DeBartolo Foundation

By Richard Diaz
Love of Sports Correspondent

Edward John DeBartolo, Sr. is often thought to be the father of the American shopping mall.

In 1983, he was included on Forbes’ first list of “Richest Americans,” and his Ohio-based corporation was on top of the construction contractors’ world back in 1971.

He purchased the San Francisco 49ers in 1977 and gave control of them to his son, Edward J. DeBartolo, Jr. It didn’t take long for Jr. to turn them into one of the most dominant teams of the 1980s, and I guess it’s worth mentioning that daughter Marie Denise was also a successful executive in her own right. She was in control of the Pittsburgh Penguins when they won the Stanley Cup in 1991.

Even though it’d be easy to chronicle the impact this family continues to have in the world of sports, this bit of love is dedicated to the DeBartolo Foundation, which was founded by members of the Edward J. DeBartolo, Jr. family, to benefit local communities.

Their mission is to provide leadership and financial resources to extraordinary organizations and individuals to improve the community.

One of their major fund raising events, the annual Edward J. DeBartolo Memorial Scholarship Foundation Golf Outing, took place a few weeks back. The current installment featured current and past members of the 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and St. Louis Rams, not to mention the 49ers’ Gold Rush cheerleaders.

Proceeds from the event will help students in need of assistance in getting an education.

As John York describes it, “We’ve put about $600,000 into education over the years. The kids come back and do well and have a relationship with Denise. So, it’s really a good thing, and this brings a lot of people together that are many of Mr. DeBartolo’s old friends and a lot of new young people.”

In addition to that, it’s a nice change of pace to see that relatively young 49ers seem to get the point too.

“Anytime there’s something to do with charity or giving back, I’m always down for that; I’m a huge supporter of that,” said Vernon Davis, 49ers tight end and first-round draft pick in 2006. “I’m really into it.”

That comment goes a long way in showing how beneficial a positive influence can be. Far too often we’re given news of NFL athletes who are in the wrong, which actually makes his statement feel a bit strange, because younger players “don’t possess that type of attitude.”

In short, the tournament couldn’t have been more successful, as it featured athletes that ranged from the aforementioned Davis, to Marc Bulger of the Rams and Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik. The foundation raised funds for a good cause, while also providing some fun for the kids, and that alone is reason enough for us to give up a whole lot of love for the DeBartolo Foundation.

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