Mad Anthonys Names 2019 Red Coat Recipients
Jaylon Smith is one of this year's honorees. (Photo courtesy of Jaylon Smith)
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Fort Wayne-based Mad Anthonys Foundation has named the 2019 Red Coat honorees. The organization presents the Red Coat each year to individuals who have made a positive impact to the Fort Wayne region and the state of Indiana.
This year’s recipients are Fort Wayne native and NFL star Jaylon Smith, as well as local business leader and philanthropist John Tippmann, Sr.
The pair will be honored June 14 at the organization’s Red Coat Dinner in Fort Wayne.
“If there’s a word that ties Jaylon and John together, it’s ‘commitment,’” said Mike Wallace, president of Mad Anthonys, in a news release. “As a hugely successful entrepreneur and servant leader, John’s commitment to his faith, family, generosity and business is unparalleled. From Bishop Luers High School to Notre Dame to Dallas Cowboys, Jaylon has achieved what many dream about. What makes Jaylon unique is his desire to give back to Fort Wayne. We are thrilled to recognize them both as this year’s Red Coat recipients.”
A Fort Wayne native, Smith was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 2016. His Clear Eye View Charitable Fund provides funding to his Minority Entrepreneurship Institute, which focuses on supporting minority entrepreneurship to close the economic and educational gap for minorities through resources, education and accessibility that minority entrepreneurs need to succeed. Smith is also completing his studies for a degree in film and television from Notre Dame this May.
Born and raised in Fort Wayne, Tippmann is the founder and chairman of the Tippmann Group, which is composed of three companies: Interstate Warehousing, Tippmann Construction and Tippmann Properties. Interstate Warehousing owns and operates more than 100 million cubic feet of refrigerated/frozen space and is the largest privately owned company of its kind in the United States. The combined companies generate more than $300 million in revenue annually and employ 1,300 people around the country, according to Mad Anthonys.
Smith and Tippmann join a long list of notable names as Red Coat recipients, including Neil Armstrong, Bob Knight, Peyton Manning and Vice President Mike Pence. The day after the pair are honored, the Mad Anthonys will host its annual charity golf tournament which has raised millions of dollars for charitable organizations throughout Fort Wayne.