More than 100 Sailors and Coast Guardsmen were treated to a behind-the-scenes view of Miami Dolphins football stadium May 3.

The service members are in South Florida to participate in Fleet Week Port Everglades, hosted by Broward County Navy Days, and the crews of the six ships in town for the event, were invited to tour the facility.

The team has hosted an event for the military personnel visiting the area for the past several years and enjoys the opportunity to give back to the service members. "We appreciate and recognize Broward Navy Days' contributions to protecting our freedoms and we were excited to participate in fleet week. Having all of our Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen in town was truly an honor," said Jamie Quadrozzi, Senior Manager of Military Engagement. "Fleet week is a staple piece of the Dolphins’ ‘Salute to Service’ year-round programming and we look forward to it every year."

The stadium field was covered with white, flexible tiles as the site is being converted from hosting a tennis tournament to a soccer match. Director of Guest Experiences Anthony Mozzicato explained that despite the lack of a scrap of dirt on the field now, in a week, the grass would be ready for the game.

Other sites the Sailors and Coast Guardsmen saw included special suites and lounges for season ticket holders and VIP guests, artwork commissioned for the facility, a scale model of the site and the Dolphins’ locker room. Additionally, in a stroke of luck, linebacker Chase Allen accompanied the visitors for part of the tour as he waited to see a Sailor he knew in one of the following groups.

Following the tour, each of the guests, service members and family, were given a souvenir coin saying “Thank you for your service.”

The Sailors enjoyed the trip to the stadium and appreciated the team’s efforts to reach out to the visiting military.

“Meeting Chase Allen and seeing the locker room were really cool,” Wiggins said. “It is good to know that they really do care about the military and what we do.”

This is the 29th annual Fleet Week Port Everglades which provides an opportunity for the citizens of South Florida to witness first-hand the latest capabilities of today’s maritime services. About 2,000 Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen are in town to showcase the capabilities of today’s military and build relationships with the general public. The Fleet Week will run through May 6 when the ships depart to return to their homeports.

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