Glazer Family Foundation Donates to NFL Centers of Tampa Bay

Tampa, FL (January 15, 2009)  – The Glazer Family Foundation is donating $150,000 to the NFL Youth Education Towns (YETs) of Tampa Bay.  The donation will help fund the recently completed Glazer Family Football Field at Mort Park. 

 “The Glazer Family Foundation is proud to continue its support of youth development throughout Tampa Bay,” said Bryan Glazer, Executive Vice President of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “Enhancing the local educational and recreational facilities is essential to the growth of Bay area youth. This field is another way to help promote the importance of physical fitness and healthy living and will serve as a valuable resource to the local community.” 

There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new field at a 4 p.m. along with a press conference on Jan. 29 at Mort Park, featuring NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. 

The NFL is donating $1 million to the Youth Education Towns at Jackson Heights and Mort Park as part of its Super Bowl XLIII legacy commitment to Tampa Bay.  This donation is being matched by a $1 million combined commitment from Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa. 

“Hillsborough County is pleased to continue our partnership with the National Football League for the expansion of the facilities and programs of the NFL YET Center at Mort Park,” said Ken Hagan, chairman of the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners. “Over the past seven years, since the 2001 Super Bowl, we have seen firsthand the value of the YET program and the impact it has had on the lives of the children and families it serves in the University Community Area.”   

The money will help fund the field and expansion of both existing buildings to house innovative health and fitness initiatives.  The YET Super Bowl initiative also provides advanced recording, digital and performing arts programming at each center through a partnership with the Patel Conservatory at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center and the Forever Young Foundation.

"Community outreach has become an important element of the Super Bowl experience and Tampa is proud to join with the NFL to enhance the programming available at our Jackson Heights YET Center,” said Tampa Mayor Pam Lorio.  “The Center continues to positively impact our community, and we look forward to being able to serve Tampa's next generation of young citizens."

The Glazer Family Foundation is dedicated to assisting charitable and educational causes in the West Central Florida region.  The foundation aids established not-for-profit organizations that work with youth and families to help identify and create programs that support positive social and economic development within our communities.  The Glazers, who own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, established the foundation in 1999.  Since that time, the Glazer Family Foundation has given millions in programs, grants, tickets and merchandise to the Tampa Bay area. Most recently, the foundation donated $5 million toward the construction of a new children’s museum in downtown Tampa, which will be named the Glazer Children’s Museum. Visit http://www.glazerfamilyfoundation.org/ for more information.

The Tampa Bay Super Bowl Host Committee is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(6), Florida corporation governed by a small board of directors.  The Committee serves as the liaison between the National Football League and local efforts and has the ongoing responsibility for implementing Tampa Bay’s plan for Super Bowl XLIII culminating with the game on February 1, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium.  For more information, visit http://www.tampabaysuperbowl.com/. 

For the past 16 years, the NFL has constructed Youth Education Towns (YETs) in Super Bowl host cities, aimed at positively impacting youth in at-risk neighborhoods.  The NFL has donated close to $20 million toward the YET initiative since the program began in 1993 as a legacy of Super Bowl XXVII. YETs are state-of-the-art facilities offering tutoring, mentoring, career training, computer education, and access to recreational activities. The facilities are designed to help youngsters succeed by providing educational assistance, job training, technical instruction, life-skills development, and recreational outlets.  Steve Young’s Forever Young Foundation, long-time partner of the NFL YET initiative, assists with the funding of technology centers at each location. There are presently 15 YETs operating in eleven Super Bowl host cities—Los Angeles, Phoenix, New Orleans, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Detroit, Atlanta, and two in San Diego, Tampa, and Houston, as well as a YET opening in Honolulu, a legacy oof NFL Pro Bowl games.

- Tampa Bay Informer
The Good News Newspaper

Supporting Good News... The Tampa Bay Informer - The Good News Newspaper serving Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco Florida cities: Clearwater, Dunedin, Largo, Safety Harbor, St. Petersburg, Clearwater Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Sand Key, Pinellas Park, Palm Harbor, Tampa, Port Richey, New Port Richey, Oldsmar and other Tampa Bay
area cities, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites: