afa
Organization: Animal Humane Society
Cause: Animal welfare
Eric Kendricks
Organization: The Sheridan Story
Cause: Fighting food insecurities
Connection: Kendricks has helped raise money and support through his annual "Sacks for Kids" program.
Anthony Barr
Organization: Raise the Barr Foundation
Cause: Supporting single moms
Connection: After growing up in a single-parent household, Barr has directed the focus of his foundation toward helping others in a similar circumstance.
Garrett Bradbury
Organization: The Able Fables
Cause: Special needs
Connection: Bradbury's friend from college established The Able Fables foundation
Austin Cutting
Organization: Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
Cause: Animal welfare
Cameron Smith
Organization: United Heroes League
Cause: Supporting military families
Josh Kline
Organization: TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors)
Cause: Supporting families who have lost a loved one through military service
Pat Elflein
Organization: Crescent Cove
Cause: Hospice care for children
Connection: Elflein has volunteered numerous times at the facility.
Rashod Hill
Organization: The Codie Foundation
Cause: Supporting hearing impaired
Connection: Hill's 4-year-old daughter has partial hearing loss and inspired creation of the foundation.
Riley Reiff
Organization: Pheasants Forever
Cause: Conservation
Dru Samia
Organization: American Cancer Society
Cause: Ovarian Cancer
Olisaemeka Udoh
Organization: Special Olympics
Cause: Special needs
Brian O'Neill
Organization: Autism Speaks
Cause: Advocating for people with autism-related conditions
Connection: O'Neill's older sister, Lorraine, has autism.
Aviante Collins
Organization: Dr. Leonard's Cancer Research Fund
Cause: Researching genetic engineering to fight cancer
Connection: Two of Collins' uncles have passed away because of cancer.
Dakota Dozier
Organization: Shriners Hospitals for Children
Cause: Youth health
Connection: Dozier's sister underwent a surgery and lengthy stay at a Shriners Hospital.
Bisi Johnson
Organization: Boys & Girls Clubs
Cause: Youth development through mentorship
Connection: Johnson has volunteered for the organization.
Kyle Rudolph
Organization: University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
Cause: Children's health
Connection: Kyle and his wife make frequent visits for specific events, as well as to continue supporting families. They also created Kyle Rudolph's End Zone, a respite for patients and families at the hospital.
Tyler Conklin
Organization: Humane Society of Macomb
Cause: Animal welfare
Irv Smith, Jr.
Organization: Go2 Foundation for Lung Cancer
Cause: Extending and improving lives of patients and those that are at-risk
Stephen Weatherly
Organization: One Love Foundation
Cause: Ending relationship abuse/violence
Connection: Weatherly suffered a verbally and emotionally abusive relationship.
Jalyn Holmes
Organization: Option2
Cause: Helping student-athletes excel on and off the field
Shamar Stephen
Organization: Boys & Girls Clubs
Cause: Youth development
Jaleel Johnson
Organization: People Serving People
Cause: The region's largest and most comprehensive family focused homeless shelter
Ifeadi Odenigbo
Organization: The Dayton Foundation
Cause: Community and tragedy outreach
Connection: Odenigbo helped support the victims of the mass shooting in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio, on Aug. 4, 2019.
Armon Watts
Organization: American Brain Tumor Association
Cause: Support and advocacy for patients
Everson Griffen
Organizations: American Cancer Society | American Heart Association | NAMI
Causes: Breast cancer | Heart health | Mental health
Connections: Griffen supports the ACS in honor of his mother-in-law and the AHA in memory of his mother. He returned this season after undergoing treatment for his mental health.
Linval Joseph
Organization: The Linval Joseph Foundation
Cause: Anti-bullying
Connection: A bullying victim during his youth, Joseph focuses on bullying-prevention efforts.
Danielle Hunter
Organization: Police Activities League
Cause: Community building through character development
Laquon Treadwell
Organization: Boys & Girls Clubs; Feed My Starving Children
Cause: Youth mentorship and combating food insecurity
