NFL scrambles to keep charitable Super Bowl events in Tampa

Befitting championship game of nation's most popular sport, Super Bowl is about more than football. Yes, who wins NFL championship is what fans remember most. For hundreds, maybe thousands of ors, legacy of Super Bowl stretches far beyond field. During pandemic, staging league's annual charitable and community efforts before and during its final game has called for some scrambling. NFL is determined that those initiatives remain impactful in Tampa Bay area.

"Due to pandemic this year we definitely had to pivot our thinking behind community events, which are usually a great way to eng with NFL in a Super Bowl city,” says Melissa Schiller, league’s director of community relations. “We had to transition m to virtual events and also make sure those that are taking place (in Tampa area) are COVID-19 compliant."

One of Super Bowl week’s biggest events is NFL PLAY 60 kids day of youth health and wellness, held in partnership with American Heart Association. Usually, about 2,000 youngsters are involved locally for basically a football festival of learning, participating and, well, fun. Due to pandemic, event has gone virtual and been opened up nationally. More than 100,000 youngsters have signed up for event on Wednesday.

“We're creating a one-hour experience with kids wher y are in classroom or at home for which y can really tune in and eng,” Schiller says.

On Wednesday, through NFL’s Inspire Change initiative, Jefferson High School students will participate in EVERFI’s 306 African-American history program. y will be discussing Black trailblazers in business with a panel that will include NFL players. Funded by league, EVERFI 306 program provides schools nationwide that orwise might t have resources with a digital African-American history curriculum.

Some students will be on site, while ors will view conversation virtually. Guest panelists will join class remotely. As part of efforts to help address digital divide, NFL, in collaboration with Hillsborough Education Foundation, will make a contribution to assist students throughout Tampa Bay. NFL partner Bose is also donating ise cancelling headphones to Jefferson High School to assist with ir techlogical needs as part of this event.

“ way (Super Bowl week) has changed things on social justice front, some events are virtual and some in person,” says Clare Graff, NFL’s senior director of social responsibility and community affairs. “And also topic that pandemic has brought to light is digital divide, and ways kids are having trouble connecting in communities of need. We pivoted our focus.”

Super Bowl Legacy Grant Program in which NFL Foundation makes a $1 million contribution to improve local communities — Super Bowl host committee matches it — will have an on site news conference two days before game. grants will support Forever 55, host committee's primary social legacy initiative, and will focus on early childhood education; food insecurity; at-risk, unsheltered and veteran families; health and wellness; sustainability; and systemic justice.

“On NFL Foundation side, it’s definitely case that we have ramped up our funding support,” explains Alexia Gallagher, foundation’s vice president of philanthropy and executive director. “It is important, more so than ever. We’re t seeing or dors t being able to do so as well.”

As part of Huddle to Tackle Hunger program, foundation committed $250,000 to Feeding Tampa Bay to combat food insecurity in region. grant will assist in supporting local restaurants that have been significantly affected by COVID-19, and provide meals to those in need. program will run for 44 weeks following Super Bowl. Two volunteer events will encour local residents to sign up to volunteer with Feeding Tampa Bay to help fight hunger within ir community, handling such tasks as food packing and distribution.

“Kwing how pandemic hit communities so hard, and what we do in relation to Super Bowl is providing this giveback to this community,” Gallagher says, “it was important we do something a little different to really help support community and population that is struggling in terms of hunger relief and supporting restaurants.”

In Raymond James Stadium on game day, a “Fans In Stands” cutout program will raise funds. For $100, fans can upload a photo of mselves or someone y consider a hero, and cutout will feature that person. Cutouts will be installed throughout stadium between pods of ticketed fans. With purchase of a cutout, fans will be entered to win two tickets to 2022 Super Bowl in Los Angeles. proceeds will be donated to Feeding Tampa Bay on behalf of Buccaneers, and to City Year on behalf of Chiefs. “I think pandemic, for better or worse, made all of us as employees and parents and teachers be creative and do things differently,” Graf says. “re's been plenty of downsizing due to COVID, but that caused all of us to be more creative.” 

(Im Credits: AP)