Community Tuesday provides an excellent example of how Vikings players interact directly with fans, and how the franchise helped better all America. The program started under Coach Dennis Green who ended practice every Monday afternoon with the entreaty: "Tomorrow is your day off, so be sure to go out in the community." He spearheaded a program where Vikings coaches and players donated time each Tuesday—their only day off during the season—to take part in any program that benefited the community.

The Vikings’ example prompted the entire NFL to adopt Community Tuesday as a league-wide policy in 1999. "At the league meeting, they asked for suggestions, and so I broached the idea of Community Tuesday as something we were doing that was a real success," Madsen recalls. "They were always looking for ways to present a better image and help out communities, so they took our suggestion."

Madsen finds it amusing that one of the league’s most successful public relations programs started at Winter Park by accident. Well, perhaps instead of accident one should say injury instead. "In my first year in my current position (1996) I had scheduled to bring two players to a Halloween Party at 6:00 on a Monday," Madsen says. "Well, that day at practice Derrick Alexander, who was supposed to go on the trip, dislocated his hip. The other player broke his wrist. So, suddenly it was 4:30 on Monday afternoon and the two guys I had lined up for that night were both out with injuries and unable to go.

"I walk through the locker room after practice and the worry must have shown on my face because Corey Fuller asked me what was wrong. I told him. All of a sudden, he started making a big scene. He started yelling out, ‘Oh, no! I can’t believe you’re asking me to do this! You’re hurting me here, Brad!’ And I said to him, ‘No, Corey, no. It’s not like that. I was just telling you what went wrong.’ But, see, he had already decided to come along with me to help out and he whispered, ‘Brad, I’m just trying to help you out here.’ So another player comes over and asks Corey what’s wrong, and he says, ‘Do you know what Brad wants me to do?’ And so Corey told him what the event was. Well, by the end of his act, he’d gotten himself and two other players to come along, Moe Williams and Ben Hanks."

Corey Fuller saved the day, but Madsen soon realized something needed to be done to avoid such potential problems in the future. "That’s why we settled on Community Tuesdays, because by the end of Monday, you know who is on the injury report and who is physically able to go out and help out."

Along with time, the Minnesota Vikings donate a lot of money as well. One of the team’s favorite charities is one of their own, the Vikings Children Fund which helps with educational and health issues in the area. The VCF has raised over $7 million dollars that supports over 50 organizations in a given year, and over 300 since it began in 1978. It includes over $4 million donated to the University of Minnesota Department of Pediatrics.

The Vikings franchise also gives millions to other charities as well, including smaller, lesser-known ones in the area. This results from Madsen’s understanding of the charity world. He’s worked in the field for over a decade, and away from his job he serves on the Board of Directors of several charities. He explains it this way: "We do give a lot of money to bigger charities, and certainly the easiest thing to do would be to give one big check to the United Way or something like that, but I’ve been in this field a long time and I know how much you can help the smaller, non-traditional charities. Consider a gift of $25,000. That’s not a small amount, but for the big charities that really won’t register that much. But $25,000 for a smaller, non-traditional charity is a big deal. So we try to help them out too."

While Madsen appreciates all charities, he can single out one as his personal favorite. He doesn’t wish to denigrate any other charity as being less than worthy, but when he names his particular favorite he does so because he is a Vikings fan himself and he knows that his fellow Vikings fans will understand. "I have to say I really enjoy the (Alan) Page Education Foundation," he says. "I grew up here and loved watching him play. I owned his football card. I grew up loving him as a player, so now to grow up and work with him is really great."

Madsen admits that, "It’s kind of selfish of me because I really like working with the guy, but also it must be said that his charity really does work." Indeed, the Page Education Foundation pays for secondary education in the state of Minnesota to minority students who fulfill at least 50 hours of community service. "This helps them, and it helps them help others as well," says Madsen. "It really works. It’s gratifying to see the positive effect it has on people."

Working with boyhood heroes and helping out other people, what’s not to love about Brad Madsen’s job? Certainly he puts in incredibly long hours, but he knows the rewards are worth it. "I’m so blessed with my job," he says. "I work hard, especially in the season when it will be nonstop, but this is a team I grew up cheering for as a kid. I remember drawing pictures of Gary Cuozzo [Vikings QB from 1968-1971—as a brief aside, can we just say: "wow, talk about proving yourself a fan, to pull Cuozzo’s name from a hat instead of relying on Fran or Kapp or someone more famous."]. Now I’m part of the same team and working in a position that didn’t even exist when I first came on. I enjoy every minute of it."

"And to be helping out in the community?" Madsen continues. "That’s great. Still, I don’t fool myself. It’s great to go to a children’s hospital and see the smiles on the faces of the patients and on their parents, but I know they’re not smiling because Brad Madsen is there. They’re smiling because the players are there. But if I can help do that, match those sides up, that’s just great."

Madsen also says the players know how blessed they are to be in a position to help out the best fans in the NFL. "I know how much the fans mean to the players. Players here know they are really blessed. Look at Boston, for example. The Patriots have been doing so great for the past few years but they still aren’t revered like players are here. Boston is a baseball town and the Red Sox will always be #1. This market, meaning Minnesota and all the surrounding area, is a football town and most players realize how lucky they are to play here because of the fans."

The incredible fan interest makes Madsen’s job strenuous, but it’s worth it. "I get 300 requests every week for players to appear or for the team to help out somewhere. It can be hard and hectic, but it’s a good problem to have. The worst thing to face is apathy, and we have the exact opposite here. People here love this team, and everyone with the team knows that and appreciates it."

Doing charitable work is just one way for this most visible of Minnesota businesses to show that appreciation.