Dignitaries, entertainers, cyclists and cancer survivors from throughout South Florida held a special ceremony this morning at Sun Life Stadium in conjunction with the second annual Dolphins Cycling Challenge (DCC). The DCC, a two-day, 170-mile trans-Florida charity cycling event to benefit Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center will take place on November 5-6, 2011.
Attendees in this special ceremony included, television personality Kim Bokamper, Sylvester Board of Governors Member and Cancer Survivor Jennifer Stearns Buttrick, radio personality Paul Castronovo, Miami Dolphins CEO Mike Dee, Dean of the Miller School of Medicine Dr. Pascal Goldschmidt, wife of 2011 Ring of Honor Inductee Jim Mandich, Bonnie Mandich, Miami Dolphins Vice Chairman/Partner Jorge Perez and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio.
“It’s a team effort both within the Dolphins family and in the concept of a community effort,” Dee said. “What we do is provide the cause and provide the scaffolding if you will for an event like this to flourish. It only works with the support of great people like Paul Castronovo, Kim Bokamper, all the alumni and Nat Moore embracing cycling and rallying the alumni behind this. It’s a point of pride for the organization to see it grow and this event should be part of this community for many, many years.”
During the event, the new 2011 DCC ceremonial jersey was unveiled in honor of Dolphins great Jim “Mad Dog” Mandich. Additionally, over 40 cyclists and cancer patients throughout South Florida took part in a ceremonial lap around the perimeter of Sun Life Stadium led by Rubio.
“This is the second year of this event and I think 10 years from now this event (Dolphins Cycling Challenge) will be a signature event in our community,” Senator Rubio said. “I think everyone’s been touched by cancer so everybody understands in the real world, and if you’ve never had anyone in your family suffer with cancer you will at some point have someone you love be affected by it.
This major community initiative is a collaborative effort between the Miami Dolphins Foundation and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine with proceeds going to directly to the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. The DCC is actively seeking participants, volunteers and corporate partners. For more information, please visit www.RideDCC.com.