“I encourage everyone to help support them”: How Patrick Mahomes’ 5-year Special Olympics work and philanthropic efforts with Brittany give back to communities

Patrick Mahomes has spent years using his foundation to help young people and communities outside football. His latest Special Olympics effort came with a simple goal: help athletes get to the biggest stage without worrying about travel and lodging costs.On June 5, 2025, 15 and the Mahomies announced a partnership with Special Olympics Missouri ahead of the 2026 USA Games in Minneapolis. The move also revealed that Mahomes’ support for the organisation had already stretched across five years. Patrick Mahomes turned five years of Special Olympics support into a push for the USA GamesThe Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes did not start his Special Olympics involvement in 2025. His foundation had already provided grants to Special Olympics Missouri and its programmes for five years before the new campaign.The June 5 announcement focused on a practical problem. SOMO asked Mahomes’ foundation to identify the three biggest needs facing its athletes. Travel and lodging came out on top, so 15 and the Mahomies directed its new campaign towards those expenses.“We have provided grants for SOMO and its programs for the past five years. With the USA Games coming up, we wanted to help eliminate the financial barriers,” Mahomes said in the June 5, 2025 announcement.The foundation provided seed funding to launch the campaign. Special Olympics Missouri then opened donations at four levels linked to Mahomes’ famous No. 15: $15, $150, $1,500 and $15,000, the “Mahomes Match” level. The campaign ran from June 4 through Dec. 31, 2025, with the money going directly towards travel and lodging for Missouri athletes heading to Minneapolis.Patrick Mahomes also made his personal feelings clear. In the same announcement, he urged people to help the athletes reach their goal.“I encourage everyone to help support and position them to realize their dreams. Let us remove any financial obstacles and allow them to focus on the competition,” Mahomes said. “These athletes are my heroes, and they impress me with their resilience to push through challenges to compete.”That message gave the campaign a personal touch. The foundation was not simply raising money for an event. It was trying to remove a cost that could stand between Missouri athletes and a national competition.Brittany Mahomes and Patrick Mahomes have built a wider giving record around childrenWhile Brittany Mahomes did not take part in the Special Olympics announcement, she has played a role in the couple’s wider charitable work.One of their biggest joint commitments came on Oct. 4, 2023, when 15 and the Mahomies announced a $1.625 million contribution and a multi-year partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The programme targeted Greater Kansas City, Lubbock, Tyler and Whitehouse, communities with personal links to Patrick and Brittany.The partnership also carried a personal connection for Brittany. Patrick noted that she had attended a Boys & Girls Club as a child. The foundation also pledged $1,500 for every Patrick Mahomes touchdown during the 2023 regular season. Boys & Girls Clubs of East Texas and The Mentoring Alliance planned scholarships for up to 300 children to attend the club each year.“This meaningful partnership will expand opportunities for kids everywhere, and the places that have positively impacted Patrick and me,” Brittany said in the Oct. 4, 2023 announcement. “We are committed to doing all we can to uplift others.”These two efforts show the different ways the Mahomes family has used its foundation. Patrick’s Special Olympics work focused on helping athletes reach Minneapolis, while his joint work with Brittany has also targeted children, clubs and communities that shaped their lives.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.