MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Contact: Rachel Jackson (904) 425-5993 or (904) 422-5069 [email protected]

BLAKE BORTLES TO HOST FOOTBALL CAMP FOR 500 LOCAL BOYS AND GIRLS

The Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute Foundation, Blake Bortles Foundation and the Police Athletic League partner together to host the inaugural Blake Bortles JaxPAL Football Camp

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – , Blake Bortles, will provide 500 boys and girls the experience of a lifetime at the inaugural Blake Bortles JaxPAL Football Camp. The camp will be held at the Police Athletic League of Jacksonville (JaxPAL) football fields in Ed Austin Regional Park, located at 3450 Monument Rd., on June 11 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute (JOI) Foundation and the Blake Bortles Foundation partnered together to enable JaxPAL to provide this free-of-charge camp to not only children served by JaxPAL but also to youth in our community ages five to 16. The camp will provide youth a fun, safe and engaging day of learning skills like agility, proper stances, throwing techniques, catching techniques and much more.

“JOI wanted to create a special event to help raise awareness for JaxPAL and provide athletic training tips, and injury prevention education for JaxPAL and local youth athletes,” said Dr. Bruce Steinberg, director of the JOI Foundation. “We are very excited to team up with Blake and help the kids of JaxPAL.”

Bortles will be joined by outstanding local high school coaches, college coaches and other current and former NFL players.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to bring awareness to JaxPAL and give the kids in our community an opportunity to run around and hopefully learn a few things from me and a few of my friends,” said Bortles.

Parents interested in registering their child for the camp, please visit www.jaxpal.com. The camp is limited to the first 500 youth that register. All registrants will be provided with lunch and a T- shirt. For more information about the camp, please call Sgt. Roscoe Simmons at (904) 854-6555.

JaxPAL provides afterschool care, summer camp, athletic and teen leadership programs to more than 2,200 at-risk youth annually. About JaxPAL The Police Athletic League of Jacksonville, Inc. (JaxPAL) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) youth-serving organization with the cooperative efforts of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Through educational, athletic and leadership programs, JaxPAL enriches the lives of children by creating positive relationships between law enforcement officers and the youth of our community. For more information please visit www.jaxpal.com or call (904) 854-6555.

About the Blake Bortles Foundation Jacksonville Jaguars Quarterback, Blake Bortles, established The Blake Bortles Foundation in 2016 to give back to the communities that have shaped him as an athlete, teammate, friend and citizen. The mission of the foundation is to provide support to children with intellectual and developmental challenges in their pursuit of full, independent lives and to first responders with the goal of improving their ability to safely carry out their vital lifesaving work.

About the Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute offers 35 specialty-trained physicians and 15 physician assistants dedicated to delivering comprehensive care for the muscles, bones and joints for more than 400 team members. In addition, JOI maintains a rehab division with more than 75 therapists. In February 2011, JOI affiliated with Baptist Health. In addition to providing athletic trainers for Jacksonville Armada FC, JOI provides team physicians for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jacksonville Sharks, Jacksonville University and State College at Jacksonville. JOI is also a community partner to and provides athletic trainers and/or physicians to The Bolles High School, Paxon High School, Episcopal High School, Kenny High School, Bishop John J.Snyder High School, Atlantic Coast High School and Fernandina Beach High School. For information about JOI, visit JOI.net.