Stephen Pierce Foundation

a non-profit corp.

ABOUT

THE STEPHEN PIERCE FOUNDATION

Who Is Stephen Pierce?

Stephen Pierce is the immediate past President of the National Football League Former Players Association in San Diego. Stephen is a former NFL wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns and was a wide receiver at SWC in 1983 and 1984, MVP both years. Stephen was awarded a scholarship to the University of Illinois and earned a BA in political science. He was Rookie of the Year at the University of Illinois and the second leading receiver in the Big Ten. Stephen was a valuable member of the team, he led the Fighting Illini in receptions and was inducted into the Southwestern College Hall of Fame.

While his playing career was a success, Stephen especially valued the education he received at the University of Illinois. Stephen has used his B.A. degree from the University of Illinois as a springboard to succeed in life. He has been very successful in marketing, producing, and promoting special events surrounding the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, NFL Players Convention, 2010 Moto Expo SD and Juneteenth.

The Stephen Pierce Foundation was developed as an avenue to continue a longstanding Pierce family tradition of giving back to the community and funding programs to foster education and community involvement. The Stephen Pierce Foundation has supported other organizations such as The Home Front San Diego, Wounded Warriors and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.

About The Foundation

The Stephen Pierce Foundation is a non profit California corporation which is committed to improving and providing education opportunities for financially underprivileged youth. The Stephen Pierce Foundation is dedicated to opening the door of opportunity for financially underprivileged youth by mentoring student athletes, and providing scholarships to deserving students.

Since 1998, Steve has promoted, produced, and marketed the NFL Pro-Bowl and Superbowl galas and the NFL Retired Players convention. Steve’s event planning talents make him the natural choice to raise funds to meet the Foundation’s goals, through events such as The California Classic Challenge.

The California Classic Challenge is a three day event designed to raise funds for the scholarship and mentorship programs described herein. The California Classic Challenge consists of a parade, a VIP reception, a drumline and step show, a celebrity golf tournament, and a rousing football game featuring two historically black colleges. The California Classic Challenge will be held in San Diego, California, in its first year. In years two and three, the Classic will also be held in other profitable venues, including Las Vegas, Nevada.

Steve is very active in youth and community events. Steve learned to “give back” to the less fortunate from his parents, who were actively involved in, and financially supported, youth, education, and community activities. Steve developed The Stephen Pierce Foundation as an avenue to continue this long standing family tradition of youth and community involvement. Steve resides in San Diego with his wife and two children.

Military Outreach

Helping the children of military families has been of special interest to Stephen Pierce. He listens to their needs and develops a plan to assist them in their time of need. Partnering with military personnel such as Sgt. Tracey Ford can make a difference in the family’s life. Pictured here is Stephen visiting Tracy at the North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego. He was quoted recently as saying “Honoring our military and providing them with help is the least we can do as they put themselves in harm’s way for the good of our country”.

Sgt. Tracey Ford was severely injured in 2004 while serving in Iraq when she was forced to jump from her burning vehicle

during an IED explosion. She landed on her weapon, suffering internal injuries, which resulted in 12 surgeries and extensive

rehabilitation over the last 4 years. Upon returning from Iraq, Tracey found not only was her body broken, so was her home.

Tracey has struggled as a single mother to put her life back together and raise her two children. In addition to her health struggles, her young son suffers from a heart condition. Tracy has not let her personal challenges stop her from taking on the responsibility of caring for her two nieces who were left homeless after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. She is a living example of the hardships military families endure and overcome when the community is around to support them. Ms. Ford says it best, “TheStephen Pierce Foundation has been ablessing to military families. It feels good to return home and get the support necessary to rebuild our lives.”