Amidst all the chatter and hype that accompany a Super Bowl, it sometimes gets lost that the event is about more than just The Game. The NFL strives to make sure the event makes a positive, lasting impact on host cities, and in Tampa Bay a slew of local nonprofits are already beginning to reap the benefits.
On Dec. 22, the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee announced that it had selected 28 nonprofits to receive microgrants through its Forever 55 Legacy Microgrant Program. The grants, which total nearly $280,000, are part of a $2 million commitment by the NFL through the NFL Foundation and the Host Committee, alongside community and civic partners, to implement long-lasting initiatives throughout Tampa Bay.
The legacy grant program was created to help local nonprofit organizations with missions, goals and programs that align with Forever 55’s six pillars: Early Childhood Education, Food Insecurity, Families, Health & Wellness, Sustainability, and Systemic Justice.
The following organizations will receive grants:
- AMIkids Inc.
- Bullard Family Foundation (Thaddeus Bullard pictured above at right)
- Champions for Children, Inc.
- Derrick Brooks Charities
- Dr. Traci’s House, Inc.
- Dress for Success Tampa Bay
- Eckerd Youth Alternatives, Inc.
- Enterprising Latinas, Inc. – Empowering Women’s Mobility from Poverty
- Frameworks of Tampa Bay, Inc.
- Gamma Theta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
- H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute
- Housing Authority of the City of Tampa
- MORE HEALTH
- New Life Village
- Oasis Pregnancy Care Centers
- Preserve Vision Florida
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay
- Ryan Nece Foundation
- Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation
- Sidewalk Stompers, Inc.
- Special Olympics Florida, Inc.
- St. Petersburg College
- Tampa General Hospital Foundation
- Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA – Diversity, Inclusion, and Global Education
- Tampa Museum of Art, Inc.
- The Florida Aquarium
- USF Foundation, Black Leadership Network (BLN)
- Water Smart Tots, Inc.
The selected programs will utilize funding towards projects such as promoting healthy lifestyles for children (Health & Wellness), providing holiday meals to those in need (Food Insecurity), and building solid communication between youth and their community (Systemic Justice).
