Miami Dolphins Foundation to Hold “Special Teams” Draft

The Miami Dolphins Foundation, along with its media partners CBS4 and Neighbors 4 Neighbors, will host a volunteer-a-thon “draft” on April 22, 2010, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. to launch its Special Teams volunteer initiative, with the goal of creating the largest community volunteer program in professional sports.

Coinciding with the NFL Draft and National Volunteer week, the phone-based draft grants members of the South Florida community the opportunity to join the Miami Dolphins Special Teams, an initiative that provides its members with continuous volunteer opportunities, in many cases alongside Dolphins players or alumni, through a network of non-profit partners in South Florida. Jeanette Sparano, spouse of Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano, will join Dolphins cheerleaders and alumni in taking calls to sign up volunteers.

South Floridians may call-in to the Miami Dolphins Special Teams hotline at 305.597.4404 and officially pledge volunteer hours. The pledging of hours automatically grants callers membership into the Special Teams and allows them to not only give back to the community, but also provides opportunities to earn team incentives.

“We’re thrilled to be kicking-off this community-based volunteer program,” stated Adam Grossman, senior vice president of public affairs with the Miami Dolphins. “Inspired by the efforts of our own players, we developed this program to engage our fans to join us in making South Florida a better place. The Dolphins have many fans that want to be a force for change in our community but don’t want that commitment to be limited to monetary contributions. Special Teams allows them to show their dedication to the community by donating their sweat equity.”

The Miami Dolphins—its players and management—want to play a key role in increasing volunteerism by demonstrating their own commitment to community service. In the past, Miami has ranked lowest among major U.S. cities in the percentage of adults who volunteer. The Special Teams provides an ideal platform to motivate individuals to volunteer within the South Florida community.

“We seek to make a significant impact on draft day by getting as many people as possible to pledge hours of service,” said Leslie Nixon, manager of volunteer programs with the Miami Dolphins Foundation. “People can pledge any amount of hours they feel comfortable doing. We have exciting volunteer opportunities—ranging from a few hours to a full-day—throughout the South Florida area, as well as great rewards for our Special Teams members that meet their pledged hours. We’re hoping to collectively reach at least 10,000 pledged hours on draft day, all we need are special team players who want to score big for their community.”

Updates of the volunteer-a-thon will be announced throughout the Miami Dolphins NFL draft coverage on 940 WINZ and on www.miamidolphins.com. For more information about the Miami Dolphins Special Teams, please visit miamidolphins.com/specialteams or call the Miami Dolphins Foundation at305.943.7900.

About The Miami Dolphins Foundation

The Miami Dolphins Foundation is devoted to providing and supporting signature education, health, youth athletic programs and volunteer activities that inspire and engage communities throughout Florida.