Marlins Ayudan School Partner, Citrus Grove Elementary, was the recent benefactor of an exciting makeover! Marlins Ayudan team “Pulse,” led by Senior Vice President of Marketing & Event Booking, Sean Flynn, is partnering with Citrus Grove Elementary for the 2013 year. As a part of their partnership with Citrus Grove Elementary, ”Pulse” funded the entirety of the mural project and spent a morning spray painting this very elaborate new mural outside the school’s cafeteria. This was a very exciting day for both students and staff a like as this marked the first of many more projects to come!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

It was a great time to be a Miami Marlin, huddled in a cold concrete cave, surrounded by tables, dimly lit parking lights, reflecting shadows moving feverishly around the clock at a frantic pace, opening boxes, stacking drinks, as quickly as possible so as to guarantee no delay in the start of a time-honored Marlins tradition, the Marlins Ayudan Turkey Distribution.  Put aside the concerns that are still a Fall, Winter and Spring away; instead focus on this week.  With so many families struggling during these hard economic times, a beacon of hope newly entrenched in the Miami area, yet eager to the task of acting as a center of hope and growth, accepted yet another challenge to play the unsung hero for our community. 

Over 60 of my fellow co-workers joined together, lifting barricades, driving in pallet after pallet of donated foods.  Frozen turkeys, Pepsi beyond what the eye could see, fresh squash, green beans, stuffing and more.  “Blue Shirts” moving all about the garage, almost as in second nature, without thought, but rather an innate knowledge of ”something needs to get done, so that is exactly what we are here to do, get it done.” 

Each holiday bag is filled with all the Thanksgiving day fixings and the promise to each family of a picturesque holiday feast.   Joined in the parking garage by representatives from our sponsors Farm Share, Neighbors For Neighbors, over 1000 families from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami, Abriendo Puertas, Sagrada Familia, Curley’s House of Style, and Marlins Ayudan School Partners (Bunche Park Elementary, Bent Tree Elementary, Citrus Elementary, Edison Middle School, Edison High School, Ben Sheppard Elementary School, Terra High School, and Miami Senior High School) received a gift from the Marlins that was so far removed from baseball, you could forget the noise in the media and just embrace the joy of what was being created.  With every turkey dropped in an open bag, with every wide eye, hungry stomach filled with joy at the thoughts of the meal to come, with the sound of thousands of shuffling feet carrying their feast in a bag off to their homes, we moved further from any crack of the bat, any excitement a walk off home run could bring, and reaffirmed exactly what we moved to this city to do.  Marlins Ayudan.  Marlins Help.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Courtesy of Guest Blogger, Simon Greenberg-Block

The month of November is upon us which means Movember is here! Movember is a month-long campaign where men, also know as Mo Bro’s, are encouraged to start the month clean-shaven and spend the rest of the month growing and grooming their mustaches. This is all done to raise awareness for prostate cancer and other men’s health issues. Each Mo becomes a walking, talking billboard on men’s health for the entire month.

This is the first time the Marlins have participated in Movember. Yet, we were still able to get over 25 Mo Bro’s to sign up and participate.

On November 1st, most of the Mo Bros got together to take our first group picture. Stay tuned  to track the progress of our Marlins Mo’s.

For those about to Mo, we salute you!