The Orange Bowl Celebrates the Opening of Third Legacy Gift
- Orange Bowl Field at Ives Estates Park
December 3, 2015
The Orange Bowl Committee officially celebrated the opening of Orange Bowl Field at Ives Estates Park on December 3rd. Ives Estates is the Orange Bowl’s third Legacy Gift to the South Florida community, which consists of a multi-million dollar renovation including a new multi-purpose synthetic turf field designed for football, soccer, lacrosse and rugby, new scoreboard, drainage system, and concrete walkway leading to the field at Ives Estates Park in north Miami-Dade County.
Combined, the Orange Bowl Legacy Gift projects have provided approximately $10 million worth of improvements toward the beautification of the South Florida community and recreational park activities for residents and their families.
The Orange Bowl first unveiled the Legacy Gift initiative in 2008-09 in honor of the organization’s 75th anniversary, which also coincided with the hosting of the 2009 BCS National Championship. In January 2011, the Orange Bowl, in conjunction with the City of Miami, cut the ribbon on Orange Bowl Field at Moore Park. The project provided much needed renovations to a youth football stadium and facilities at Miami’s inner city Moore Park. Moore Park holds a special historical significance for the Orange Bowl Committee as it was the site of the 1933 and 1934 Palm Festivals, the predecessor of the Orange Bowl Festival.
In 2013, the Orange Bowl, in conjunction with the City of Fort Lauderdale, cut the ribbon to unveil renovations to Joseph C. Carter Park in Fort Lauderdale. Renovations at Carter Park included the installation of a new synthetic turf football field, now called Orange Bowl Field at Carter Park, an eight lane track, enhanced spectator areas and new scoreboard.
The completion of the third Legacy Gift project only furthers the Orange Bowl’s commitment to youth sports in the South Florida community as two of the three renovated parks are home to teams from the Orange Bowl’s Youth Football Alliance presented by Sports Authority. The OBYFA benefits more than 15,000 youth football players and cheerleaders representing 10 football leagues across eight South Florida counties. Since 1999, the Orange Bowl Committee has invested more than $7 million in youth sports.
In addition to its continued support of the OBYFA, the Orange Bowl directly supports locally based festivals and events, including those that provide participatory opportunities to youth from all over the world. These include the Orange Bowl Drive for Excellence Girls Golf Program, Junior Orange Bowl, Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta, Metropolia Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships, Orange Bowl Swim Classic, Orange Bowl Paddle Championships, and the Sunshine State Lacrosse Games presented by Orange Bowl, among others.