Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick will donate $50,000 to Meals on Wheels, NFL Network reports.
The donation is part of Kaepernick’s promise to donate $1 million to organizations that help people in troubled communities. According to Kaepernick’s website, he’s donated $400,000 to various charities since making his pledge in late 2016.
Kaepernick’s donation comes after the White House unveiled President Trump’s budget blueprint, a budget that includes slashing funding for Health and Human Services by 18 percent. While the budget cuts may tighten the belts of many Meals on Wheels programs across the country, it’s unlikely the budget cuts would spell the end of the program.
Many are viewing Kaepernick’s donation as a direct shot at President Trump. Former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin called the donation a “political stunt” in a blog post.
Kaepernick has been a lightning rod for controversy since he decided to protest the national anthem throughout the 2016 NFL season. He was recently released by the 49ers, and at a rally earlier this week, Trump implied that NFL teams were wary of signing Kaepernick for fear the president would denounce his new team.
According to NPR, Kaepernick isn’t the only one donating to the charity. Between Thursday and Monday, Meals on Wheels said they received more than $160,000 in online donations — more than 30 times more than what they would typically receive in donations over that time span.
Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.
