Sacramento Police receive a grant
Ben has announced a grant award this afternoon from the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at The Giving Back Fund.
His Foundation will be distributing a grant to the Sacramento Police Department honoring the Steelers’ matchup against the San Francisco 49ers earlier this season.
The Sacramento Police Department requested the grant to add a canine to their team and provide much needed funding to the Sacramento Police K-9 unit.
2019 marked the 13th season that Ben’s foundation distributed grants to K-9 units.
His mission continues: to support K-9 units of police and fire departments throughout the United States, with a particular emphasis on support for working dogs in Pittsburgh, PA.
Ben’s foundation distributed more than $145,000 in grants to K-9 units around the country during the 2018 NFL season, including $70,000 in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas.
The foundation has distributed in excess of $2.1 million since 2007, $1.7 million of which has specifically benefited K-9 programs domestically.
“The Sacramento Police Canine Unit is honored to be selected to receive a grant by the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation. With this generous grant, the unit was able to purchase an additional K-9 for the department. The use of K-9’s in our department is a vital component of effectively keeping the community safe. Moreover, it allows the department to better serve the needs of the community as a whole. Specifically, K-9s are a vital tool in the department’s ability to de-escalate violent situations, while allowing our officers to safely take suspects into custody. This grant has allowed the department to add a K-9 officer and a K-9 to the team, in turn, increasing the department’s ability to utilize this unique role to keep Sacramento safe.” — Sacramento K-9 Officer Alexander Wagstaff.
Fans!
Sarris Candies teamed up with Ben again this past NFL season donating 25 percent of the purchase price of their candy to the his foundation. Such a sweet deal!
You can support future K-9 grants by purchasing candy on their website, (www.SarrisCandiesFundraising.com)! Just use a special purchase code of 77-7777 when ordering.
Thank you to Sarris Candies!
For more information about Ben’s foundation or The Giving Back Fund, please contact Jessica Duffaut at www.givingback.org.
Make no bones about it!
When I’m at work in Virginia as a Fairfax County Police K9, I’m all business! As a matter of fact, I’m kind of a big deal around the office water bowl – I have my own K9 collector card….
But when I’m off duty, I can always be found wearing my Steelers collar! Even when my team isn’t playing, I’m supporting them, and Big Ben? Yeah, he’s my TOP DOG! He and his foundation are positively PAWSOME, I mean AWESOME! Can’t wait to see you back on the field, number 7!
Oh, my photos were submitted by my partner, Officer Mike Pzizzle (he’s better at using an iPhone).
“All out of smoke and mirrors”
From Steelers.com – Bob Labriola on the loss to the Ravens:
By 7:30 p.m., the last of the smoke had cleared and the final mirror was broken. The Steelers had run out of ways to try to camouflage, to work around, to hide the cracks with spackle and paint. Everything in the National Football League is on video, the eye in the sky does not lie, and as a result smoke and mirrors only can take you so far.
The end of the road for them came here, at M&T Bank Stadium in a 28-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Alas, there would be no miracle, and the 2019 NFL season ended for the Pittsburgh Steelers. That it ended in late December instead of mid-September is a testament to their grit and willingness to run toward the fight, but there seemed to be little doubt that it would end prematurely, and that this would be the reason for its end.
When it became a medical certainty that Ben Roethlisberger would need surgery to repair his right elbow, and when the timetable for the procedure and then the rehabilitation was going to subtract him from the equation for the rest of their season, the Steelers prospects for 2019 started circling the drain. When an 0-3 start became 8-5 following a six-point victory in Arizona three weeks before Christmas, visions of sugar plums danced in the heads of Steelers fans all over the nation, but with each improbable victory more video became available on what they were doing and the noose continued to tighten.
At the collegiate level, you might be able to win with schemes, but in the NFL you have to win with players. And the most important player on every team is the quarterback.
The Steelers’ 2019 season was a perfect storm of injuries to key offensive personnel and blanket inexperience in too many other areas….
You can read more here.
A Roethlisberger Family Christmas
And then this happened!! When Momma tells you to put the matching pjs on – you put them on, even the dogs!
Merry Christmas to everyone out there from the matching Roethlisberger family! Hope everyone has a blessed day, and remembers that the real reason for today is because Jesus was born! — Ben, Ashley, ‘Jamin, Bay, Bo and Remy & ‘Kota.
P.S. Contrary to recent reports out there about my football future and my ‘uncertainty’ about playing again, I am working hard and am more determined than ever to come back stronger and better than ever next year!
Early Christmas gifts for two police departments
The Flemington Police Department would first like to thank Ben Roethlisberger and his great Foundation for their support. We are honored to have been selected for this grant. Without the Foundation, departments like ours would not be able to keep K-9 units operating. Our K-9 Unit which was formed in 2017, solely operates on fundraising and donations. This grant will be used to keep both of our K-9’s well-equipped and safe so that they can continue apprehending criminals and keep up with the fight against drugs in Flemington and surrounding communities. We are very appreciative and our K9’s Jax and Kita (pictured below) will benefit greatly.— Lieutenant William Soriano, Flemington Borough Police Department.
The Town of Kent Police K-9 Unit is humbled by the generous grant for equipment from the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation. We are a small department and are consistently looking for ways to better serve our community without placing a larger tax burden on our residents. Our two dogs are a vital part of our department and our community; in the last several years they have tracked both endangered persons and criminal suspects, located evidence, conducted countless […]
It’s all about the Benjamin
The ever-patient Bob Labriola at Steelers.com answers fan questions in his weekly “Asked & Answered” column. Thought I’d share the most recent Q&A’s regarding #7. Enjoy!
From December 22nd:
JACKSON LATTA FROM PRESTONSBURG, KY: I love your column, but I can’t get past how many people write to you speculating about the futures of Devlin Hodges, Mason Rudolph, or some other quarterback du jour. Are you surprised that more people aren’t putting this season into perspective and fully appreciating just how fortunate the Steelers have been to have Ben Roethlisberger for these last 17 seasons, and counting?
BOB LABRIOLA:When it comes to sports fans, and what interests them, or angers them, or what they choose to appreciate vs. expect vs. complain about, little surprises me anymore.
JACOB MCBETH FROM CHEYENNE, WY: The offense seems highly disorganized at times – multiple receivers in the same spot, not “clocking” the ball when ordered from the sideline, etc. What will it take to lessen this sloppy play?
BOB LABRIOLA: Nothing more than an experienced, veteran, proven quarterback running the show. Young players need time to develop. Here’s a little fun fact about that: On the days when Ben Roethlisberger is given the day off at training camp, practices routinely run up to 15 minutes late because of the extra time spent getting in and out of the huddle, getting the play called correctly, lining up properly, etc. This is the Ben Roethlisberger effect. Appreciate him while he’s here.
From December 19th:
KWAME FREEMAN FROM PITTSBURGH, PA: This 2019 season has seen a return to classic defensive/running the football season for the Steelers. When Ben Roethlisberger returns, do you expect them to get away from this style of football? Also, if Ben does his usual light reps during training camp, and sits out all of the preseason games, how would you expect him to start 2020?
BOB LABRIOLA: Coach Mike Tomlin is, and has been, a believer in managing the wear and tear on Ben Roethlisberger’s right arm, and you can expect that to continue during the post-surgery process. The goal during the offseason will be to get Roethlisberger back from the surgery and then to prepare him for the 17 weeks of the regular season. It’s going to be a process, and these kinds of processes often don’t progress smoothly. Be patient. He doesn’t have a […]