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MIAMI -- NBA superstar Dwyane Wade is challenging athletes to move beyond symbolic gestures and rhetoric amid protests to raise awareness of social issues dividing parts of the country.Actions speak louder than the words you say, Wade said Saturday. We have to continue to do things in our communities to try to raise the bar. The great thing about being an athlete today is you can make a stand for what you believe in, and its OK.For Wade, that meant spending his Saturday morning pedaling along a 6-mile course in Coconut Grove alongside more than 1,000 other cyclists that included minority children, adults from various backgrounds and police officers from Miami in the D-Wade CommUNITY Bike Ride. The event capped a week of promotional events Wades foundation held back in Miami before the former Heat icon heads to his Chicago hometown to open training camp next week after signing with the Bulls.Wade, who spent his first 13 season with the Heat and won three NBA titles in Miami, has spent much of the offseason engaged in social activism in both cities. He has also been at the forefront in a recent trend of professional athletes who have used their platforms to address police brutality, discrimination of minorities and inner-city gun violence.Although Saturdays bike event was planned months earlier, it came a day after a shooting spree in Philadelphia left two people dead and two police officers among five others who were wounded. The tragedy in Philadelphia follows other police-involved shootings in Baton Rouge, Dallas, Minneapolis and Miami that have gripped the country in recent months.First of all, its not OK, Wade told ESPN when asked about the Philadelphia shootings. Im not promoting that killing is OK. Im a supporter of my community, the African-American community. Im a believer in Black Lives Matter, 100 percent. But Im also a believer that its not OK for anyone to kill. Its all about communication.Wade, 34, said all sides need to do a better job of listening and respecting opposing viewpoints.I think police need to do a better job of communicating to the community of what theyre looking for and what theyre out there doing, Wade continued, speaking of the general unrest that exists in some communities. And its important for the community to have an opportunity to communicate back to them as well -- to have them explain whatever their problems [are] and how theyre handling them -- to be able to move past this terrible epidemic were seeing. Today, this ride was all about unity.Wade said his event Saturday was designed to bring everyone together for a positive example of interaction between law enforcement officials and residents of the communities they serve. As Wade moved his bike toward the front of the line to start Saturdays race, organizers motioned for a young African-American boy to join an assistant Miami police chief to both ride alongside the 12-time All-Star.After the race, Wade spoke to the crowd about bike safety and community engagement before the event eventually turned into a waterfront block party. Its been an emotional summer for Wade, who has spent most of the summer addressing a number of social issues. In July, he spoke at the ESPYS alongside NBA star friends Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Chris Paul in a plea to police shootings and retaliatory gun violence. Last month, Wade spoke on panel hosted by ESPNs The Undefeated that addressed athletes and gun violence. A day later in Chicago, Wades cousin was killed as she pushed a stroller down the street in a shooting that was intended for another target.All of those events have weighed heavily on Wade and his family.When something hits you the way it hit us, it becomes [more] real, Wade said. And the great thing about my family is we come together more and try to be stronger and make more of an impact as much as we can. No matter what shape, size or color you are, you were invited out here today to understand how important community is and how strong we are when we come together.Wade also said hes been encouraged by other athletes who have answered the call the four NBA stars made during the ESPYS show two months ago. Wade has since seen a group of athletes follow San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been kneeling in protest during the playing of the national anthem to call attention to racial discrimination in the country.Count Wade among some NBA players who believe athletes in their sport will continue to find ways to express themselves and their discontent with social issues once the season opens next month.If you have something you believe in, take a stand and get behind it, Wade said. We have this platform. ... Were portrayed as bigger than life because were on the big stage. But were everyday people as well. And its OK to have a voice and express that. We through a call out [in July] to all athletes to use their voice and their platform to do more ... to help the community, whatever race you are, and to stand up for what you believe in. And its great to see athletes standing up to do that. Wholesale Fake Jerseys . 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DAVIE, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins are 0-3 on the road as they begin a two-game West Coast swing in San Diego, where they lost last year, and theyre also 0-3 in the Pacific Time Zone since 2011.But the Dolphins headed to the airport Thursday flying high thanks to a three-game winning streak , all achieved at home.Were excited about this opportunity, running back Jay Ajayi said. We know the challenge of whats in front of us, that its not going to be easy traveling coast to coast, but were excited about our opponent this weekend, and it should be fun.After playing the Chargers, the Dolphins (4-4) will spend next week in Carlsbad, California, and then play the Rams in Los Angeles on Nov. 20. Its the first time the Dolphins have played back-to-back West Coast games since 2004, and a first for most of the players, including seven-year veteran Ndamukong Suh.I find it fun to get away, Suh said. A lot of team bonding, which I think will be good for us.The trip means big change in a sport where theres a rhythm to the weekly routine, both at work and at home.Being away from home, obviously, is a challenge, especially for guys that have families, said quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who recently became a first-time father. To prepare and get your body and mind ready to go when youre out of your normal routine, thats going to be the challenge.Miami has overcome every challenge lately, with victories over the Steelers, Bills and Jets during an NFL-record 44-day homestand. The streak represented a turnaround after a 1-4 start that included road losses at Seattle, New England and Tennessee.The Dolphins believe theyre much-improved lately under first-year coach Adam Gase.When you face adversity and you find a way to persevere, I think it gives you a lot of confidence, Tannehill. The past couple weeks weve been down in games and there has been no panic. There have been no tremors on the sideline of, `OK, here we go, or, `What are we going to do now? Its, ``Were going to be able to find a way to win the game.dddddddddddd When you have that attitude, that mindset -- whether its offense or defense -- youre going to win a lot of games.Thats what the Dolphins have done lately, and they have a chance at their first four-game winning streak since 2008, their most recent playoff season.There are benefits to taking a team on the road, Gase said, which he witnessed when the Dolphins opened the season at Seattle.We saw a lot of guys going out to eat together, and it wasnt guys that you would expect to see gravitate toward each other, he said. We did think that was a good thing for us at that time. Weve had four home games in a row, weve been here for quite a while, and getting away will probably be a good thing for us.The game will be the first in San Diego since voters overwhelmingly rejected a measure that would have raised $1.15 billion from increased hotel occupancy taxes to help pay for a new stadium, raising anew speculation the Chargers might move.Theyre last in the AFC West at 4-5, but theyre 3-1 at home, and beat Miami 30-14 in San Diego last December.Were a whole different team this year than we were last year, said Ajayi, who has led the Dolphins turnaround by rushing for 529 yards in the past three games.Gase isnt too worried about the temptations of Southern California during his players free time next week -- although he has considered a curfew.Hopefully weve got enough guys that are leaders that will step up and remind guys, `Dont ruin this for everybody, Gase said. Were there to do a job. Were not on a bowl trip. We are there to do one thing.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Steven Wine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Steve-Wine. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/steven-wine ' ' '