Our origins

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Athletes for Hope is a non-profit organisation that was founded in the United States in 2007 by Andre Agassi, Muhammad Ali, Warrick Dunn, Jeff Gordon, Mia Hamm, Tony Hawk, Andrea Jaeger, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mario Lemieux, Alonzo Mourning, and Cal Ripken, Jr. As athletes who shared a deep commitment to giving back, these founders joined forces to create an organisation that brings athletes together, to educate, inspire, and empower them to channel their energy for a common goal: to make a difference in the world through sports philanthropy.

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Athletes for Hope has grown from its original Founders to over 8,000 athletes across 25 sports and leagues, including the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB and the Olympic movement. These athletes take part in a 'Causeway' program which provides educational workshops and one-on-one guidance for each athlete through their personal philanthropic journey. Athletes for Hope is the largest sports philanthropic non-profit organisation in the United States.

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