Ken Treadwell, Dwight Stephenson, Joe Black and Jack Wu

Dwight Stephenson, Hall of Fame inductee, is helping the local nonprofit sack food insecurity  

Boca Raton, FL – February, 3, 2026 – CROS Ministries recruited Miami Dolphins Dwight Stephenson to its team to help tackle hunger. The Hall of Fame legend joined the local nonprofit as its honorary guest at the inaugural Jeans & Jerseys event on Saturday, January 31 at Coastal Karma Brewing Company in Lake Park.

Ken Treadwell, Dwight Stephenson, Joe Black and Jack Wu

Chaired by Joe Black and emceed by CBS 12 Jack Wu, the evening blended the excitement of football with the spirit of raising money for one powerful purpose–sacking food insecurity. Community leaders, supporters, and fans flexed their favorite team gear, while enjoying great food, drinks, entertainment, and sports-related raffles.

CEO of CROS Ministries Ruth Mageria thanked guests for attending “the very first and definitely not the last” Jeans & Jerseys event. She explained CROS’s simple mission of ensuring that all people who are in need and hungry have access to healthy food. 

“About 192,000 individuals here in Palm Beach County struggle to make ends meet and have food on their table, and CROS wants to make sure people have food to eat. Not just during the holidays, not just during the summer but all year round,” stated Mageria. 

CROS has a 48-year legacy of trusted service and leadership in the fight against hunger. Its programs are boots-on-the-ground six days a week and include community food pantries at ten different locations, hot meal services in Delray Beach, and gleaning initiatives that recover fresh produce from local farms.

In 2025, CROS served 121,000 individuals through its food pantries and prepared and served more than 55,000 meals through its Caring Kitchen program. Last gleaning season from November 2024 – July 2025, more than 3,500 volunteers helped recover 460,245 pounds of fresh produce that would have otherwise gone to waste–that is 383,537 meals, based on Feeding America’s equation of one meal equaling 1.2 lbs of food

“The people coming to our food pantries, many of them do not want to be coming seeking food assistance. They are coming in because the money just is not enough to last throughout. And the cost of living here in Palm Beach County is very high. And people are having to make choices: ‘Do I buy food or do I buy medicine? Do I pay my HOA fees or do I buy food? Do I repair my car that broke down or do I buy food?,’” Mageria explained.  

As the Big Game approaches, the Jeans & Jerseys pre-game party served as a kick-off for CROS Ministries teaming up with Stephenson and joining the Souper Bowl of Caring nationwide initiative to tackle hunger.   

Wu led a question and answer session with Stephenson. The football great shared stories about his time playing for the University of Alabama and the Dolphins, various people who have inspired him throughout his life, and why he and his wife Dinah choose to give back to their South Florida community. 

Shephenson explained he is drawn to CROS and the Souper Bowl of Caring initiative because of its play on the NFL and the need to assist now more than ever with the recent cuts to certain programs, “I wanted to help out. I want to do what I can…I always give back. That’s very, very important, especially to myself as well as Dinah. We want to help out.” 

Together, CROS and Stephenson, invite local community groups, churches, congregations, schools, and businesses to host a food drive or raise money for CROS Ministries. Every donation helps stock CROS’s food pantries with essential items during a time when supplies are often low. Most needed items include: canned vegetables, canned fruit, peanut butter, and canned meat. 

Named NFL Man of the Year in 1985, Stephenson continues to take that honor seriously as it represents “what you do on the field, as well as what you do off the field.”

Every dollar raised through Jeans & Jersey and Souper Bowl of Caring supports CROS’s programs that provide food, resources, and hope: tackling hunger one individual and household at a time and clearing the path to victory to restore food security across Palm Beach and Martin Counties.

For more information on the Souper Bowl of Caring and to join CROS Ministries and Stephenson in making a difference with what you can do “off the field,” visit crosministries.org/events. 

CROS Ministries has a 48-year legacy of trusted service and leadership in the fight against hunger in Palm Beach and Martin Counties. Its mission is to provide food to people who are hungry and food insecure through community partnerships. With boots on the ground six days a week, CROS works to ensure access to healthy food for all in need. Its programs include community food pantries, hot meal services, and gleaning initiatives that recover fresh produce from local farms. Learn more at crosministries.org.

Dwight Stephenson is an American professional football player who was center for the Miami Dolphins from 1980 – 1987. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Stephenson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998. Through the Dwight Stephenson Foundation, he and his wife Dinah Stephenson are dedicated to improving the lives of children and families in the South Florida community and beyond.

Emily Zarzycki, Dwight Stephenson

Beverly Black, Dwight Stephenson

Dwight Stephenson, Ruth Mageria, Jack Wu

Dwight Stephenson, Jack Wu

Related