(Green Bay, Wis) – Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon recently came out on top of his celebrity fantasy football league. He donated all $35,000 of his winnings to charity, including $10,000 to Willow Tree Cornerstone Child Advocacy Center in Green Bay.

Willow Tree is an innovative, nonprofit program of Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin. Its mission is to Protect, Heal and Care for children who experience abuse, neglect or other maltreatment. The center primarily serves children living in Brown County, but also sees children from surrounding areas and even some as far away as Milwaukee and Upper Michigan.

“I was so fortunate to grow up in such a loving home with my mom and younger sister,” said Dillon. “The two of them mean everything to me and it breaks my heart to know that there are young children out there that aren’t able to experience the same love and care my sister and I received.”

Dillon says he wants to make sure that children who are abused know that there are people who care about them.

“It is a tough topic to discuss, but there are kids that are victims to abuse out there in our community and I wanted to help spread awareness and let them know that they are loved and that there are places to go for them to get help, which is why I chose Willow Tree,” said Dillon.

At Willow Tree, children are able to access a child forensic interview and medical evaluation, as well as supportive advocacy services and counseling to help them heal and begin to move forward.

“It is heartwarming to know that we have support from individuals in our community like AJ, who can bring awareness to the difficult topic of child abuse,” said Kristie Sickel, Willow Tree Program Manager. “His donation shows these children that they are not alone, that they are believed, and they can leave feeling like a champion.”

In addition to Willow Tree, Dillon also donated $25,000 to the Cancer Team at Bellin Health. The donation to Bellin has a personal connection for Dillon, whose soon-to-be mother-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer during the off-season. She did some of her treatments at Bellin.

Dillon’s road to fantasy-football victory started over the summer. Sleeper, a fantasy sports app, challenged him to enter the Sleeper Bowl after Dillon tweeted his interest in joining a fantasy football league. Despite it being his first foray into the fantasy leagues, Dillon walked away the winner.

The NFL prohibits players who engage in fantasy football from accepting prizes over $250. According to Sleeper, it was Dillon’s idea to donate all of his winnings to two of his favorite causes.

For more information about Dillon’s Fantasy Draft victory and his donations, be sure to check out the following stories:

• NBC26 – Packers running back AJ Dillon donates $35,000 in fantasy football winnings to local nonprofits
• Essentially Sports – “I Definitely Wanted To Do Something Local”: Packers RB AJ Dillon Donates $35,000 Fantasy Winnings To Non-Profits in Green Bay
• Fansided – Packers RB donates big fantasy football winnings to local charities