From left to to right: Rodney Barreto, Chairman and President of the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee, Patrick Goddard, President of Virgin Trains, and Eric Eikenberg, Chief Executive Officer, The Everglades Foundation
Thursday night was abuzz, as a group of committed environmentalists gathered together at Brightline’s state-of-the-art Virgin Miami Central station, to celebrate Ocean To Everglades (O2E), a Miami Super Bowl Host Committee initiative that’s determined to preserve the natural environment of Florida before, during and after the upcoming 54thSuper Bowl, eleven of which have been hosted in Miami.
The theme of the event, “Florida: The State of Play”, drew attention to the crucial link between Everglades restoration and Florida’s reputation as a sporting paradise, while highlighting The Everglades Foundation’s role as a key partner for O2E.
Rallying together key supporters from the tri-county area, guests rode the train down from Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale to join in on the festivities — a symbolic journey that parallels the original watershed of the Everglades, that once flowed freely from Lake Okeechobee, down through the “River of Grass”, into Florida Bay and the Florida Keys.
The evening included brief comments by Eric Eikenberg, Chief Executive Officer of The Everglades Foundation, Rodney Barreto, Chairman and President of the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee, and Patrick Goddard, President of Virgin Trains, as well as cocktails, hor’doeurves, and the Vince Lombardi trophy from the 1972 Miami Dolphins perfect season!
Miss Florida 2019, Michaela McLean, holding the Lombardi Trophy at The Everglades Foundation Ocean To Everglades event
Also in attendance were Mary Barley, Co-Founder of The Everglades Foundation, Carlos de la Cruz Jr., Chairman of the Board, Nancy Marshall, Board Member, and Michaela McLean, Miss Florida 2019.
Sponsors of the event included: Brightline, UnisBrands, Bulla, Seasons 52, Pisco y Nazca, Oliva Cigars, Kenwood Vineyards, Imperial Dade, Planet Earth, The Glenlivet, and Campo Viejo.
To learn more about Ocean To Everglades, visit EvergladesFoundation.org/O2E
To read the official press release, CLICK HERE.