Miami Dolphins Announce Football Unites: Tailgates Funded by Stephen Ross and Miami Dolphins Players
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September 7, 2018
Image Credit: Miami Dolphins
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#TeamworkAtWork #FootballUnites
Miami Dolphins Announce Football Unites: Tailgates Funded by Stephen Ross and Miami Dolphins Players
MIAMI – For the third consecutive year, Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross and Dolphins players will host Football Unites: Tailgates to strengthen relationships between community leaders, youth and law enforcement. Each tailgate will take place before Dolphins’ regular season home games, beginning this Sunday vs. the Tennessee Titans at Hard Rock Stadium.
The tailgates will feature giveaways, games, food and a live DJ with educational components designed to create dialogue and foster positive relationships and unite groups of different races, genders, sexual orientation and identities to help level the playing field in South Florida.
Organizations from the Football Unites grant program including 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project, Art Detectives, Community Justice Project, Inc., Miami Gardens Police Department, National Organization of Black Law Executives South Florida Chapter (NOBLE), North Miami Police Athletic League, North Miami Beach Police Athletic League, Pridelines, SAVE, Trayvon Martin Foundation, Urban League of Broward County and YWCA Miami will take part in the program.
The tailgate initiative stems from a solution-oriented town hall hosted in the fall of 2016 by the Dolphins and the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) during which players and local leaders discussed actionable steps that could be taken to address issues of racial inequality and unite the community. Founded and created by Ross in Oct. 2015, RISE harnesses the unifying power of sports to improve race relations and drive social progress. To learn more about RISE, visit risetowin.org.
Miami Dolphins Continue Long-Term Hurricane Irma Recovery Efforts through Grant Recipients
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September 6, 2018
Miami Dolphins Continue Long-Term Hurricane Irma Recovery Efforts through Grant Recipients
MIAMI – In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross announced a pledge of $1 million to benefit immediate and long-term rebuilding efforts for the region. In addition, the Miami Dolphins announced a series of efforts designed with the goal of helping the region in what will be a longstanding recovery process from the devastating storm.
The long-term recovery efforts continue, as the organization assessed long-term damage and collaborated with local and regional community partners involved with critical relief and rebuilding efforts in Monroe and Collier counties along with the Florida Keys. The Dolphins are proud to support local nonprofit organizations implementing projects within the devastated areas. The team selected 11 grant recipients, including Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Venice, The Education Coalition of Monroe County, Fishermen’s Community Hospital, Florida Keys Children’s Shelter, Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition, Habitat for Humanity of Key West and Lower Florida Keys, Habitat for Humanity of the Middle Keys, Key Bridge, Reel Relief and Sugarloaf School and Community Park.
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- Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami
- Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, Inc. is a local non-profit organization that is committed to helping the most vulnerable populations in South Florida by providing quality social services. One hundred percent of the funds from the Miami Dolphins Foundation will provide financial housing assistance as a part of the efforts to help rebuild Monroe County after Hurricane Irma.
- Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Venice
- Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit providing social services in ten southwest Florida Counties. All funds awarded will be applied to direct assistance to those individuals and families still in a hurricane relief recovery process. Funds will be used for rent, mortgage, utilities and/or deposits. The goal is to serve a minimum of 20 families with no funds from the award used toward operations. All funds will be expended on direct services.
- The Education Coalition of Monroe County (ECMC)
- The Educational Coalition for Monroe County (ECMC) is a nonprofit organization that promotes prevention of destructive behaviors among sixth through twelfth grade students and instills the importance of volunteerism. ECMC teaches volunteerism to youth volunteers by providing basic needs, necessary tools, and support to students living in special circumstances to enable them to reach their goals, achieve success, and help their peers. Funding from this grant will be used to purchase athletic shoes and attire, athletic gear (shin guards, gloves, etc.), and to pay for camps for high school students to seek future opportunities. The funding will be used for students attending Marathon Middle and High School that are currently facing special circumstances. Almost a year following Hurricane Irma families continue to struggle and students are still facing special circumstances.
