September 11: National Day of Service

Dolphin Alumni Jed Weaver fills out Customs form.

Photo:  Mailin Donahue

Today, September 11, is a National Day of Remembrance to honor those who were killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks.  In South Florida, Miami Dolphins Special Teams staged at Sun Life Stadium packed care packages to ship via USPS Priority Mail to troops serving overseas.  
Operations Support Specialist Mailin Donahue and her children, Samantha and Robert, were three of approximately 100 team members  who filled donated items from the community into APO/FPO Priority Mail boxes.  Mailin coordinated the logistics, transportation, and fulfillment of Priority Mail boxes and Customs forms with the Opa Locka Post Office.  Postmaster Manny Ferrer, Letter Carrier/Shop Steward Marilyn Ray, Letter Carrier Nathan Johnson, and Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Assistant Nemesio Montoto picked up  700 Priority Mail boxes.  

The official website of the Miami Dolphins quotes Leslie Nixon, manager of volunteer services as follows:

“The families that lost members in the attacks on 9/11 actually formed an organization called 9/11.org. So what they’ve done is they’ve turned September 11th into a National Day of Service,” said Leslie Nixon, manager of volunteer services for the Miami Dolphins. “They ask that the way you remember what happened on 9/11 to be a day of service and by you doing some sort of community service around your neighborhood in you’re area. 

“So what we decided to do is turn this into a time where we actually say thank you to the troops. Since they’re serving for us we can do a little community service by packing some care packages to send over to them. We have lots of representation from the community and some wonderful groups that have come out and donated and brought thank you cards to send to the troops. Here we’re just putting them together in boxes and mailing them out. We have the Post Office here, who has been a wonderful partner and it lets the armed forces know we haven’t forgotten about them.”

Below is the link to the official website of the Miami Dolphins; be sure to click on the “Photo Gallery” in the middle of the page:

http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/article-1/911-Anniversary-Sparks-Big-Community-Effort-At-Sun-Life-Stadium/9edb0cf9-b557-4d15-a93e-969d5fcfd6c3

Operations Support Specialist Mailin Donahue and son Robert proudly wear their orange "Special Teams" shirts while Dolphins Jed Weaver and Nate Garner sport their teal jerseys.  Photo:  Debra J. Fetterly

Samantha Donahue (right) supervises Mom (Mailin) while Dolphin alumni Jed Weaver fills out a Customs form for a Priority Mail shipment.  Photo:  Debra J. Fetterly

(L to R) "Team Opa Locka" includes Letter Carrier Nathan Johnson, Postmaster Manny Ferrer, and Letter Carrier/Shop Steward Marilyn Ray.   Photo:  Debra J. Fetterly

OSS Mailin Donahue (right center) oversees the Priority Mail packaging operation with personnel (L to R) Jed Weaver, Robert Donahue, Samantha Donahue.   Photo:  Debra J. Fetterly

The Miami Dolphins Special Teams is a unique volunteer organization created to enlist and mobilize the ongoing services in the community with Miami Dolphins staff, players, alumni, and volunteers.  The mission of the Special Teams is to offer hands-on services to communities and families in need, to partner with existing organizations on worthwhile social, civic and charitable programs, to provide assistance at Miami Dolphins Foundation events and to support community efforts in times of emergency.