The Miami Dolphins, in collaboration with Values Matter Miami and Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), continued the Values Matter Miami initiative at Hammocks Middle School on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Middle school students were joined by Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders and Dolphins RB Ollie Gordon II and EDGE Amari Gainer for an interactive activity centered on citizenship, the initiative's featured value for the month of November.
Through a Family Feud-style competition, the players and students discussed how to model citizenship and competed alongside Gordon, Gainer and Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders during the gameshow-inspired activity.
"It keeps you connected to the community and keeps you grounded," said Gordon about spending time at Hammocks Middle School. "(We) get to go out in the community on our days off…have fun, interact with people and have a good time."
After a Q&A with both Dolphins players about citizenship, the morning shifted to a presentation on the NFL's My Cause, My Cleats initiative, which allows NFL players the opportunity to pick a cause that is important to them and represent their chosen organization on custom designed cleats. For the last six years, to support Values Matter Miami, a Dolphins player has worn cleats designed by an M-DCPS student.
At the end of the presentation, the Miami Dolphins surprised 8th grade student Karelys Mayedo to announce that her cleat design was chosen from more than 1,000 submissions from M-DCPS students as this year's winner. Mayedo will receive tickets to see Miami take on the New York Jets on Nov. 29 and was gifted sneakers with her design painted on them.
"I wanted the design to look simple because the things that are the most simple mean the most," said Mayedo after her design was shown in on the projector inside the school's auditorium. "I got inspired by the people around me, my community and the values that they represent to me as a person."
Values Matter Miami engages students through character education and recognizes those who model its core values. The program is supported by the Miami Dolphins Football UNITES™ initiative, which is committed to uniting the community and building a more inclusive South Florida.
