FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VIKINGS TO SHOWCASE CUSTOM CLEATS CELEBRATING “MY CAUSE MY CLEATS” CAMPAIGN THIS SUNDAY

More Than 45 Players Representing Charitable Organizations Part of Game Entertainment Plan

Eagan, Minn. (December 14, 2018) – The Minnesota Vikings will reveal their supporting causes and charitable efforts through the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats initiative when the team hosts the Miami Dolphins this Sunday, December 16.

Beginning during the 2017 season, NFL players are now able to display their passions beyond the game and support personal causes through My Cause My Cleats. Forty-eight players have elected to participate in bringing awareness and support to meaningful causes by telling their story and making a difference in their communities. Players will sport custom-designed cleats conveying positive, inspiring and unifying messages regarding their chosen cause. Please see the attached document for a list of participating players, their cause, chosen organization and cleat photos.

Players will have the opportunity to raise money for their cause by auctioning their cleats off at NFL Auction. Every dollar raised will be donated to the players’ charities. Fans may bid on game- issued player cleats to help players raise funds for their chosen causes.

Fans will also see the following entertainment elements throughout Sunday’s game:

Holiday Hats In partnership with U.S. Bank, the Vikings will distribute more than 70,000 holiday hats in the stadium for all fans and staff (images can be found here). The Minnesota Vikings Foundation will also use these hats at community events.

National Anthem The national anthem will be performed by singer, songwriter and guitarist, Lindsay Ell. Currently headlining the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour of 2018, Ell previously appeared on ’s World Tour and Sugarland’s Still the Same Tour. Ell is signed to Stoney Creek Records and her Album, The Project debuted at number one on the Nielsen SoundScan’s U.S. Current Country Albums chart last year. Her hit song “Criminal” reached number one on the Country chart.

Color Guard Joint Services Honor Guard will represent all branches of service.

Hometown Hero Former Vikings Hall of Fame defensive tackle Alan Page will be Sunday’s Hometown Hero. Following the conclusion of his NFL career, Page was elected to an open seat as an Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court where he became the first African-American to serve on

that court, and served for over 20 years. This past November, Page was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award given in the United States.

In 1988, Page and his wife, the late Diane Sims Page, founded the Page Education Foundation, whose mission is to encourage Minnesota’s youth of color to pursue post-secondary education. The foundation provides financial support in the form of Page Grants and in return for their awards, recipients must volunteer and serve as mentors in their communities. The foundation has provided more than 6,750 Page Grants totaling, 14 million in financial support. The Page Scholars have also volunteered over 420,000 hours serving the Twin Cities community. To learn more about the Page Education Foundation, click here.

While with the Vikings, Page was a 9-time Pro-Bowler, 6-time First Team All-Pro, 1971 NFL Most Valuable Player, 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1971, 1973), NFC Player of the Year (1971), NFL Champion (1969), 1970s NFL All-Decade Team. Page was also inducted in the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor, the College Football Hall of Fame (1993) and the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1988).

Halftime Ceremony Halftime will feature a special presentation with a musical tribute recognizing the 48 organizations and charities that are being represented as part of the My Cause My Cleats campaign. Lindsay Ell will return to sing her rendition of John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change.” Representatives from all 48 organization have been invited to attend the game and will be acknowledged on the field during this performance

2018 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award Nominee At the conclusion of the halftime performance, the Vikings will recognize TE Kyle Rudolph as the Vikings 2018 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award nominee. This will feature a video tribute showcasing Kyle’s impact on the Minnesota community as well as his lasting legacy at the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Children’s Hospital.

The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award Presented by Nationwide is considered one of the league's most prestigious honors. The award recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field.

Fans are encouraged to participate in Nationwide’s 4th annual Charity Challenge, a social media campaign designed to support and promote team nominees. Vikings fans can vote by using #WPMOYChallenge on Twitter with Rudolph’s last name somewhere in the post between December 6 and January 13. The player whose unique hashtag is used the most will receive a $25,000 contribution to their charity of choice, courtesy of Nationwide. More information about the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award can be found at http://www.nfl.com/manoftheyear.

2018 Minnesota High School Football All-State Team Recognition Since 2002, the Vikings have recognized the state’s top football players as part of the Minnesota High School Football All-State team presented by FVP. The team is comprised of the state’s premiere senior prospects and is selected by a committee of sportswriters, broadcasters, Vikings staff, and Minnesota high school football coaches. Please see the attached document for the complete 2018 All-State team.

Community Captains Presentation The Vikings have partnered with Sleep Number to recognize outstanding varsity football players for their leadership on and off the field. These student-athletes have gone above and beyond to give back to others by volunteering in their community. Each football player received a $1,000 scholarship and $1,000 donation made in their name to a charity of their choice. They also received a new bed courtesy of Sleep Number. The six community captains for 2018 are Carter Danielson (Goodhue High School), Jack Hendrickson (Academy of Holy Angels), Mitch Hendrickson (Academy of Holy Angels), Tate Staloch (Lakeville North High School) Max Tibbits) Litchfield High School), Julian Wright (DeLaSalle High School).

Vikings Media Center