Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance Park of the Week to Visit South Florida Parks

PARK OF THE WEEK PREVIEW – Sept. 14

Orange Bowl Committee Members Todd Mestepey, Lynne Keller, David Hope, and John Lie-Nielsen, Youth Sports Ambassador Geary Scott, and OBIE, the Orange Bowl Mascot present the Ives Estates Eagles with a plaque honoring them as Orange Bowl YFA Park of the Week.

MIAMI LAKES, FL. (www.orangebowl.org) —The Orange Bowl Youth Football League (OBYFA) presented by Metro by T-Mobile visited four South Florida parks this past Saturday; three in Broward County and one in Miami-Dade. Last week’s parks were representatives of the Florida Youth Football League (FYFL) and National Youth Football League (NYFL). The program recognizes select youth football parks across South Florida each Saturday during the fall as part of its continuous community engagement and support.

At each stop, OBIE, the Orange Bowl mascot, is joined by Orange Bowl Committee members, ambassadors and staff in distributing promotional items and discounts from Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance sponsors and presenting each park with a commemorative plaque.

The September 7 visits included trips to Orange Bowl Field at Ives Estates Park in Miami-Dade for the FYFL Eagles and Pompano Beach to honor the FYFL Chiefs and FYFL Cowboys. There was also a visit to Ft. Lauderdale to honor the NYFL Western Tigers. Orange Bowl Field at Ives Estates Park is one of the five South Florida Legacy Gift parks renovated by the Orange Bowl, from Belle Glade to Homestead. With generous partner support, the Orange Bowl Committee has now provided more than $16 million in improvements to five South Florida parks. 

The Park of the Week program is an opportunity to impact communities through the inclusion of sports. Orange Bowl members, staff and volunteers are involved with this program to make a difference in the lives of South Florida families.

The Orange Bowl has invested more than $7 million in South Florida Youth Sports Programs since the start of the program in 1999. The OBYFA benefits approximately 13,000 youth football players and cheerleaders reaching from Lake Okeechobee to Key West.

All of the parks being visited this weekend are home to teams from the Miami Xtreme Youth Football League and the National Youth Football League, two of eight South Florida leagues supported by the OBYFA. Included in this weekend’s visits is a stop at Orange Bowl Field at Harris Field Park in Homestead, another of the Orange Bowl Committee’s Legacy Gift parks.

This week’s complete schedule for September 14 is as follows:

Game TimeParkTeamLeague
9 a.m.Orange Bowl Field at Harris Field ParkDick Conley SteelersMiami Xtreme YFL
10 a.m.Homestead Senior High SchoolSouth Florida BengalsNYFL
11:30 p.m.McMillan ParkWest Kendall DolphinsMiami Xtreme YFL
2:30 p.m.South Miami FieldSouth Miami Grey GhostsMiami Xtreme YFL

Youth sports is one of the four pillars of Orange Bowl Community Outreach, which also includes fundraising and community events, academic programs and scholarships, and legacy gifts. For 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.

This year’s Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance is again presented by Metro by T-Mobile and supported by associate sponsors American Airlines, clutchinsurance, Comcast, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC (Coke Florida), Dave & Busters, Marathon Petroleum Company, Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute, Nike, Sunshine Health, Toyota, Tire Kingdom and Xenith.

In addition to the OBYFA, the Orange Bowl directly supports locally based festivals and events that provide participatory opportunities to youth from all over the world.

For more information about the Orange Bowl Committee and the Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance presented by Metro by T-Mobile please visit www.orangebowl.org.  

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About the Orange Bowl 

The Orange Bowl is a 360-member, primarily volunteer non-profit sports organization that promotes and serves the South Florida community. With its primary mission since being created in 1935 to bring tourism to South Florida through an annual football game and events, it has also maintained a legacy of charitable contributions and community outreach. Orange Bowl community outreach efforts are comprised of four pillars: youth sports, fundraising and community events, academic programs and scholarships, and legacy gifts. The Orange Bowl features a year-round schedule of events culminating with the Capital One Orange Bowl on Monday, December 30, 2019. For more information on the 2019-2020 Orange Bowl events, including promotional and volunteer opportunities through the Ambassador Program presented by Panera Bread, log on to www.orangebowl.org or follow the @OrangeBowl on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.