Aventura, FL – Miami Dolphins players Cornell Armstrong, Kalen Ballage, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Mike Gesicki, Connor Hilland, Jalen Lewis, Quentin Poling, Jason Sanders and Kenny Stills, cheerleaders and staff in partnership with Dade County Federal Credit Union took students from Bennett Elementary in Broward county and Golden Glades Elementary from Miami Dade county costume shopping at Spirit Halloween in Aventura on Tuesday afternoon.
"Its cool to get out here and be with them, this is a special time in their life so we are trying to get them the best from what we can here in the store," Ballage said. "Being that same kid and looking up to people that were doing what we are doing now, playing in the NFL, I think its great to just have us around the kids and be great role models to them. It reminds me of my childhood in every way, I was a football player for Halloween like six years in a row. It would have been awesome to have this when I was younger but unfortunately I didn't have that opportunity. Now I am able to give back to them and they can have fun and this would be something that they remember forever."
Photo gallery: the team takes elementary students Halloween costume shopping.
"For the Miami Dolphins to reach out it kind of levels the playing field," Principal of Golden Glades Elementary School Andy Harrison said. "Some of our students don't necessarily have costumes so it helps level the playing field for them to come in and get the items of their choosing for Halloween. They were excited but when they got to the store and saw the different costumes and the Dolphin Players and cheerleaders you really saw the excitement."
This event was a follow up to a financial literacy session held by Dade County Federal Credit Union earlier that day to 25 of the students from each of the elementary schools.
"We are proud to serve as the preferred credit union of the Miami Dolphins and be able to give these kids an experience they will never forget as well as help promote financial literacy in South Florida," Vice President of Marketing and Business Development of Dade County Federal Credit Union Mauricio Morales said. "By providing the kids with an educational component before they have an opportunity to shop with their favorite player, we are giving them the "playbook" on how to spend and the importance of saving money to help achieve any goal they set."