- Fishermen’s Community Hospital (Baptist Health)
- The generous gift from the Miami Dolphins will support Baptist Health Foundation’s fundraising campaign to build an entirely new Fishermen’s Community Hospital in Marathon. The previous hospital was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in September 2017 and has been closed since then. Baptist Health established a field hospital to care for patients in the region immediately following the devastation, and opened a modular facility in July. The entirely new hospital has an estimated cost of $40 million, of which Baptist Health and the community are committed to raising $15 million through philanthropy.
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- Florida Keys Children’s Shelter
- The Florida Keys Children’s Shelter is the only licensed emergency shelter for unaccompanied youth in Monroe County, providing free services to more than 500 youth annually to keep kids safe and families strong, helping build a healthy community. The Miami Dolphins grant will help fund the salary of a counselor in the Florida Keys for 12 months to assist with the increased number of cases due to Hurricane Irma. The counselor will provide free help to youth who have faced changes in their lives during and after the hurricane.
- Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition
- The Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition is the only entity in Monroe County working to improve the health and well-being of women and their families before, during and after pregnancy. It continues to provides ongoing, long-term recovery and rebuilding support to clients by ensuring families and young children have access to replacement baby supplies and items (such as safe cribs, diapers, car seats, formula, clothing), affordable prenatal medical care, therapeutic counseling services to address postpartum depression and challenges compounded by the stress and trauma of Irma, hurricane relief case management, individualized referrals to additional community resources, and in some cases home and appliance repair assistance. The mission is to deliver high quality care and resources for all pregnant women, infants and their families in the resilient community of the Florida Keys. Funding from the Miami Dolphins Foundation will be used to provide care coordination and support services to pregnant women and families with small children; to include providing necessary baby items and supplies along with community building, mental health, and educational programming to families as they continue to build their new normal after the storm.
- Habitat for Humanity of Key West and the Lower Florida Keys
- Habitat for Humanity of Key West and the Lower Florida Keys provides affordable housing to 60 families in the Lower Keys; 70 families by the end of 2018. The organization provides home repairs for seniors allowing them to age in place and is heavily involved in helping those in the Lower Keys with a vast array of home repairs following Hurricane Irma. The Lower Keys were devastated by the hurricane and it will take some time to rebuild. The grant will be utilized to fill an unmet need in the process and purchasing required architectural drawings for hurricane recovery critical home repairs.
- Habitat for Humanity of the Middle Keys
- Habitat for Humanity of the Middle Keys has dedicated 27 years in Marathon Florida to creating affordable home ownership opportunities for the residents. In September 2017, Hurricane Irma caused Habitat to embark on a new journey, providing critical repairs to homes damaged by the Category 4 storm. The repairs completed include replacing damaged shingle roofs with fortified new metal roofs, full interior rebuilds, replacing stairs, walls, flooring and so much more. The support of the Miami Dolphins Hurricane Relief Grant will be instrumental in this work as the grant money will be used to assist with the cost of materials and supplies to complete these repairs.
- Key Bridge
- Key Bridge, Inc. is a nonprofit mental health and substance abuse service provider serving the Florida Keys. Due to the devastation from effects and recovery period after Hurricane Irma hit the Florida Keys, Key Bridge recognized a need to provide additional mental health support to our community. Monroe County is federally designated as having a lack of mental health providers and Key Bridge feels the proposed Bridge to Resiliency Program will strengthen our community by training citizens to be more aware of the needs of others and help link them to the help and support they need through evidence-based tools like Mental Health First Aid; effectively leveraging the support provided by Miami Dolphins Foundation.
- Reef Relief
- Reef Relief’s Discover Coral Reef’s School Program works to foster environmental awareness and stewardship. The program expands upon coral reef conservation activities by other National Governing Organizations and governmental efforts to increase awareness of coral reel resources and to reduce and prevent the impacts from land-based sources of pollution on coral reel ecosystems including efforts in the Florida Keys due to Hurricane Irma. The Discover Coral Reefs School Program introduces elementary and middle school students to the value and importance of coastal ecosystems and the way that students can become an active part in the conservation of these resources. The program is a collaboration between Reef Relief and the Monroe County School District.
- Sugarloaf School and Community Park
- Sugarloaf School and Community Park is used by students, teachers and faculty at Sugarloaf School and is open for community residents outside of school hours. In the wake of Hurricane Irma, Sugarloaf School has become a beacon of hope and support for students, teachers, parents and other community members. With support from the Miami Dolphins Foundation, Sugarloaf School and Community Park will rebuild and upgrade the park to create an outlet for families to exercise and play together.
