MIAMI (WSVN) - The Miami Dolphins have donated football equipment to Miami Edison Senior High School’s football team after the team lost most of their equipment in a fire.
The team showed up at the school in Miami with a truck full of football equipment, Tuesday.
Running back Livingston Benoit II said he is grateful for the Dolphins’ generous donation.
“It’s just a blessing,” Benoit said. “We’ve been through a lot — such a great tragedy. They just helped us up.”
In May, the high school football team lost one of their teammates — Richecarde Dumay — in a tragic car crash in North Miami. A few weeks later, a fire tore through a shed at the school’s field house. The fire turned the team’s equipment into ash.
Head coach Luther Campbell said the team has since been practicing with whatever equipment that was not destroyed in the fire.
“This is the greatest thing that could’ve happened,” he said. “We had no pads. All we had was five garbage cans that were left. That’s what we’ve been practicing with for the last few months.”
“It was back to base one,” Benoit said. “We were doing everything with no gear. We’re used to it, so we just had to work through it and still give that each and every day.”
The Miami Dolphins and Baptist Health donated a truck full of football gear, pads and cleats to help get the team back on track.
Miami Dolphins Senior Vice President Nat Moore said, “They got new equipment. A new sense of pride that somebody cares. The Miami Dolphins cares about them. Baptist Health Systems cares about them. I mean, that’s what you want. You want to inspire. Young kids wanna be special and wanna do something great. Hopefully, that’s what we’re doing here today.”
Campbell said the gesture was hard to put into words.
“There’s no words that you can put to it,” he said. “It’s just that that’s what it’s all about. It’s all about community. A major organization like that coming down to Liberty City and doing this is a great thing.”
Benoit said the team is excited to begin the season at the end of August.
“It gives us motivation and makes us want to work harder each and every day and get better,” he said. “We’re more excited for the season more than ever now. Just want to get out there and be great, be the best we can.”
Miami Edison Principal Leon Maycock said the donation not only shows support for the team but for the school as well.
“As a whole, we’re pushing towards adversity to make our school great again,” Maycock said.
Thanks to the big donation, the football team promises they will go to states this season.
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