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Colin Kaepernick never ended up playing in the 2017 NFL season, but his unemployment didn’t stop him from sticking to his promise to donate $1 million to charity.
On Jan. 17, Kaepernick announced that the last $100,000 would be donated in increments of $10,000 over 10 days. Along with his donations, other notable individuals would either match or donate more than the amount that Kaepernick would to the respective organizations:
My brother Kevin Durant @KDTrey5 has generously decided to match my donation of $10,000, with $10,000 of his own, making the total donation to De-Bug $20,000!!! My brother Kevin, you are truly a champion on, and off the court. #MillionDollarPledge #10for10 https://t.co/aK6dKa5Boa pic.twitter.com/He41wgChCF
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) January 17, 2018
On Wednesday, he completed his $1 million goal on the 10th day of his “10 for 10” donation plan.
The 30-year-old made donations in chunks of $100,000 after announcing his $1 million pledge in September 2016 — one month after he was cast into the national spotlight for sitting, and eventually kneeling, during the national anthem during preseason to protest brutality and the oppression of people of color in the United States.
In all, Kaepernick donated to 41 different charities and made an impact on communities in many other ways.
Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers in the spring and remains a free agent to this day. He hasn’t even gotten a meeting with any team since working out for the Seattle Seahawks in June. In October, he filed a grievance against the NFL for possible collusion, a case that is still pending.
The regular season came and went without Kaepernick ever finding a team, but his philanthropy work continues, with no signs of slowing down. GQ named him “Citizen of the Year” and Sports Illustrated presented him with the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award.