The Dolphins in the immediate aftermath of the September 2017 storm deployed their Miami Dolphins Special Teams powered by AARP Foundation volunteer program to assist with much needed rebuilding projects in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. This volunteer program was created to enlist, mobilize and support community efforts in times of emergency.
In addition, the Dolphins partnered with AARP Foundation on a dollar for dollar matching campaign, with 100 percent of the money raised going directly into the community. Created to support the victims of the hurricane, especially those who are low-income and age 50-plus, these donations collected through the disaster relief fund will impact those in need.
Miami Dolphins sign Escobar
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September 6, 2018
Miami Dolphins sign Escobar
MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins today announced they have signed tight end Gavin Escobar and placed tight end MarQueis Gray on injured reserve.
Escobar originally joined the Dolphins as a free agent on April 16, 2018. He has played in 64 career games with seven starts for Dallas (2013-16) and Baltimore (2017). Escobar has 30 career receptions for 333 yards (11.1 avg.) and eight touchdowns. He’s also played in three playoff games with one start. Escobar originally entered the NFL as a second-round pick (47th overall) by Dallas in the 2013 NFL draft.
Gray joined the Dolphins as a free agent on March 31, 2016 and since then, he’s played in all 32 games with seven starts for the team, totaling 15 receptions for 184 yards (12.3 avg.). In his career, Gray has played 61 games with 14 starts and totaled 27 receptions for 328 yards (12.1 avg.). He originally entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent with San Francisco on May 7, 2013.
| Name |
Pos. |
Hgt. |
Wgt. |
Birthdate |
Exp. |
College |
Hometown |
Acq. |
| Gavin Escobar |
TE |
6-5 |
247 |
2/3/91 |
5 |
San Diego St. ’13 |
Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. |
FA, ‘18 |
Miami Dolphins Donate Equipment to Spanish River High School Football Team as Part of the Junior Dolphins Donation Program
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September 4, 2018
Image Credit: Miami Dolphins
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#TeamWorkAtWork #JuniorDolphins #LetsPlayFootball
Miami Dolphins Donate Equipment to Spanish River High School Football Team as Part of the Junior Dolphins Donation Program
Boca Raton, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins today surprised the Spanish River High School football team with equipment for its program. The donated equipment included Junior Dolphins branded shirts, cleats, blocking shields and medicine balls. The Dolphins also presented a #9 Levine framed jersey to the team in support of senior captain Miles Levine who was injured in a preseason game and who’s #9 jersey number was retired by the school. On August 31, Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake visited Levine in the hospital and also presented him with a framed jersey.
“This helps our team to know that a professional team cares about you and is concerned about you and supports what you have going on. It means a lot to us,” Spanish River High School Head Football Coach Willie Ceasar said. “The hospital visit was huge. Miles was very happy. I called him and he told me about it, sent me a picture of him and Kenyan together. It lifted his spirits up and it was a positive thing. He’s moving in the right direction, so that was a blessing and a great help.”
“We needed some new equipment and it’s good to see that the Dolphins care. They came out and showed some support and we needed it,” Spanish River High School senior quarterback Connor Tribby said. “Every time I come to the hospital, Miles is happy and he doesn’t stop talking about Kenyan’s visit. He was so hyped; he loved it. He loves to show off the jersey. It’s super cool.”
The team also had the opportunity to hear from Dolphins alum and Youth Programs Ambassador Twan Russell about mental toughness.
This is the fourth Junior Dolphins equipment donation this year. The Dolphins also made a donation to Booker T Washington in August, Miramar High School in May and Pompano Beach High School in July.
The Junior Dolphins program encourages youth players and coaches to learn, teach and play football in a fun and safe environment. The Junior Dolphins program is designed to give kids access to learn the fundamentals of football using the NFL’s top resources. To grow the game, the Junior Dolphins program will work to educate coaches, parents and youth on the health and safety of football with a strong emphasis on character development. Junior Dolphins is building the next generation of Dolphins Fans.
Miami Dolphins sign Bolden
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September 4, 2018
Miami Dolphins sign Bolden
MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins today announced they have signed running back Brandon Bolden and released center Travis Swanson.
