The Bennett Foundation

Born in Louisiana and raised in Texas, Michael grew up in a lower income area and witnessed family and friends struggle with obesity and staying healthy. When he entered the NFL, rigorous performance training taught him the importance of eating nutritiously and how vital it is not only to maintaining fitness, but overall well-being.

The year after he established his first free football camp, Michael attended a round table meeting in Hawaii’s capital. The camp had shown him that there was a need for nutrition education in Hawaii, and he wanted to figure out what could be done. Some people talked about five-year plans, but Michael couldn’t wait that long. Promising to implement something sooner, he quickly organized three cooking demonstrations, a football camp, and the very first O.C.E.A.N. Health Fest in three months with the help of The Bennett Foundation team.

Eventually, Michael and Pele established The Bennett Foundation with their three daughters, Peyton, Blake, and Ollie, adopting programming to direct their efforts towards losing gaps and ensuring that children and families are empowered to make social and behavioral changes to improve their health status and well-being. The Bennett Foundation educates under-served children and communities through free, accessible programming in Hawaii, Washington, and Texas. The Foundation’s O.C.E.A.N. Health Fest impacts thousands of people each year by offering free health screenings, fitness activities, cooking demonstrations, and much more. Currently, The Bennett Foundation is organizing events and speakers, fostering partnerships with other organizations and developing an in-school nutrition education program to connect children with information and healthy, local foods. Through these ongoing efforts, The Bennett Foundation empowers parents, and provides children with tools to lead healthier, active and productive lifestyles.

OUR MISSION

The Bennett Foundation's mission is to improve the health and well-being of children and their families.

Highlights

Partnered with over 40 community organizations
Spent over $240,000 on educational programs
Gathered over 500 volunteers
Reached over 5,000 people in the community