2008 Woodie Awards
Roethlisberger donates to OPD K-9 unit
Caroline Briggs
Issue date: 11/9/07 Section: Community
Oxford Police Department's (OPD) K-9 unit will receive a grant from the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation this month to use toward the station's three police dogs.
Sgt. Thomas Horvath of OPD said the grant, worth just under $8,000, would be used to purchase training supplies and equipment for the two German Shepards, a bloodhound and their trainers. Horvath said the grant was a welcome gift from Roethlisberger, a Miami University alumnus whose football number was recently retired at Miami.
"For us, it's a wonderful thing," Horvath said. "(Roethlisberger) comes from this community and cares enough about our community to give back."
According to the press release, the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation focuses on supporting police and fire departments from all around the country. Roethlisberger is a native of Findlay, Ohio, where he made his first grant to the Findlay Fire Department. The grant reportedly helped replace Findlay's police dog Flip after he had been shot and killed. The grant allowed for a ballistic vest for the new dog.
The bulletproof vests will also be provided for the OPD police dogs, along with equipment to further train the dogs. Simon and Dover, the German Shepards, will be trained in ballistics, while Scarlet, the new tracking dog, will be given further search and rescue training, according to canine handler Officer David King.
King said that the dogs would also be receiving new cages for the dogs so that the dogs could be taken along on patrol. King said he was excited about the surge in his unit's budget.
"I think its great," King said. "You hear a lot of negative things about athletes these days. The extra training we'll get out of it will help the K-9 unit and eventually help the city."
Both King and Horvath said that the $8,000 grant helped what the unit would otherwise have to budget for two or three years.
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation is part of The Giving Back Fund, which allows athletes to set up charitable funds for causes of their choice, according to the fund's Web site. The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation was formed in 2006. It has also reached out to donating further grants to regular season opponents in away cities of the Pittsburgh Steelers. These cities include Cleveland, Ohio; Phoenix, Ariz.; Denver, Colo. and Cincinnati, Ohio.
According to his foundation's Web site, Roethlisberger outlined his desire to help police and fire departments around the country with their service dogs.
"My dad instilled in me a love and respect for animals," Roethlisberger writes. "This is a good way to combine that passion with a desire to support the police and fire departments, which deserve all the appropriate resources needed to protect our cities and neighborhoods, and allow these brave men and women to arrive home safely."
In 2003, Roethlisberger lead the RedHawks in an unbeaten record in the MAC before being drafted to the NFL in 2004.
Sgt. Thomas Horvath of OPD said the grant, worth just under $8,000, would be used to purchase training supplies and equipment for the two German Shepards, a bloodhound and their trainers. Horvath said the grant was a welcome gift from Roethlisberger, a Miami University alumnus whose football number was recently retired at Miami.
"For us, it's a wonderful thing," Horvath said. "(Roethlisberger) comes from this community and cares enough about our community to give back."
According to the press release, the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation focuses on supporting police and fire departments from all around the country. Roethlisberger is a native of Findlay, Ohio, where he made his first grant to the Findlay Fire Department. The grant reportedly helped replace Findlay's police dog Flip after he had been shot and killed. The grant allowed for a ballistic vest for the new dog.
The bulletproof vests will also be provided for the OPD police dogs, along with equipment to further train the dogs. Simon and Dover, the German Shepards, will be trained in ballistics, while Scarlet, the new tracking dog, will be given further search and rescue training, according to canine handler Officer David King.
King said that the dogs would also be receiving new cages for the dogs so that the dogs could be taken along on patrol. King said he was excited about the surge in his unit's budget.
"I think its great," King said. "You hear a lot of negative things about athletes these days. The extra training we'll get out of it will help the K-9 unit and eventually help the city."
Both King and Horvath said that the $8,000 grant helped what the unit would otherwise have to budget for two or three years.
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation is part of The Giving Back Fund, which allows athletes to set up charitable funds for causes of their choice, according to the fund's Web site. The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation was formed in 2006. It has also reached out to donating further grants to regular season opponents in away cities of the Pittsburgh Steelers. These cities include Cleveland, Ohio; Phoenix, Ariz.; Denver, Colo. and Cincinnati, Ohio.
According to his foundation's Web site, Roethlisberger outlined his desire to help police and fire departments around the country with their service dogs.
"My dad instilled in me a love and respect for animals," Roethlisberger writes. "This is a good way to combine that passion with a desire to support the police and fire departments, which deserve all the appropriate resources needed to protect our cities and neighborhoods, and allow these brave men and women to arrive home safely."
In 2003, Roethlisberger lead the RedHawks in an unbeaten record in the MAC before being drafted to the NFL in 2004.
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