Boldin played in 83 games with six starts in six seasons with New England (2012-17). He totaled 216 carries for 912 yards (4.2 avg.) and six rushing touchdowns while adding 47 receptions for 373 yards (7.9 avg.) and two receiving touchdowns. Bolden has appeared in 15 playoff games with two starts and has played in three Super Bowls, winning two of them.
Swanson joined the Dolphins as a free agent on Sept. 3, 2018. He played four seasons with Detroit (2014-17), appearing in 53 games with 42 starts. Swanson signed as an unrestricted free agent with the N.Y. Jets on April 4, 2018 before being released on Aug. 31, 2018. He originally entered the NFL as a third-round pick (76th overall) by Detroit in the 2014 NFL draft.
| Name |
Pos. |
Hgt. |
Wgt. |
Birthdate |
Exp. |
College |
Hometown |
Acq. |
| Brandon Bolden |
RB |
5-11 |
220 |
1/26/90 |
7 |
Mississippi ‘12 |
Baton Rouge, La. |
FA, ‘18 |
Hard Rock Stadium Awarded SAFETY Act Designation by Department of Homeland Security
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September 4, 2018
Hard Rock Stadium Awarded SAFETY Act Designation by Department of Homeland Security
Miami Gardens, FL — Hard Rock Stadium, the venue owned by Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross, has been awarded a SAFETY Act Designation from the Department of Homeland Security, DHS’s second-highest accreditation, in recognition of the stadium’s security practices.
South Florida Stadium LLC operates Hard Rock Stadium, which is the home of the Miami Dolphins, University of Miami Hurricanes and Orange Bowl, also hosts concerts and international soccer matches and was recently awarded the Super Bowl LIV in 2020 and College Football Playoff Championship in 2021. The Designation applies to the entire stadium property, including the seating bowl, suites, gates, loading dock, perimeters, field, lockers rooms, utility and mechanical systems, command center and inner parking areas, and applies to NFL and non-NFL ticketed events at Hard Rock Stadium.
Officially known as the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act, the statute promotes the creation and deployment of antiterrorism best practices and technologies. Venues awarded SAFETY Act Designation or Certification receive a significant level of liability protection in the event of a terrorist attack.
New York-based consultant, Petrone Risk, helped guide Hard Rock Stadium through the SAFETY Act application process.
The Designation is valid through June 2023.
Miami Dolphins make roster moves
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September 3, 2018
Miami Dolphins make roster moves
MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins today announced they have signed tackle Sam Young and waived safety Maurice Smith.
Young has played in 76 games with 20 starts during his NFL career. He played in 18 games with seven starts for Miami from 2016-17 after he was originally signed as an unrestricted free agent from Jacksonville on March 11, 2016. Young entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick (179th overall) by Dallas in the 2010 NFL draft.
Smith played in six games for Miami in 2017 and recorded one solo tackle and one pass defensed. He was placed on injured reserve on Dec. 2, 2017. Smith entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent with Miami on May 5, 2017. He was a one-year starter at Georgia (2016) and a three-year letterman at Alabama (2013-15).
| Name |
Pos. |
Hgt. |
Wgt. |
Birthdate |
Exp. |
College |
Hometown |
Acq. |
| Sam Young |
T |
6-8 |
302 |
6/24/87 |
9 |
Notre Dame ’10 |
Coral Springs, Fla. |
UFA, ’16 (Jax.) |
Miami Dolphins sign Swanson
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September 3, 2018
Miami Dolphins sign Swanson
MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins today announced they have signed center Travis Swanson.
Swanson played four seasons with Detroit (2014-17), appearing in 53 games with 42 starts. He signed as an unrestricted free agent with the N.Y. Jets on April 4, 2018 before being released on Aug. 31, 2018. He originally entered the NFL as a third-round pick (76th overall) by Detroit in the 2014 NFL draft.
| Name |
Pos. |
Hgt. |
Wgt. |
Birthdate |
Exp. |
College |
Hometown |
Acq. |
| Travis Swanson |
C |
6-5 |
304 |
1/30/91 |
5 |
Arkansas ’14 |
Houston, Texas |
FA, ‘18 |
