The Peach Bowl is more than a football game
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The Peach Bowl is more than a football game

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

The Peach Bowl was founded in 1968 as a fundraiser for the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation, so its involvement in philanthropy dates back to its beginnings and is part of its mission. A commitment to science, charity and using football to benefit our community is what drives our hometown bowl game.

The Bowl’s impact is perhaps most evident in the fight against childhood cancer through the Peach Bowl LegACy Fund. The fund was established in 2019 with a $20 million donation to the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – the largest single donation in Bowl history – and honors the life of Anna Charles “AC” Hollis , the subsidiary of Peach Bowl Inc. Vice President of Sales Benji Hollis. AC died of leukemia in 2018. This initiative focuses on funding the most promising clinical drug trials for children, providing hope and new treatment options to families in need.

Through the “Touchdowns for Kids” program, fans also play a role in this mission by giving them the opportunity to make a donation based on the number of touchdowns their team scores over the course of a season. Over the past eight seasons, this initiative has raised nearly $3.8 million for patients at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, including $1.9 million in matching funds from Peach Bowl Inc.

Through the original donation of $20 million and additional donations of $3.8 million, Peach Bowl Inc. is now funding 14 clinical trials at five hospitals in four states with the goal of eradicating childhood cancer.

The bowl is an example of their commitment to education, community and compassion through impactful initiatives and partnerships. Working with the College Football Playoff Foundation’s Extra Yard Makeover initiative, funding was provided to upgrade media and technology centers at eight underserved schools in the Atlanta area. A 2017 partnership funded a three-year, $2 million literacy initiative that equipped 1,500 Atlanta Public Schools teachers with improved methods of teaching literacy to 25,000 students.

The Bowl also supports education through its John Lewis Legacy of Courage Scholarship, which has $8.9 million in endowments at 35 universities for Georgia students from Title 1 high schools.

Beyond education, the Peach Bowl is expanding its reach into crisis relief, contributing to efforts following the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007 and hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Harvey, Helene and Milton – including a recent donation of 500,000 US dollars to support the affected communities in southeast Helene and Milton. These actions demonstrate their commitment to promoting hope and resilience across the country.

Football can change lives, and the Peach Bowl is committed to doing what we can to help those in need. It shows us that football has the power to unite and is an example of how a bowl game can create a deep bond with its community. Whether it’s raising fans for pediatric cancer research, helping schools create better learning environments or assisting disaster victims, the Peach Bowl transforms moments of collective passion into meaningful impact.

Football may be just a game, but Peach Bowl Inc. and Stokan recognize the sport’s ability to bring people together and create positive change in people’s lives through football. His impact will long outlive the memory of the game and create a legacy that we can all embrace and be proud to be part of the Atlanta community.

Percy Vaughn, vice president of southern region operations for Kia America, was chairman of Peach Bowl Inc. from 2015 to 2018.

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