NFL UPDATE -- JULY 23, 2014
LIONS HOST MEET UP & EAT UP COMMUNITY EVENTS
The Detroit Lions recently kicked off their Meet Up & Eat Up summer program at local Detroit family and recreation centers. The program aims to address food insecurity and teach nutrition education to children in Southeast Michigan. Lions players, alumni and mascot Roary joined Playworks Detroit in PLAY 60 activities including Four Square, Kick Ball, Red Rover and jump rope. Lions alumni taking part included Scott Conover, Ron Rice and Tim Walton, along with current Lions linebacker Brandon Hepburn.
Ford Motor Company recently joined forces with the Detroit Lions and the United Way for Southeastern Michigan to advance hunger relief efforts and raise program awareness. The partnership will combine Ford Mobile Food Pantry and the Lions Living for the City resources.
Along with their partners, the Detroit Lions will host six more Meet Up & Eat Up events at various locations throughout the remaining summer season and will continue into the fall at Eastern Market in Detroit.
DOLPHINS HOST FIRST MOM'S CLINIC
The Miami Dolphins hosted their first Mom's Clinic on Friday, July 18. The clinic included information about heat and hydration, concussion awareness, equipment fitting and concluded with interactive drills that showed proper USA Football Heads Up Football tackling techniques.
Speakers at the event included Miami Dolphins Executive Vice President of Football Administration Dawn Aponte, who also is on the Board of Directors for USA Football, Equipment Manager Joe Cimino, Assistant Athletic Trainer Troy Maurer, defensive end Olivier Vernon and a panel of mothers and wives of Dolphins alumni that included Mary Dellenbach, Michelle Surtain and Marcia Wooden. After the presentations, the women took part in interactive Heads Up tackling drills.
INDIANA STATE LEGISLATURE PASSES SB222 WITH THE HELP OF NFL DOCTORS HANK FEUER AND TERRY HORNER
The Indiana State Legislature passed SB222, the first bill of its kind in the country, which requires football coaches and assistant coaches who are coaching athletes under 20 years of age to complete a course in player safety and concussions at least once every two years. The bill also mandates high school student athletes that are removed from play due to suspected concussions or head injuries to not return to play until at least 24 hours have passed.
Members of the NFL Physicians Society and the Indianapolis Colts medical team, Drs. Hank Feuer and Terry Horner provided input for this bill. Through a concussion advisory committee, they helped approve the content of the coaches certifying course encompassing concussion awareness, heat acclimatization, equipment fit and coaching techniques.
Also over the past three years, with the help of a local pediatric sports medicine physician, Dr. Feuer and Dr. Horner have certified 176 Indiana physicians in the administration and interpretation of ImPACT, which provides trained clinicians with neurocognitive assessment tools and services that have been medically accepted as state-of-the-art best practices – as part of determining safe return to play decisions. The doctors conduct the sessions bi-monthly.
SEAHAWKS' OKUNG TAKES PART IN SUMMER MEALS COMMUNITY PROGRAM
Seattle Seahawks tackle Russell Okung helped serve sack lunches and interacted with local youth at Heritage Park in Renton, Wash., as part of the Summer Meals program. The program provides free meals and snacks to all children and teens 18 years and younger during the summer months. No proof of income, address or citizenship is ever required.
RAIDERS' STREATER LAUNCHES FOUNDATION, HOSTS EVENTS THROUGHOUT BAY AREA
As part of his recently launched foundation, Oakland Raiders wide receiver Rod Streater hosted children and family members from the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford and Ronald McDonald House San Francisco to enjoy the day at the San Francisco Zoo this week.
Streater joined his special guests as they explored the exhibits, followed by a picnic lunch on the lawn located near the newly-opened children's playground.
The event was part of the Foundation's "Where's Streater? Catch Him Here, There and Everywhere" signature program. Earlier this summer, Streater took Oakland youngsters on field trip a "Mission to Mars" at Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland.
"There's a lot of local schools in District I in Oakland that don't have the opportunity to go on field trips because of the transportation costs," said Streater. "When I heard about that, I decided to step in and help take groups of kids on adventures together."
The foundation has been established as a donor-advised fund at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and has a 501c3 designation.
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-- NFL Communications