MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The South Florida community rallied for the Miami Dolphins’ tenth annual Dolphins Cancer Challenge (DCC 10) raising funds for innovative cancer research at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, a part of UHealth – the University of Miami Health System.
A record-breaking 6,000 participants biked, ran, walked and volunteered in the event. The ethos of the day was celebrated by the 250 cancer survivors who participated – reinforcing the motivation of the DCC to tackle cancer. The Survivor Program presented by the Harcourt M. and Virginia W. Sylvester Foundation will continue to share the stories of the thriving survivors on the front line who galvanize efforts at the DCC.
“The Miami Dolphins are proud to host the largest fundraiser in the NFL and through this year’s Dolphins Cancer Challenge we are continuing that tradition with a record number of participants coming together to raise money for cancer research at Sylvester,” Miami Dolphins Foundation Executive Director Jesse Marks said. “We are honored to once again be in the position to make another major gift to our partners at Sylvester who provide such a needed service to our community. Thank you to all of our partners, participants, donors and municipalities who come together to create such an impactful event for South Florida in the fight against cancer.”
“We are so grateful for this incredible partnership with the Miami Dolphins,” Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Director Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., said. “With the support of our community we have been able to cure an ever increasing number of patients with cancer over the past 10 years and develop new more effective approaches to preventing cancer. We have become an NCI-designated cancer and we look forward to even more cancer breakthroughs as a result of the funds raised through the Dolphins Cancer Challenge.”
The DCC 10 concluded at the Finish Line presented by AutoNation where participants celebrated at the Finish Line Festival presented by Moss Construction on the grounds of the tennis campus at Hard Rock Stadium. The event featured live entertainment throughout the day from the Ultimate Stage present by Ultimate Software. The festival grounds included delicious cuisine and beverages from the roof top bar and beer garden as well as games, inflatables, gondola rides at the venue’s SkyView presented by Bud Light Seltzer, a petting zoo, massages and more for the whole family.
The DCC donates 100 percent of participant-raised funds to innovative cancer research at Sylvester. The event would not be possible without the incredible support of all contributors, including Champion partners AutoNation, Harcourt M. and Virginia W. Sylvester Foundation, Lennar Foundation and Moss Construction as well as Hero partners BBVA Compass, Breakthru Beverage, EventStar Structures, JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa and Ultimate Software. Funds are still being collected through April 6, 2020.
These initiatives align with the Miami Dolphins Foundation’s commitment of leveraging the power of sports and entertainment to inspire a healthier, more educated and united South Florida community.
The DCC was founded in 2010 by the Miami Dolphins Organization as the signature initiative of the Foundation’s health impact area and has become the largest fundraising event in the NFL. The DCC’s purpose is to improve people’s lives through financial support for innovative cancer research at Sylvester, South Florida’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer center. Sylvester is now among the top cancer centers in the United States and joins a highly select group as one of only two NCI-designated cancer centers in the state of Florida and one of just 71 across the nation. Since its inception, the DCC has raised more than $32.5 million, donating 100 percent of participant-raised funds to Sylvester. For more information, visit www.DolphinsCancerChallenge.com.
