FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft will be recognized as a Stuart Scott ENSPIRE award honoree at the second annual Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards, presented by ESPN, on July 12.
ESPN announced Kraft as an honoree Thursday.
The Sports Humanitarian of the Year Awards celebrate and honor leagues, teams, individuals and members of the sporting community who are using the power of sport to make a positive impact on society. The event will be held at The Conga Room at L.A. Live.
In honor of the late ESPN commentator Stuart Scott, this award celebrates someone who has taken risk and used an innovative approach to helping the disadvantaged through the power of sports. Candidates can include anyone who works within the sports sector. The honorees will be able to direct a $50,000 grant from ESPN to the qualified charity related to the award-winning humanitarian efforts.
From ESPN's announcement:
"Kraft has donated hundreds of millions to charities since becoming the owner of the Patriots, yet it's not just the number that's impressive, but the innovative and personal way he's leaving an imprint on communities across the region. Kraft is a fierce advocate for ensuring all residents of New England have access to quality healthcare. To that end, he's investing millions of dollars to attract the best clinicians to assist the most under-served populations through the community healthcare systems. He started a fellowship that provides coursework at Harvard, mentoring, clinical practice and even a student-loan repayment of $50,000 per year in return for a three-year commitment to community health following completion of the program."