MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins have partnered with a local mosque to celebrate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan with a special food distribution.
Miami Gardens is home of the Hard Rock Stadium and the Miami Dolphins, but just a few miles down the road is the Islamic Center of Greater Miami. In order to recognize the Muslim holiday, the Miami Dolphins Foundation Food Relief Program and Football Unites presented by Baptist Health partnered with the local mosque to feed hundreds of families in honor of Ramadan.
“We believe football can bring people together,” says Jason Jenkins, Senior Vice President of the Miami Dolphins. “With Ramadan, we wanted to work with our Islamic Center of Greater Miami partner to really provide food and also cheer during this holiday season.”
The Muslim holy month is best known for daily fasting from sunrise to sunset. However, community chairman of the Islamic Center of Greater Miami, Khalid Mirza, says it’s more than that.
“This month is a special month,” explains Mirza. “We spend a lot of time praying and sharing with our brothers and sisters and neighbors.”
This partnered food distribution will provide 600 meals to families all from local, minority owned restaurants, such as Al Salam Restaurant.
When Local 10 asked Al Salam Restaurant’s owner, Ehab Albaradi, about what it is like being around food when they can’t eat any of it, he responded, “We get used to it.”
“We do this one month every year,” explains Albaradi, “and it teaches us a lot of appreciation for the food.”
The partnership is also highlighting Florida’s Zaytouna Foods, a local bakery that employs refugee women from war torn Syria.
Therefore, while South Florida Muslims fast while feeding others, the Dolphins professional sports franchise goes far beyond football.
“This is very unique,” says Mirza. “It’s god’s blessing.”
The Miami Gardens mosque holds its own weekly food distributions, as well, on Tuesday afternoons.
Ramadan ends on May 12.