HEAT Academy End of Year Celebration - 2013
MIAMI - On Tuesday May 21st, the Miami HEAT hosted its Heat Academy End of the Year Celebration for 300 HEAT Academy students at the AmericanAirlines Arena. The celebration was a carnival-style event with food, fun and excitement. During the festivities, Carnival Corporation & plc presented a check in the amount of $248,000 to the Florida Prepaid College Foundation for scholarships benefiting HEAT Academy students. Fifteen fifth-grade HEAT Academy students will become eligible for a Carnival Scholarship which matures in 2020, the fifth-grade class' expected graduating year. This marks the 11th consecutive year that Carnival has funded the scholarships, which during this time the company has contributed to 165 scholarships, with a total value of more than $1.9 million.
The arena's East Plaza was transformed into a HEAT Fun Zone with inflatables, games, face painting, popcorn, cotton candy and more. HEAT players Chris Andersen and Juwan Howard attended the event alongside performances by the HEAT Dancers, Burnie, Banana Man and the Xtreme Team. Lunch was also provided by Papa John's and Pepsi. Those in attendance included Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of the HEAT Group Michael McCullough, Director of the Carnival Foundation Linda Coll, Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, Director of Business Development, Media External Relations for Florida Blue Doug Bartel, Board Member of the Florida Prepaid College Foundation Senator Ron Silver, and Chief Executive Officer of C1 Bank Trevor Burgess.
The Carnival Scholarships, developed in collaboration with the Florida Prepaid College Foundation, enable 15 fifth-grade students who are currently enrolled in HEAT Academy to receive a four-year tuition scholarship to an accredited Florida college or university of their choice. Florida Prepaid College Foundation provides a matching donation to fund these scholarships. In March, the fourth HEAT Academy graduating class was awarded 16 Carnival Scholarships. Carnival has presented 60 students with scholarships over the past four years.
The HEAT Academy, is an after school program that provides elementary school students with extra exposure to academics, particularly math, reading, writing, and science, is the flagship community initiative of the Miami HEAT. Celebrating its 14th year of existence, HEAT Academy, presented by Carnival Corporation, has been implemented at three local inner city schools: Paul Laurence Dunbar K-8 Center, Jesse J. McCrary Jr. Elementary and Riverside Elementary. In addition to a curriculum geared for success on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), students receive assistance with homework, have a safe place to be when their parents are not available, and learn from positive role models who inspire kids to excel. HEAT staffers volunteer their time throughout the year to assist HEAT Academy students. Additional sponsors of HEAT Academy include Florida Blue and C1 Bank.
HEAT Announce 2013 Scholarship Recipients
The Miami HEAT announced May 15 the four recipients of its 2013 HEAT Scholarships: The Alec Kessler Student-Athlete Scholarship, the Dr. Jack Ramsay Scholarship and two HEAT Scholarships. In its 17th year, the HEAT Scholarships offer $10,000 in funds to high school seniors attending school in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach counties. The scholarships, valued at $2,500 each, are awarded based on excellent academic performance, outstanding community service, and an unmet financial need. Click here to read the full press release.
HEAT Raise More Than $500,000 During 16th Annual Family Festival
MIAMI – The Miami HEAT Charitable Fund raised more than $500,000 during the 16th Annual Miami HEAT Family Festival hosted on Sunday, April 7th at Parcel B by the Bay behind the AmericanAirlines Arena. Presented by Carnival Cruise Lines, the event benefitted SafeSpace, the Jackson Memorial Foundation’s Guardian Angels, the Miami Coalition for a Safe & Drug-Free Community and was the most successful in terms of tickets sold and monies raised in the event’s 16-year history.
The Miami HEAT Family Festival, which is one of the Miami HEAT Charitable Fund’s largest annual fundraisers, is a themed, interactive, carnival-like celebration during which HEAT players, coaches, celebrities and families come together for a day of fun, family and feasting. The Festival includes a dining extravaganza featuring the top restaurants and chefs from all over South Florida. Families enjoy countless interactive activities with HEAT players, coaches and their families, providing a memorable experience for guests of all ages.
This year’s “Festival of the Future” featured the entire Miami HEAT team and coaching staff with special appearances by DJ Irie, the Miami HEAT Dancers, Burnie the mascot, in-arena host Dale, HEAT Television Host and Courtside Reporter Jason Jackson, the Golden Oldies, HEAT Banana Man, live music by Nick Aquilino, delicacies from 45 of South Florida’s finest restaurants, a silent auction and much more. Futuristic elements of the festival included astronaut ice cream, space-age sun glasses, activities such as the Solar System Space Races and rides such as the Space Shuttle Slide and the Rascal Rocket Ride. A time traveling pilot wearing a water-propelled jet pack delivered a check for $503,860. The check was then presented to HEAT players on stage by Tagi the robot.
About The Miami HEAT Charitable Fund
The Miami HEAT Charitable Fund was established in 1997 and is comprised of the Miami HEAT players, coaches, wives and staff. Establishing its presence in the South Florida community, the HEAT “family” has been able to generate critical dollars through unique fundraising programs for the betterment of at risk families. The primary beneficiaries from this event are Jackson Memorial Foundation’s Guardian Angels, which supports the Holtz Center for seriously ill children, SafeSpace, a domestic violence shelter for women and their children, the Miami Coalition for a Safe and Drug-Free Community, a broadly based community organization committed to reducing the problems of drug abuse, addiction, and directly related social issues and Home Strong, which provides aid, supports, and honors members of the U.S. military.
Carnival Presents High School Students with Four-Year Scholarships & Laptop Computers
During Sunday night's Miami HEAT game, Miami-based Carnival Corporation & plc and its flagship brand, Carnival Cruise Lines, presented full four-year scholarships to 16 local high school seniors who are participating in an innovative workplace mentoring program operated in conjunction with the Miami HEAT and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami. Each student also received a laptop computer, compliments of Carnival, Dell and Microsoft. Read the full article.
Miami HEAT Learn & Play Center at Chapman Partnership
MIAMI – As part of its ongoing commitment to improving the South Florida community, Miami HEAT players Shane Battier and James Jones joined a host of dignitaries to unveil the renovation of its 11th HEAT Learn & Play Center at Chapman Partnership located at 1550 North Miami Avenue on March 11th. Alongside presenting sponsor and longtime HEAT community partner Florida Blue, the HEAT renovated the Family Resource Center at Chapman Partnership, enhancing the room with new paint, wall graphics, Apple iPad minis and furniture. Read the full recap.
