Community Outreach
Beyond its tourism and promotional benefits, the Orange Bowl Committee generates diverse youth sports competition and strong community outreach each year by funding an array of grants, community programs, and scholarships that benefit thousands of South Florida youth.
Last decade alone, the Committee contributed in excess of $2 million to charities and organizations that benefit South Florida through youth football, cheer and dance, scholarships and grants.
It has distributed scholarships to nearly 75 student-athletes from local public schools, through its Field of Dreams Scholarship program, presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield, and El Espiritu de la Comunidad, which recognizes Hispanic heritage in South Florida. The Field of Dreams Scholarship Benefit is held for the students who want to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities with proceeds from the event given to the United Negro College Fund. The most recent El Espiritu de la Comunidad Benefit saw the Committee, with matching funds from the state of Florida, provide $160,000 in scholarship funding to benefit FIU students who are the first to attend college in their family.
The Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance Presented by Sports Authority(OBYFA) has served as the region’s youth football with eight leagues spread out across eight South Florida counties. Today, more than 16,000 tacklers and cheerleaders ages six to 15 enjoy the direct benefit of the association.
The "Park of the Week" program features the OBC’s Park Patrol bringing a festive caravan to numerous park locations where OBYFA games are played, with contests, promotions, recognitions, Obie, the official mascot of the OBC, and giveaways.
The season culminates for the football players in a two-day championship event televised by Sun Sports, while the Annual Orange Bowl Cheer and Dance Championships offer cheerleaders their chance to shine.
Tourism Through Sports
Several of the Orange Bowl Festival Events support tourism through sporting events other than football.
More than 1,000 players from 80 countries gather annually at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne (Fla.), home of the ATP’s Sony Ericsson Open, to compete for one of the world’s most prestigious junior tennis titles at the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships. Many of the greatest players in tennis history have participated, ranging from Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe and Roger Federer to Gabriela Sabatini, Monica Seles and Chris Evert.
Another 600 youngsters, sailors from around the nation and eight foreign countries, annually make the voyage to Miami to compete in the Orange Bowl Sailing Regatta Series, which includes the Orange Bowl International Sailing Regatta Series, the premiere youth regatta in the country.
Since 1993, the MetroPCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic has brought together popular match-ups at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise. This year marks the 17th anniversary of the Classic which includes back-to-back games featuring the University of Miami taking on UCF and the University of Florida facing Kansas State on Dec. 18, 2010. The Classic has drawn record crowds over the years as fans from four teams flock to the BAC in Broward’s only annual collegiate Division I basketball event.
We Are South Florida
The Orange Bowl Committee is more diverse than any time in its history.
Today our active membership looks like the community, as evidenced by our last three presidents and current president-elect: an African-American whose father filled the position, an Anglo who also followed in his father’s footsteps, a Hispanic and a woman. It also reflects the region as a whole, with a concerted effort to expand membership and events into Broward and Palm Beach Counties.
The Orange Bowl's Legacy
Before the professional teams came to town, even before the Super Bowl, there was the Orange Bowl and its Festival. It is the original Florida sports festival.
The game and festival helped put our community on the map and build South Florida into the tourism destination it remains today.
The Orange Bowl Committee continues to shape the face of our community, generate business for local companies, recharge the region’s economic engine and support children, our future leaders
Orange Bowl Legacy Gift: Moore Park Project
The OBC and the City of Miami have each committed $2.5 million for a total of $5 million towards the construction of a youth sports/high school football stadium at Moore Park, estimated to be completed in 2010. The estimated cost of the total project is $5.65 million. The additional funds necessary to complete the project will come from community and corporate sponsors. Those interested in contributing to this community project should call 305.341.4700.
The projects scope will include: a new field surface made of synthetic turf, new running track accompanying track and field facilities, 1,500 aluminum bleacher seats, press box with a PA system, electronic scoreboard, field lighting, storage structures, and restrooms and concession buildings.
The park will provide a vibrant place for families to enjoy as well as many options for South Florida youth through sports, academics, and summer programs.
In 1933, Moore Park, in the heart of the City of Miami, served as the original site for an annual football contest, originally known as the Palm Festival. In wooden bleachers, 1,800 people sat watching the Miami Hurricanes upset Manhattan 7-0 on a late 4th quarter drive. This day the foundation was laid for a college football and South Florida tradition soon to be known as the Orange Bowl. On that day, no one knew that the foundation had been laid for a college football and South Florida tradition known as the Orange Bowl.
In honor of that first game and the thousands of memorable moments the Orange Bowl has provided through the years, the Orange Bowl Committee is using this gift to celebrate its numerous milestones, not just to college sports, but the South Florida community.