Pittsburgh Steelers' Super Bowl Quarterback and Findlay, OH, native, Ben Roethlisberger, announced the ninth grant of the 2015-16 season from the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at The Giving Back Fund. The Foundation will be distributing a grant to the Charles County (MD) Sheriff's Office, located southwest of Baltimore where the Steelers played the Ravens on December 27.

The Sheriff's Office plans to use the funds to replace retiring 8-year-old K-9 Erno with a K-9 dual-trained in patrol and narcotics.

During the 2015-16 NFL season, The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation will be distributing grants to K-9 units of police and fire departments in the cities and surrounding communities of each regular season away game for the Steelers. The Foundation will also distribute several grants to the Pittsburgh area and will consider a grant to a non-NFL market city in the United States for each playoff game in which the Steelers compete. The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation invited police and fire departments across the country to submit proposals detailing their needs.

This marks the ninth season that the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation has distributed grants to K-9 units. The mission of the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation is to support K-9 units of police and fire departments throughout the United States, with a particular emphasis on support for service dogs in Pittsburgh, PA. Roethlisberger and the Foundation also support Make-A-Wish.

The Foundation distributed more than $130,000 in grants to K-9 units around the country during the 2014-15 NFL season and has distributed in excess of $1.3 million since 2007. 

Charles County Sheriff Troy D. Berry said, "We are thrilled to be receiving another grant from the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation. Our K-9s are an important part of our agency and do most of their work under critical circumstances. They have saved lives, recovered evidence, tracked dangerous suspects and helped locate missing people. This grant will allow us to continue providing superior K-9 service to our community and our officers. We thank The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation and their commitment to this wonderful program."

In commenting on why the mission of the foundation is so important to him, Roethlisberger said, "We're very fortunate to be in the position that we are able to help these K-9 units. The work that is performed by the dogs and their handlers as well as the bond that is formed is incredible. We're just thrilled to do our small part."

Fans of The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation can support future K-9 grants by purchasing candy on Sarris Candies' website, (www.SarrisCandiesFundraising.com), using a special purchase code (77-7777). Sarris will donate 25% of the purchase price to the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation.

For more information about the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation or The Giving Back Fund, visit www.bigben7.com or www.givingback.org.