During the busy holiday (and NFL) season, football analyst and former head coach Tony Dungy is taking time to serve as a Salvation Army Red Kettle volunteer. At least twice this month, he has stood outside stores near Tampa, Florida, ringing the perennial bell to collect donations for people in need.
Dungy, a Super Bowl winner, author, and father of 11 (including 8 adoptees), is vocal about his faith and the importance of the Salvation Army’s mission. In December 2020, he said, “This time of year, it always goes through your mind: ‘Who is taking care of the people who can’t take care of themselves?’” He added, “Our kids have great Christmases, but a lot of people don’t, and the Salvation Army is huge in providing for them.”
Photo of Bell-Ringer Tony Dungy Goes Viral
On December 19, Jay Feely of CBS Sports tweeted a photo of Dungy standing by a kettle, wearing a Santa hat and ringing a bell. A shopper apparently snapped the photo of Dungy, who doesn’t seem to realize he’s being photographed.
More than 52,000 people have liked the tweet, in which Feely writes: “Tony Dungy won a Super Bowl as [head coach]. Played in the NFL. Works as a studio analyst on NBC. But I respect him as a man more than anything he has done in football. Here he is (without any fanfare) quietly volunteering with The Salvation Army at the local grocery store – Servant leader.”
Sometimes, Dungy shares ahead of time where he’ll be volunteering. In early December, he tweeted a photo of him and his family posing outside a store. He wrote: “We are out ringing bells for the Salvation Army Red Kettle at the Publix at the Apex in North Tampa. If you’re close, come by and see us tonight and make a holiday donation for the needy!”
Tony Dungy Walks the Walk
In response to the photo Feely shared, people commented on the faith and character of Dungy, 67. One writes: “I have always loved this man. Now even more.” Another shares: “I have admired @TonyDungy for years for reasons such as this. In a cultural age of constant attention-seeking in order to present a glamorous and self-righteous image, here is a reminder that we should not seek the approval & glory of man, only an audience of one.” Another states: “Tony Dungy has always talked the talk and walked the walk. They don’t come much better than that man.”
One person takes Feely to task, writing: “Why did you have to post [the photo], Jay? Perhaps, just perhaps, some things can stay off the ‘net? Why do people have to post everything & anything on whims?” Others note that Dungy himself shared the information on social media. “He said he’d be doing it in advance but did it in his usual, high class way,” someone writes. “Love his humility.”
