On December 19, 2018, the Orange Bowl Committee and Palm Beach County celebrated the opening of Orange Bowl Field at Glades Pioneer Park in Belle Glade, Fla., the Orange Bowl’s fifth Legacy Gift to the South Florida community and first in Palm Beach County. The Orange Bowl Committee and Palm Beach County originally broke ground on July 11, 2018 on the $3 million renovation of the existing football field at Glades Pioneer Park.
Park renovations include a synthetic turf field and maintenance, an electronic scoreboard, an entry monument, fencing, walkways and signage. The renovation of Orange Bowl Field Glades Pioneer Park furthers the Orange Bowl’s commitment to inspire youth and engage and enhance the South Florida community.
Representatives from the Orange Bowl Committee, Palm Beach County, city of Belle Glade, City of South Bay and City of Pahokee properly opened the park with a ceremonial ribbon cutting, along with OBIE (the Orange Bowl’s official mascot).
The opening celebration, which was free and open to the public, featured interactive fun for kids and families including kids’ games, bounce houses, food and drinks and much more.
The Orange Bowl first unveiled the Legacy Gift initiative in 2008-09 in honor of the organization’s 75th anniversary, which also coincided with the hosting of the 2009 BCS National Championship.
The completion of Orange Bowl Field at Glades Pioneer Park, Orange Bowl Legacy Gift projects combined have provided nearly $16 million worth of improvements toward the beautification of the South Florida community and recreational park activities for residents and their families. These include, Moore Park in the city of Miami (completed in 2011), Carter Park in the city of Fort Lauderdale (completed in 2013), Ives Estates Park in Miami-Dade County (completed in 2015) and Harris Field Park in the city of Homestead (completed in 2017).
Orange Bowl Field at Glades Pioneer Park serves as the playing site for several teams from the Glades Youth Football League, which is a current member of the Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance (OBYFA) presented by Metro by T-Mobile. In addition, many current and former NFL players from the area have used the field to conduct youth football camps.
The Orange Bowl has invested more than $7 million in South Florida Youth Sports programs over the last 10 years. Now in its 20th year, the OBYFA presented by Metro by T-Mobile, benefits approximately 13,000 youth football players and cheerleaders in eight leagues reaching from Lake Okeechobee to Key West.
Legacy Gifts are one of the four pillars of Orange Bowl Community Outreach, which also includes fundraising and community events, academic programs and scholarships, and youth sports. For nearly 85 years, the Orange Bowl has been one of South Florida’s leading civic organizations, promoting championship sporting events, related premier entertainment and other year-round activities to inspire youth, engage our community and enhance the South Florida economy.