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DENVER** — Broncos President and CEO Joe Ellis and 40 C-level executives in Denver ditched their briefcases for hard hats and protective eyewear for Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver's CEO Build Thursday morning.
"Everyone here runs your own company, and it's a production-based business, as we like to say in football," Ellis said. "Our problem in football is sometimes we can't guarantee production. But here, with Habitat for Humanity, you can just pass the judgment right away because it is productive. There is a guarantee it will be productive."
The event, which was co-hosted by Ellis and Habitat Metro Denver's CEO Heather Lafferty, offered an opportunity for executives to spend the day building a home to benefit low-income families. The 10 CEOs in attendance lead the Broncos' corporate and community sponsors.
Broncos President/CEO and 40 Denver CEOs donned hard hats and lent a hand at the Habitat for Humanity CEO Build, an event sponsored by the Broncos.
"It means so much to the families that we're working with, the volunteers that are working with us to know that the NFL franchise here in our community is committed to the Denver area," Lafferty said.
The CEO Build helped to boost the construction progress at Habitat's Sable Ridge Townhome development in Northeast Denver. The complex is the largest Habitat Denver home development site to date with 51 homes scheduled to be completed by 2016.
"I really appreciate it. I didn't know there was so many people that take their time out, especially when you're not getting paid – and everyone has been so nice," said Lucresia Harris, a Habitat for Humanity recipient. "My kids are extremely excited. We won't have crowding anymore, everybody will have a room, and a comfortable place to sleep and in a good neighborhood."
Habitat for Humanity has been a proud community partner of the Denver Broncos since 2012 as part of their "Be a Champion in the Community" campaign. The partnership is expanding in 2015 with a series of six build events.
Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally through constructing, rehabilitating and preserving homes, advocating for fair and just housing policies, and providing training resources to help families improve their housing.
