Miami Dolphins Host Fourth FOOTBALL UNITES™ Cultural Tour presented by Baptist Health
Download PDF version
December 10, 2019
#DolphinsHuddlefor100 @NFL #FootballUnites #InspireChange
Image Credit: Miami Dolphins
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0pxjbtw4nuwmt52/AADScUtPqijHELlscvXMBTD9a?dl=0
Miami Dolphins Host Fourth FOOTBALL UNITES™ Cultural Tour presented by Baptist Health
MIAMI – Miami Dolphins players Isaiah Ford, Steven Parker and Christian Wilkins, alongside Dolphins’ staff, spent the day with local youth, community leaders and law enforcement visiting the Stonewall Museum and Islamic Center of Greater Miami to experience the richness and diversity of South Florida as part of the Dolphins’ fourth FOOTBALL UNITES™ Cultural Tour presented by Baptist Health of the season on Tuesday, Dec. 10.
“This is very important for myself and the community because it allows us to learn other people’s culture, learn about the community we live in and gives the community the opportunity to actually see us as just people not just football players inside the helmet,” Parker said. “I think it’s really good that the Dolphins do things like this because it allows everyone to come together and be around the kids to share and gain knowledge along with them.”
The tour, in partnership with the Greater Miami and Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureaus, began with a visit to the Stonewall Museum to explore the history, art and culture of South Florida’s LGBTQ community. The group then visited the Islamic Center of Greater Miami, toured the facility and experienced a traditional meal to learn about Muslim culture and the area’s Islamic heritage.
“We appreciate what FOOTBALL UNITES™ does to bring communities together for positive interactions and social experiences so we can create these dialogues within our communities and develop an understanding,” Stonewall National Museum & Archives Deputy Director Emery Grant said. “Anytime that we have a chance to come together with positive community groups and start a dialogue about our mutual shared experiences and differences in ways that are thoughtful and respectful we are helping to develop healthy communities.”
“Sports has amazing and unique way of making a positive impact in society,” Islamic Center of Greater Miami Imam & Religious Director Dr. Abdul Hamid Samra said. “We appreciate the Miami Dolphins FOOTBALL UNITES™ Cultural Tour visiting our center and we hope that it will encourage and achieve better understanding and harmony among all our communities in South Florida.”
These initiatives align with the organization’s goal to level the playing field through the power of teamwork to inspire a healthier, more educated and united South Florida community. Dolphins Chairman of the Board & Managing General Partner Stephen Ross and Dolphins players created the FOOTBALL UNITES™ program as a way to bring positive social change. The Miami Dolphins organization believes it is important to be inclusive of the diversity and aware of the intersections that make up South Florida, uniting groups of different races, genders, sexual orientations, identities, abilities and faiths around the power of football.
These programs connect to the NFL’s Inspire Change platform, showcasing the collaborative efforts of players, owners and the league to create positive change in communities across the country and work with RISE – the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality – to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations. Information on the FOOTBALL UNITES™ program can be found here. To learn more about RISE, visit here. Fans can join the conversation with the NFL’S Inspire Change program by clicking here.
