PEMBROKE PINES – Miami Dolphins Rookie Christian Wilkins with the help of the Miami Dolphins surprised local youth, ages 7-13, with a backpack distribution complete with school supplies courtesy of Zappos on Monday, July 8. The 19 students of the Ted Lucas Foundation, a Miami Dolphins FOOTBALL UNITES™ community partner, met with Wilkins at C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines, FL, and had the opportunity to interact and take photos with Wilkins as they receive their back-to-school backpack.
"It's always important for me to give back because I've been blessed and I am so fortunate to be in the position I am in, one as an NFL player and to be a person of impact and influence," Wilkins said. "Whenever I get a moment to pour into young kids' lives that is what I wanted when I was young. I wanted those pros, those guys, those college players that I look up to so highly and thought so much of, I wanted to have an interaction with them. I don't want it to feel like it is too farfetched or too out of reach. I am in the community, so I want to be able to give back and be around as much as I can. My job as an NFL player is to make the game as good as I can while I am playing it because the game has been played 100 years before me and is going to be played for so much longer after I am done so my job is to play it the right way and make it better for those who come after me."
This event is one of the #DolphinsHuddlefor100 service projects as part of the NFL's 100th celebration. The NFL has invited fans, players, clubs and employees to join Huddle for 100, an effort to inspire 1 million people to volunteer 100 minutes of their time to make meaningful contributions to their communities. These activities are in connection with the Miami Dolphins' initiative to level the playing field through the power of teamwork to inspire a healthier, more educated and united South Florida community. For more information on the NFL Huddle and to see volunteer opportunities with the Dolphins, visit https://www.miamidolphins.com/community/specialteams.
