Super Bowl 2020: NFL, Ocean Conservancy volunteers clean up Miami beach
MIAMI (KGO) -- Ocean Conservancy teamed up with the NFL to complete it's "Super Bowl Cleanup Challenge" goal of removing ocean plastic and trash ahead of Super Bowl 54 in Miami.
The final clean-up total amounted to 54 tons of plastic and trash from Florida's coasts including trash collected from historic Virginia Key Beach Park.
"It's part of our Huddle for 100 initiative to get fans involved across the country," NFL Director of Community Relations Melissa Schiller said. "Ocean Conservancy was hosting this incredible event so we are partnering with them to clean up this lovely beach."
The NFL has dedicated it's 100th season to volunteerism in communities across the country as a thank you for the support over a span of a century.
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With the beach clean-up, the league moved past the 250 million minute mark of volunteering as part of their Huddle for 100 campaign.
"I think that it's great that the NFL has put a priority on people getting involved," Former NFL Kicker Jay Feely said. "Not only highlighting the things that the players are doing, but trying to engage the fans and show that football is fun and great, but there are a lot more things that are more important than football."
Former New York Giant Jay Feely and current Arizona Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake volunteered their time as well to join the dozens of other volunteers at the beach to keep Florida looking beautiful.
Each feel it is a responsibility to give back to the community given their platform and make the world we live in a better place.
"I always thought the greatest advantage of being a professional athlete and playing in the NFL is the opportunity to have a platform," Feely said. "You can shine a light on things that need help, whether that's kids, problems with homelessness or helping trying to clean up the ocean. There's so much work that we need to do."
"Coming back (to Miami), especially during this time of the Super Bowl and do something of this level is something that I'm proud of and proud to be a part of," Drake said. "This is the only world we've got. To come in and clean up the beaches and do things of this sort is important because just because of the things that we do, you can come out here and positively affect the community."
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