Foundation's Omari Hardwick bluapple Poetry Network to take center stage on Championship Sunday

(Black PR Wire) MIAMI –Jason Taylor is one of the most recognizable names in South Florida, not just for the football prowess that he displayed during his 13 seasons with the Dolphins, but also for all of the philanthropic work he has done away from the gridiron through the Jason Taylor Foundation, which was established in 2004. For the past 20 years, Homestead-Miami Speedway has been serving the local community as well, helping to revitalize an area ravaged by Hurricane Andrew. The track is now synonymous with NASCAR and championship racing. Today, the two entities announced a partnership which will commence this upcoming weekend during Ford Championship Weekend.

Included in the partnership is the Foundation’s Omari Hardwick bluapple Poetry Network, which started in 2012. Three recent graduates of Broward County high schools - Juanita Castro (Cypress Bay, ’15), Hailey Price (Northeast, ’15) and Marnino Toussaint (Miramar, ’14) – recently filmed a NASCAR-themed poem which will be shown to the capacity crowd at this Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 - the Sprint Cup Championship race. The trio will also be recognized on stage prior to the race.

In addition to the bluapple Poetry Network, Homestead-Miami Speedway will have a presence at many of the Jason Taylor Foundation events through the course of the school year, while the two will work together to help student development at various schools throughout South Florida.

“The Jason Taylor Foundation has been benefitting the youth of South Florida now for more than a decade, and they continually look for new and innovative ways to reach kids through their many outstanding programs,” said Homestead-Miami Speedway President Matthew Becherer.

“The bluapple Poetry Network is a prime example of this as it has opened doors for numerous kids in our community. We are excited to have them here for NASCAR’s biggest weekend of the year and we look forward to working them in the future.”

“The young poets we work with are generational voices of the South Florida community, and we constantly seek groundbreaking platforms on which they can express themselves,” said Seth Levit, the Executive Director of the Jason Taylor Foundation. “We are extremely thankful for this incredible opportunity the Homestead-Miami Speedway is providing for three of our youth, and we look forward to impacting so many others through a longstanding partnership.”

About the Jason Taylor Foundation
In July 2004, Miami Dolphins legendary Defensive End, Jason Taylor, established the Jason Taylor Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) organization. The Foundation’s mission is to support and create programs that facilitate the personal growth and empowerment of South Florida’s children in need by focusing on improved health care, education and quality of life.

Since opening its doors, the Jason Taylor Foundation has impacted tens of thousands of children through innovative programming including The Jason Taylor Reading Room, Cool Gear for the School Year, the Jason Taylor Children’s Learning Center, Jason Taylor Scholars and the Omari Hardwick bluapple Poetry Network, among others. For more information on the Jason Taylor Foundation, please visit the organization’s website at www.JasonTaylorFoundation.org or follow on social media sites including Facebook: www.facebook.com/jasontaylorfoundation or Twitter and Instagram: @jtfoundation99

About Homestead-Miami Speedway
The Speedway has been open since 1995 following an initiative to spur economic recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2015, the 650-acre facility is active nearly300 days per year, and features a 1.5-mile oval and 2.21-mile road course. The track generates more than $301 million annually for the region. NASCAR has crowned its champions in all three of its premier series at Homestead-Miami Speedway for 13 straight years. Champions crowned at Homestead-Miami Speedway last year consisted of Kevin Harvick (Sprint Cup Series), Chase Elliott (XFINITY Series) and Matt Crafton (Camping World Truck Series). The 2015 Ford Championship Weekend will be held November 20-22.

HomesteadMiamiSpeedway.com | Facebook.com/HomesteadMiamiSpeedway |@HomesteadMiami