Bowl Games Also Give Back to the Community

As a college football fan, late December to early January is like a nearly three week party for you. With the exception of December 21, December 25 and January 3, there's a bowl game every single day from December 19 to January 7. And we're about to hit the mother lode, as there are 19 bowl games in the next five days, leading up to the Citi BCS National Championship Game on Thursday, January 7, pitting #2 Texas against #1 Alabama for all the marbles.

If for some reason you're feeling guilty about permanently affixing yourself to your La-Z-Boy or couch for the next nine days, I'm here to help. Because not only will you be thoroughly entertained the entire time, but you can also know that many of the games you're watching are helping do good in the community. Here's just a sampling of what some of the bowl games provide:

Rose Bowl and Citi BCS National Championship Game — With two games in the famed Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., there's a double dose of goodness for the area economy. Plus, the Tournament of Roses Foundation gave more than $102,000 this past June to 21 different organizations in the San Gabriel Valley.

FedEx Orange Bowl — While Iowa and Georgia Tech battle it out on the field in Miami, the Orange Bowl Committee has worked within the community, contributing more than $2 million to charities and organizations this past decade in South Florida. That includes areas like cheer and dance, youth football, grants and scholarships.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl — The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, as a nonprofit organization, has charitable partners that include the American Cancer Society, the Boys & Girls Clubs, the NAACP and the Salvation Army, along with many local organizations in and around Glendale, Arizona, where the game takes place.

AT&T Cotton Bowl — The 74th edition of this bowl game takes place in Dallas, and also has a direct connection with the Field Scovell Scholarship Fund, as Scovell held the role of Team Selection Chairman for the game for 18 years and became known as "Mr. Cotton Bowl." The foundation awards scholarships annually to youths in North Texas.

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl — The game takes place in Boise, Idaho, but it's the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame that's the inspiration behind the bowl game. The Hall "honors individuals and organizations from the world of amateur and professional athletics who, through their humanitarian efforts, distinguish themselves as role models in the community."

So go ahead, soak up all the gridiron action you can, safe in the knowledge that you're helping support good deeds being done across the country.

Photo courtesy of the US Navy, via Wikimedia Commons