After every Pittsburgh Steelers’ touchdown, Ben Roethlisberger will donate $1000 to his foundation to support local K-9 units, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation, per their website,” seeks to support police and fire departments throughout the U.S. with a particular emphasis on support for K-9 units and service dogs.”
Last season, they gave over $90,000 in grant money to eight different police departments. Roethlisberger has always had a close relationship with K-9 units, donating for several years. He’s helped start-up programs, like this one to the New Sewickley Police Department in 2014, who received a $10,000 grant.
Or back in 2012, when a grant was issued to the Arlington Police Department to keep a unit created in 1979 funded. The Foundation has issued grants since 2009 to departments all over the country.
Start-up costs for K-9 units can range from $10,000-$15,000 per dog, making it difficult for some departments, especially small, local ones, to afford them.
Per Fowler’s report, this is the first time Roethlisberger has publicly set a donation pledge.
Two years ago, he threw for 32 touchdowns. Last year, the Steelers scored 45 total touchdowns.
Roethlisberger isn’t the only Steeler donating to a cause this year. Long snapper Greg Warren will donate to the Pediatric Brian Tumor Foundation after every field goal. Burt Lauten tweeted out the news earlier today.
With Heath Miller’s offseason retirement, Roethlisberger and Warren are the two consecutively longest tenured Steelers. Ben was drafted in 2004, Warren signed as an UDFA the following season.
