New Foundation with Former Canes, Gators, Noles

FORMER PLAYERS, HISTORIC RIVALS ANNOUNCE NEW CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Letterwinners from 3 of college football’s legendary rivals form a unique partnership through the Make a Play Foundation, a new charitable organization that will impact children across Florida

MIAMI, Fla – August 21, 2008  – Legendary former football players of Florida, Florida State and Miami have developed programs and initiatives designed to create opportunities for children in their hometowns by providing academic and recreational grants through a new charitable organization, the Make a Play Foundation. The 501(c)(3) organization is a unique partnership between former players of three of college football’s most storied rivals and will partner with established community organizations and individual player foundations to provide grants promoting leadership, accountability and confidence in children around the state of Florida.

“There are so many kids out there that don’t have goals or expectations of themselves because they don’t have access or the opportunity for bigger things,” co-founder Terry Jackson said. “Anything we can do to help get them involved in something that interests them, whether it’s sports, music, art or education, it’s worth it.”

The organization’s goal is to use a collective voice to help promote growth and change for children in their hometowns, building on what several individual players have already done by devoting their time, leadership and financial support to a range of causes. The Make a Play Foundation’s vision is to provide academic or recreational grants designed to fund educational field trips, improve or build community playgrounds and athletic fields, provide college scholarships, develop leadership programs, reward academic improvements or success, purchase athletic equipment and uniforms, support musical programs, provide computers and technology to local community centers and fund additional family-based programs.

Founding members of the Player Panel include Neal Anderson (UF), James Bates (UF), Lomas Brown (UF), Warrick Dunn (FSU), Earnest Graham (UF), Jacquez Green (UF), Terry Jackson (UF), Willie Jackson, Jr. (UF), Marvin Jones (FSU), Nick Maddox (FSU), Shane Matthews (UF), Santana Moss (Miami), Sinorice Moss (Miami), Burgess Owens (Miami), Errict Rhett (UF), Leon Searcy (Miami), Max Starks (UF), Fred Weary (UF) and Lawrence Wright (UF).

“So many players are out there doing things on the local level, this just provides a network between us to do bigger things, help us expand and build,” Jackson said. “We’ve always supported each other’s community projects, this just gives us the opportunity to pull together and bring fans into the competition and have a little fun with it.”

One hundred percent of individual fan donations will go towards youth and family grants thanks to the generosity of corporate partners and members of the Player Panel who will underwrite the foundation’s operating expenses.

Programs will focus on having a local presence as resources raised in each specific area will be invested back into those communities through hometown grants. Players and fans will also have the opportunity to directly support children and families in their communities through an option to specify that financial donations are designated for children in one of seven areas: the Panhandle; North Central Florida; Jacksonville; Tampa-St.Pete; Orlando and the East Coast; Southwest Florida and Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Along with providing opportunities and access to at-risk youth, the Make a Play Foundation will also focus the energy and spirit of the three rivalry weeks by launching state-wide fan competitions. The week leading up to each rivalry game promises to bring fans into the battle, making them an active player in some of the most intense rivalries in all of sports. The foundation will partner with a different national or regional charity and dedicate service hours and donations to the adopted organization during the head-to-head competition weeks. The 2008 college football schedule includes games at all three universities: Florida hosts Miami in Gainesville on September 6th, Miami will host Florida State at Dolphin Stadium on October 4th and Florida will travel to Tallahassee to face Florida State on November 29th.

The Make a Play Foundation was established and provided Publix and Wal-Mart gift cards to 250 families in Miami, Tallahassee and Gainesville to purchase holiday meals last December. The cards were distributed through three organizations: the Refuge House of North Florida, Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network of North Central Florida and the CBS4 Neighbors4Neighbors Holiday Adopt-a-Family program in South Florida. The Refuge House of North Florida and the Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network are two organizations that focus on assisting families and victims of domestic violence while the CBS4 Neighbors4Neighbors organization assists South Florida families in crisis for a variety of different issues.

The foundation will expand to include alumni of all Florida colleges and universities to develop the power to promote change for children and families around the state.  For more information on the Make a Play Foundation and partnering player foundations, please visit the official Web site at www.makeaplayfoundation.org.

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION:
The Make a Play Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that represents a unique partnership of former players of three of college football’s legendary rivals – Florida, Florida State and Miami- and will partner with established community organizations and individual player foundations to create opportunities for underprivileged children through academic and recreational grants, designed to promote confidence and leadership. The organization’s goal is to use a collective voice to help promote growth and change for children in former players’ hometowns.