The Monday Morning Quarterback Club of Birmingham, Alabama was organized in 1939. Under the direction of Zipp Newman, then Sports Editor of The Birmingham News the club was established for the express purpose of fellowship among football lovers. This was a unique idea in light of the fact that other such clubs were generally organized for former football players.

But it wasn’t long before the club began looking beyond football. At the time of the club’s inception, polio was the number one medical concern in the U.S. The disease was rampant, striking thousands, most of whom were children. With a humanitarian desire, the club members promoted and sponsored an annual high school football game in order to raise money for a magnificent hospital to help care for afflicted children.

The club, with others, subsequently raised over $3 million to build the Crippled Children’s Clinic and Hospital. In late 1969, the clinic building became a part of the Medical Center at UAB, and the Crippled Children’s Foundation was formed. Since then, the club has remained active in this fundraising capacity. In 2020, the charitable arm of the Monday Morning Quarterback Club was renamed Quarterbacking Children’s Health Foundation to be more inclusive and reflect the broader scope of giving.

The Club took its fundraising efforts to new heights in 2021 gifting the Children’s of Alabama Critical Care Transport Team with a new, state-of-the-art helicopter named QB1. In 2023 alone, the Foundation donated over $2 million dollars to 31 health related charities tackling the medical needs of Alabama children and young adults. Lifetime giving of the Foundation exceeds $36 million.

We are indebted to our Charter Members and Past Captains for making this great club possible. Not only do we continue to enjoy the fellowship, but serve many worthwhile purposes for others who have such great needs. This year we are celebrating our 86th Season.

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