Year: 2022
Award: Dorothy Mauk Pioneer Award
Location/Affiliation: High School Girls Flag Football
- Created over 500 sport opportunities for girls
- Funded uniforms, game day operations, and stipends
- Worked with 3 School Districts and CHSAA
Dorothy Mauk was a very talented and resourceful sportswriter at the Denver Post who spent 40 years volunteering and advocating for Sportswomen of Colorado. She was thought to be the first full-time woman sportswriter at a major U.S. metropolitan daily newspaper when she was hired by the Post in 1966.
The Denver Broncos have been a staple in the Mile High City since 1960, providing a dedicated fan base with their fall and winter entertainment on the gridiron. Off the football field, the Broncos are a force in the community, and in 2022 helped add a new sport for high school girls in DPS, Jeffco and Cherry Creek School Districts: flag football.
Not only did The Denver Broncos Foundation come up with the idea, they funded it and managed the operation. They worked with the District Athletic Directors and CHSAA to find players and coaches and formulate a schedule for a regular and post season. It was a huge success: 515 girls from 22 schools fielded 28 teams, some schools had enough girls for multiple teams. There were 15 female head coaches and 7 male head coaches. The Denver Broncos Foundation helped supply monetary or donation support to cover home and away jerseys, coaching stipends, equipment, officials, athletic trainers and other gameday operations. There is no doubt this program will grow even more in 2023 and give countless more girls the opportunity to play flag football. For this pioneering effort, The Denver Broncos Foundation win the 2022 Dorothy Mauk Pioneer Award.