BWJF Teams Up with FORCE BLUE to Finish “100 Yards of Hope”
“100 Yards of Hope”, an ambitious coral reef restoration project begun by the NFL in the waters off Miami in 2019 as a way to celebrate the league’s 100th season, is getting new life — thanks to the Betty Wold Johnson Foundation (BWJF) and its Director, Robert Wood Johnson.
Working under a grant provided by the BWJF, Special Operations veterans from FORCE BLUE, together with scientists from the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School, are embarking on a two-year mission to outplant hundreds of Staghorn, Elkhorn and boulder corals on to a reef site just off the coast of Miami. The multi-phased initiative is focused on addressing recent environmental stressors and strengthening long-term reef resilience.
“Force Blue is remarkable — offering our reefs a second chance while providing the veterans who protect them a renewed sense of purpose,” said Johnson.
“I admire how this team turns service into stewardship, and the Betty Wold Johnson Foundation is pleased to help them return to Miami for this next chapter of 100 Yards of Hope.”
The three-part project kicked off earlier this summer when FORCE BLUE veterans, under the tutelage of the University of Miami’s Rescue a Reef program, underwent specialized training in coral health monitoring and BleachWatch certification, then took to the water to conduct baseline site surveys and evaluate current reef conditions on the 100 Yards of Hope site.
“Coral scientists can’t do it alone,” said Dalton Hesley, Program Director at Rescue a Reef.
“Restoring the future of Florida’s Coral Reef will take a team. That’s what the 100 Yards of Hope project is all about — showcasing the importance and impact of banding together on this shared mission.”
During the restoration phase, which will take place in Spring 2027, FORCE BLUE veterans will work alongside Rescue a Reef to carry out coral fragmentation, collection from nursery sites, and outplanting of resilient coral species. This phase will also include continued data collection to track early success. The project will conclude in Fall 2027 with a Reassessment phase, during which teams will return to resurvey the site, perform maintenance on outplanted corals, and evaluate overall project outcomes.
“For our veterans to have the opportunity, once again, to partner with Rescue a Reef and to continue the restoration work we began with the NFL prior to Super Bowl LIV is truly amazing,” said FORCE BLUE Executive Director Jim Ritterhoff.
“Five years after our last dive on the 100 Yards of Hope site, we’re putting our veterans back into service — this time to show the world that despite all the challenges facing our planet, the hope still grows.”