Team to Renovate Homes for U.S. Veterans on Veterans Day * Proceeds from Sales of the HEAT Home Strong Collection to Benefit Miami’s Fisher House
MIAMI, November 8 – In observance of Veterans Day 2015, the Miami HEAT will further demonstrate its respect for and admiration of the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces by expanding Home Strong, its long-standing military initiative. The HEAT will formally debut its Home Strong uniform—designed in-house by the Miami HEAT Creative Department—on Sunday, November 8th when Miami takes on the Toronto Raptors. The Home Strong uniform is a visual extension of the team’s ongoing charitable work with military families and features olive drab and tan fabrics, traditional military insignia elements and patriotic symbols. The HEAT will also wear the Home Strong uniform on November 10th vs. the Los Angeles Lakers and on November 12th vs. the Utah Jazz.
Saluting the military will take center stage during these three Home Strong games. In addition to wearing the Home Strong uniforms, the team will unveil a Home Strong player introduction video featuring local U.S. servicemen and women representing all branches of the Armed Forces standing shoulder-to-shoulder with HEAT players. During the game on November 10th, the HEAT will distribute 20,000 commemorative, double-sided posters featuring the 2015-16 roster on one side and 15 local military members on the other. For each of the three Home Strong games, veterans from the South Florida community will present the colors during the pre-game ceremony. Additionally, for the November 10th and 12th games, military members will participate in the unfurling of a 40’ American flag at center court. The National Anthem will be performed by current and retired military members from United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) in Doral and Homestead Air Reserve Base. AmericanAirlines Arena will welcome a contingent of over 600 military members who received donated game tickets. The November 8th game will mark the 399th consecutive game during which a local veteran has been honored via the Home Strong initiative.
“I started Home Strong back in 2006 because I wanted to respond to the endless letters of encouragement I received from members of the U.S. Military stationed overseas,” said Pat Riley, President of the Miami HEAT. “Since then, I am proud to say we have honored hundreds of military families at HEAT games, donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Fisher House, Up2Us Sports and other charities that support our returning servicemen and women, hosted basketball clinics for countless military families, renovated homes for retired veterans, visited them in hospitals, sent thousands of care packages to soldiers all over the world, distributed Thanksgiving meals to local veterans and their families, and even hosted our player training camp at Eglin Air Force Base. No branch of our military has ever paid us as part of our Home Strong initiative.”
A special website, HEATHomeStrong.com will launch tomorrow, November 7th and will showcase all things Home Strong including the player introduction video, the names and photographs of the military personnel who participated in the video and poster shoot, and the 2015-16 Home Strong Collection, a limited edition line of retail merchandise with a portion of the proceeds from the sale of all items in the Home Strong Collection donated to Fisher House—an organization that provides free or low cost lodging to veterans and military families receiving treatment at military medical centers. In addition, HEAT fans are encouraged to share their appreciation for the military by using the hashtag #HOMESTRONG on their social media channels and via the Miami HEAT App.
On Veterans Day, November 11th, the HEAT will fund and conduct home renovations for two local veterans. The project will be led byRiley and HEAT Legends Alonzo Mourning and Glen Rice, who will be joined by a contingent of HEAT staffers, U.S. servicemen and women from SOUTHCOM, the United States Coast Guard and volunteers from Rebuilding Together, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable housing through home renovations for low-income homeowners.
These military-themed activities are part of the year-round NBA Cares Hoops for Troops Program, where the League, its teams and players in collaboration with the Department of Defense, USO and other military and veteran serving organizations to honor active and retired service men and women and their families.
About the Miami HEAT Home Strong Initiative
In 2006, Pat Riley launched the Miami HEAT Home Strong initiative, an on-going program where members of the U.S. Military who have returned home are saluted during every HEAT home game. The mission of the Home Strong initiative is to give aid, support and recognition to any person who has been in harm’s way during their military service. Home Strong is presented by C1 Bank.