Miami Dolphins star Jaylen Waddle inspires children to save and smile
MIAMI - Miami Dolphins star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle made a surprise trip to a local Boys and Girls Club in Fort Lauderdale.
Kids were in awe at seeing Waddle walk into the gym and erupted with cheers.
"It was great," shared an excited child. "I've never seen him in real life."
Waddle, the Dolphins, and Truist teamed up for a Day of Care spotlighting its "Beyond The Field" campaign, partnering with the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County.
Children of all ages could ask Waddle questions and receive a cool Dolphin backpack. But that's not all!
The fun moved to the classroom, where Waddle partnered with Truist to teach kids the importance of saving money.
"You should save money for the future because if you need it, you have it," shared 10-year-old Jeremy.
"Planting the seeds with some of these elementary school kids," said Michael Lepera, Regional President- Trust. "But you know, as they grow older and you continue that, that momentum."
"I wish I had that growing up," shared Waddle. "We never really went over financial literacy. To introduce that to them at a young age is key, and, in my opinion, will help them in the long run."
And so will this experience for Waddle, as we showed him our videos of the kid's genuine joy.
CBS News Miami asked Waddle, "In your wildest dreams, did you ever imagine being able to have this type of impact on young people?"
"No, especially not playing a football game. It's a kids' game we get to play week in and week out. To go out and give back and spend some time with them, the kids of the community I play in, it's great. And knowing that they had a good experience with me makes it more special," said Waddle.
Some kids ended their day by helping Waddle paint a remarkable mural by the Northeast entrance tunnel to the stadium.
Waddle truly enjoyed his time interacting with the kids. He also said that with the season around the corner, the Dolphins are working hard to give the South Florida community a great season!
