Atlanta Falcons "Rise Up" to Help City, Bring Support to High-Flying Franchise

Rise Up! The Atlanta Falcons' slogan since the 2010 season has been part of the team's image around the league. Arthur Blank has started a new initiative to make it grow even more in Atlanta. Through charity and teamwork, the Falcons will build a bond with a city that hasn't always backed the burgeoning team.

In 2010, when Samuel L. Jackson first started doing the voice overs, the Falcons were just starting to get into their groove before the 13-3 season they had. Jackson, a long-time Falcons fan, was quoted by the Atlanta Falcons' official website's Jay Adams about the "Rise Up" campaign:

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“It’s great that we’ve created a new tradition for the team and the fans that lends some sort of enthusiasm to the city and the fanbase, and hopefully the players embrace it,” Jackson said. “It’s kind of incredible to me that, I talk to players around the league who come here to play and they all stop and watch the ‘Rise Up’ announcement when it comes on. They say it’s the best thing in the NFL.”

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Jackson has a great point in that the new campaign was captivating and emotional, something that had seemed to be lacking about Falcons' teams before the 2008 season. But, now that the team has those elements, they are looking to do more. 

Arthur Blank, the Falcons owner since 2002, has shown that he cares about the city of Atlanta with his various charities over the years, including things like Habitat for Humanity. Under Blank's guidance, the Falcons and the city of Atlanta have started a new pledge called Rise Up Atlanta.

The Rise Up Atlanta charity movement is in partnership with not just the City of Atlanta but Hands On Atlanta as well and has the mission statement detailed on the website as,

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Rise Up Atlanta is the citywide movement that lets you join the Atlanta Falcons in helping make Atlanta better—one day, one hour, one volunteer event at a time. Join thousands of volunteers around the city. All you have to do is pick an event and a time that works best for you. Sign up. Show up. And watch our beloved Atlanta Rise Up.

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Many teams have charity organizations that will work in their cities, but this just belies the image that Arthur Blank wants for his football team. Ever since he has bought the team in 2002, he has wanted to see not just the best football players on his team, but ones who will make him proud.

By bringing in Atlanta Mayor Kassim Reed, the Falcons have only continued the ability to be showered by love from fans around Atlanta. As long as Blank owns the Falcons, the team will be known as one that tries to be better off the field than it is on it.

And, given how good the team has been under Blank's watch, that is saying a lot. The city of Atlanta has slowly been coming around to the Falcons and will only continue to flock to the Falcons with the Rise Up movement now expanding to charity efforts to help the city.

Blank didn't want to look like the kind of owner that just bankrolls off of his team and use the city for a new stadium whenever he wants it. By doing this, he not only gets to keep a good image for the team, but when it comes time to build the new stadium, the Falcons will be able to have more support.

But when it all boils down, this movement is about bettering the City of Atlanta. When you combine this with the Warrick Dunn foundation, as well as the rest of the player and team charities the Falcons and their players run, it's only one more reason to "Rise Up" in Atlanta.