Marlins Foundation Awards $100,000 Gift to Feeding South Florida
Special gift made in celebration of the fifth anniversary of Marlins Charity Partners; Check presentation to take place on Sunday, July 9 at Marlins Park
MIAMI (July 6, 2017) – The Miami Marlins and the Marlins Foundation today announced that Feeding South Florida (FSF) has been selected as the recipient of the $100,000 Charity Partner Anniversary Gift. Established in 2012, the Marlins Charity Partner Empowerment Fund has become the signature program for awarding gifts to non-profit organizations that are impacting the local community. Since the program’s inception, 16 organizations have held the distinction of Marlins Charity Partner and a total of $1.5 Million has been invested in these organizations. A check presentation will take place on Sunday, July 9, during the pregame ceremonies of the Sirius XM All-Stars Futures Game at Marlins Park, which begins at 4 p.m.
“In celebration of the fifth anniversary of Marlins Charity Partners, we are proud to announce a special $100,000 gift that will be awarded to Feeding South Florida,” said Marlins President David Samson. “During our inaugural season at Marlins Park, we made a pledge to partner with nonprofit organizations to serve South Florida’s youth through unique and innovative programming.”
The Marlins Foundation gift of $100,000 was made possible thanks to the generosity of Marlins owner Jeffrey H. Loria, and Marlins players: Wei-Yin Chen, Dee Gordon, Martín Prado, Giancarlo Stanton, Junichi Tazawa, Edinson Volquez, Christian Yelich and Brad Zeigler. The contribution will allow Feeding South Florida to acquire a new refrigerator-tractor trailer, which has the capacity to distribute an additional 3,000,000 lbs. of food per year throughout South Florida. Feeding South Florida’s legacy of serving people in greatest need epitomizes the spirit of this anniversary gift.
“Feeding South Florida is incredibly grateful for this generous gift from the Marlins Foundation,” said Feeding South Florida’s President and CEO, Paco Vélez. “The Marlins investment gives Feeding South Florida the opportunity to increase operational capacity, thereby giving us the ability to put healthy food on the tables of families throughout South Florida.”
Founded in 1981 as the Daily Bread Food Bank, Feeding South Florida is the leading domestic hungerrelief organization serving Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe Counties. As the sole Feeding America food bank serving the region, Feeding South Florida distributes 44,000,000 lbs. of food annually to over 700,000 individuals in need of assistance through direct service programs and a network of nearly 400 nonprofit partner agencies.
###
About Marlins Community Impact
The Marlins Foundation and Community Outreach efforts support the Charity Partners of the Miami Marlins through philanthropy and service. The Foundation is committed to improving the lives of our youth through education, the arts and baseball, with a focus on children with special needs. The funds raised by the Foundation provide unique experiences for kids in our schools, parks, and on the water. Since the Ballpark was approved, the Marlins Foundation has gifted over $10 Million to South Florida charities and Marlins Ayudan has performed over 50,000 hours of service. Marlins Ayudan is our employee volunteer corps willing and ready to effectuate positive change in the South Florida community. The Marlins endeavor to be a leader in Corporate Social Responsibility and civic engagement.
About Feeding South Florida
Feeding South Florida® is a member of the Feeding America® network of food banks and the leading domestic hunger-relief organization serving Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties. Our mission is to end hunger in South Florida by providing immediate access to nutritious food, leading hunger and poverty advocacy efforts, and transforming lives through innovative programming and education. Feeding South Florida rescues 44 million pounds of food annually, serving 784,110 individuals in need of food assistance – 264,280 of whom are children and 130,000 are older adults. Feeding South Florida is the largest and most efficient food bank in each county it serves, providing for 25% of the state’s food insecure population, through a local network of more than 400 nonprofit partner agencies and direct service programs. Visit www.feedingsouthflorida.org or call 954.518.1818.
