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The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation ‘Open Grant’ season is here!
“We’re very fortunate to be in the position that we are able to help these K-9 units. The work that is performed by the dogs and their handlers as well as the bond that is formed is incredible. We’re just thrilled to do our small part.” — Ben.
Today, Ben announced the opening of the 2020 grant cycle of the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at The Giving Back Fund.
This marks the 14th season of grants for Ben’s foundation. The majority of the grants distributed will help police and fire department K-9 units to purchase dogs and dog safety vests, but other types of K-9 specific needs will be considered.
This year, Ben has opened up the eligibility to include all towns and communities in the United States and invites police and fire departments to submit proposals detailing their needs.
The Foundation will begin accepting proposals on September 1st, continuing through the remainder of the year, and plans to make rolling announcements in that time frame and beyond.
The mission of the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation is to support K-9 units of police and fire departments throughout the United States with a particular emphasis on support for service dogs in Pittsburgh, PA.
In addition, Ben’s foundation has hosted a number of events to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation, his high school alma mater, and other organizations close to his heart.
Ben’s foundation has distributed in excess of $2.2 million since 2007, $1.8 million of which has specifically benefited K-9 programs.
Full grant guidelines and application cover page are available at https://www.givingback.org/ben-roethlisberger-foundation-application-2020/.
Applications and supporting documents must be mailed and postmarked between September 1st and December 31st.
For more information about the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation or The Giving Back Fund, please contact Jessica Duffaut at www.givingback.org.
Photo of Puppy Roethlisbarker taken by Ashley Roethlisberger.
Bleier backs Big Ben
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Johnson loves how Ben is looking: Diontae Johnson doesn’t fully know what life with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback is like. Johnson worked with Roethlisberger sparingly early on last season, but barely got a taste for the quarterback’s talents before Roethlisberger’s season ended after Week 2 with an elbow injury.
Since the end of the 2019 season, Johnson has been thinking about what it will be like to be on the field with Roethlisberger. It took a while after a virtual offseason due to COVID-19, but the two are back at it and Johnson couldn’t be happier.
“I thought about it since the end of the season, just getting back ready and expecting Ben to come back 100 percent,” said Johnson. “I am looking forward to getting on the field with Ben this year and being able to help him win games and a championship too. I know how hard he worked this offseason to get back healthy and I know how hard I have been working to prepare myself for this season. To be able to get back on the field with him this year is amazing. I can’t wait to get it going.”
Johnson has already had the opportunity to catch passes from Roethlisberger during the team’s training camp at Heinz Field, and he loves what he is seeing as Roethlisberger has already cut loose and is throwing tight spirals according to Johnson.
“Ben’s arm is way better than it was last year,” said Johnson. “I am just trying to help him win games.
“Everybody wants to play for Ben. He is our leader. He is our quarterback. Everybody is locked in every play, knowing what we have to do. Just the energy he brings to the offense, you want to play for a guy like Ben. He will help you make plays and you want to make him look good.
“He is different this year. He is more excited. He is anxious to get on the field and play with us. That makes you want to play for him even more. That is one of the things I have seen from him, him engaging with me more this year. Being able to talk to him and have that connection, we are going to keep building that.”
Johnson is hoping he can be a […]
That’s Lombardis with an “s”
“Waking up today to see how it was going to feel, and it feels great. That is kind of what I anticipated. We have been working more than usual in the offseason in terms of throwing. I’ve put together a regimen of two to three days a week throwing for the last two months, if not longer. I think the plan is still to pitch-count if you will through training camp. I worked really hard (Monday) in terms of a lot of throws. I will try half that amount today and then tomorrow back off again, just to see how it’s going to feel. This is a really different training camp. You are not really doing one-on-ones; you are not doing seven-on-seven right now. We are building up, working on timing with receivers, tight ends, running backs. I have had no setbacks. It feels really, really good. I am really excited about that.” — Ben, during his interview with the media today.
From Teresa Varley, Steelers.com:
This offseason, we saw peeks of hope. First, there was a video of Roethlisberger throwing in an empty gym. Then, video of him throwing to his teammates surfaced and the reviews started to come in, with teammates singing the praises of how the all-everything quarterback looked.
And now, almost 11 months after Steelers Nation collectively had their heart in their throats, Ben is back.
Roethlisberger has resumed throwing at Heinz Field with the team’s training camp underway and is happy to be back, even if he was a little nervous out of the gate.
“I am very nervous by the way. I am not sure why,” admitted Roethlisberger about talking to the media during the start of a zoom call. “I haven’t spoken to you guys in so long. Forgive me if I take a minute to think about some of my answers.”
Roethlisberger said he threw a lot on Monday, and that he felt good doing it, even almost 24 hours later.
Roethlisberger is returning from surgery on his throwing elbow, something that could hinder any quarterback. But, heading into his 17th season with the black and gold, he isn’t letting it hinder him at all and never doubted that he would return in 2020.
“I knew it hurt. I knew I had some options. I just didn’t feel […]
‘Ben is back’
A beautiful sight to see!@_BigBen7 pic.twitter.com/PkLB32GJNt
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 3, 2020