Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger to Donate Service Dogs to Police and Fire Departments

Ben Roethlisberger may not be a beloved figure in the cities of Baltimore, Cleveland, or Cincinnati after years of running the AFC North, but he is trying to help bolster their police and fire departments. Additionally, he is looking to help out the service departments in the cities that he will be visiting during the 2019 regular season.

For the 13th season, the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation will be distributing grants in the cities on the Steelers schedule, including Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Phoenix, New York City, and Baltimore. The purpose of these grants is to provide funds that can be used to purchase dogs and dog safety vests for their K-9 departments.

The final week of training camp for the Pittsburgh Steelers also marks the end of the application process, which means that the cities receiving grants will soon be announced.

In 2018, the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation distributed eight grants that totaled $70,000 to police K-9 programs. These grants were sent to police departments in areas surrounding Pittsburgh, as well as in Ohio.

According to Roethlisberger’s website, the mission of the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation is to support K-9 units of police and fire departments throughout the United States. Although there is a particular emphasis on support for service dogs in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Additionally, Roethlisberger has hosted a number of events to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation, his high school alma mater, and other organizations close to his heart. The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation has distributed more than $2.1 million since 2007, including $1.7 million that has specifically benefited K-9 programs.

While fans of the Browns, Bengals, and Ravens can find myriad reasons to despise Roethlisberger and the Steelers by extension, it’s hard to argue with the impact that he has had upon their communities. Through his foundation, the Steelers quarterback has helped make the police departments more effective and has provided essential funds to support the K-9 programs.