Matthew Stafford, Kirby Smart donate $500K to start social justice initiative at UGA

For years, the Georgia Athletic Association has been working with UGA alumnus Matthew Stafford to find ways for the star quarterback to give back to his alma mater. It appears they have discovered such a way.

Stafford and his wife Kelly have joined forces with fellow UGA alums Kirby and Mary Beth Smart to contribute the seed money to start a “diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice initiative.” The Staffords donated $350,000 and the Smarts added $150,000 to fund the initial cost of launching the program. Those initial commitments are “part of a larger gifts” to be donated by the two families in the future, according to a UGA news release circulated on Friday.

“These gifts will help the athletic association educate, implement dynamic programming, and execute service opportunities to achieve our goals, those being to foster critical consciousness, cultural competence and further developing change within the Athletic Association and our greater community,” Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity said in the release.

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