TAMPA, Fla. — The NFL is hosting a series of community and service events ahead of the Dallas – Tampa Bay Kickoff game on Thursday to celebrate the start of the season.
According to a press release, the NFL will start kickoff week by celebrating the Passing of the Golden Shovel from Tampa to Los Angeles. As part of that, NFL Green will work alongside Verizon, Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, The Tampa Bay Estuary Program and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission to restore and plant sand dunes on Picnic Island.
After the passing of the Golden Shovel the NFL, in partnership with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, Verizon, and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, will build and install a hydroponic garden and pollinator gardens at Forest Hills Park community center.
The NFL Green Gardens will serve the community and its residents for generations to come.
To close out the week, NFL Green will be joining Force Blue, Pepsi Stronger Together, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, NAUI, Keep Florida Beautiful and The Florida Aquarium for a marine debris and ghost fishing gear removal operation and a pier cleanup at Anna Maria Island.
The Inspire Change Huddle Legacy even on Tuesday will honor the league's commitment to help close the digital divide. This event acts as a continuation of the Inspire Change Huddle Legacy Grant Program which was launched during the 2021 Draft week. As part of this program, the NFL Foundation and Cisco are each donating $75,000, totaling $150,000, to Safe & Sound Hillsborough. This donation will help fund technology infrastructure at the reporting center and support online STEM curriculum for the youth.
The NFL said it will also work with The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay by dropping off backpacks full of school supplies.
To honor military members and their families, the NFL, Tampa Bay Sports Commission and Force Blue will host a Salute to Service event to share the documentary 100 Yards of Hope.
The NFL and the United Service Organizations (USO) will also host an event inside of the NFL Kickoff Experience that invites fans to prepare care packages for service members.
Ahead of kickoff on Thursday, the NFL will work with Feeding Tampa Bay to host two Huddle to Tackle Hunder events.
Click here for more information on the events.
