GP M.A.D.E. Foundation Inc

Dear Friends,

From growing up in Akron to playing football to becoming a College Football Hall of Fame coach, and now to launching a foundation – there’s a common denominator across each and every milestone in my life’s journey. I love kids. I love giving kids opportunities, helping them grow, and challenging them to be better. It’s my “why,” every day. And it’s why I’m so glad you’re here.

In 2015, while head football coach at Mizzou, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. It was a wake-up call. Time – time with family, time with friends – became more important and valuable than ever before. Ultimately, I knew I had to retire and put all my energy into my own battle.

I will always live with lymphoma, and that’s a challenging reality. However, there’s good news – I know that working hard to be in good physical condition will help keep it under control. In order to best do that, I had to hang up my coach’s whistle, but giving up my life’s work as a coach wasn’t easy. We had worked so hard at building our Mizzou Made program to help our players get better on and off the field. After I retired, I really missed my players. I missed helping them develop into the best athletes and scholars they could be. So one day, my wife Missy said, “Why don’t you start a foundation?”

From that day forward, it has been my privilege to use my platform to help Missouri children through the GP M.A.D.E. Foundation. We are a non-profit organization that supports children in three pillars, all of which are close to my heart:

1. Battling Cancer
2. Breaking Disability Barriers
3. Overcoming Social Economic Challenges

In only a few short years, we have been able to provide over $575,000 in scholarships to low-income seniors, and we have distributed more than $480,000 in grants to local Missouri organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters, Job Point, Special Learning Center, MU Health Care – Children’s Hospital, Wonderland Camp, MizzouRec, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Love Columbia, and many many more. And we’re not done yet. The sky’s the limit when it comes to furthering our mission.

Former players, fans, friends, family – I invite you to join me as we work to make life better for Missouri kids. YOU can make a difference! From MIZZOU Made to GP M.A.D.E. – it’s all about Making a Difference, Every-day.

Thank you for your support and partnership. Let’s battle to help Missouri kids!

Coach Gary Pinkel