NFL Opener Week: Tampa Bay vs. Dallas Kickoff Events
NFL NEWS
In the lead up to the Dallas – Tampa Bay Kickoff game in Tampa on Thursday, September 9, the NFL will host a series of community and service events to celebrate the start of the league’s long-awaited season.
From local efforts to fight hunger, events that honor our military members, and community greening projects, the NFL will unite and strengthen the community by leaving a lasting, positive impact on Tampa and the surrounding areas.
As a follow up event to Super Bowl LV, the NFL will start Kickoff week by celebrating the PASSING OF THE GOLDEN SHOVEL from Tampa to Los Angeles, which further progresses its dedication to sustainability across the country. As a part of this, 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.
Following the passing of the golden shovel, the NFL will continue its efforts to make the Tampa community greener. In partnership with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, Verizon, and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, the NFL will build and install a hydroponic garden and pollinator gardens at Forest Hills Park community center. These 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 event on Tuesday of Kickoff week will honor the league’s commitment to help close the digital divide. This event acts as a continuation of the INSPIRE CHANGE LEGACY GRANT PROGRAM which was launched during 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 will also work with THE CRISIS CENTER OF TAMPA BAY and THE SPRING OF TAMPA BAY, dropping off backpacks full of school supplies, allowing both organizations to directly support families in the Tampa Bay community.
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, with hundreds of Tampa Bay service members. The film focuses on the collective partnership between the NFL, special operations military divers, scientists and natural resource managers who came together to restore a football field-sized coral reef for Super Bowl LVI and LV. 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, which will help express America’s gratitude to our Armed Forces while strengthening their connection to family, home and country during the upcoming holiday season.
Ahead of Kickoff on Thursday, the NFL will work with Feeding Tampa Bay (FTB) to host two HUDDLE TO TACKLE HUNGER Kickoff Events. This builds upon the initial program that was launched at Super Bowl LV where the NFL Foundation made a $250,000 donation to FTB to combat food insecurity in the region, an issue that has been exacerbated by the pandemic. The events will be hosted at FTB’s Trinity Café locations, as a part of FTB’s daily commitment to serve food to those in need. NFL Legends will be on-site to help hand out healthy meals as well as NFL branded merchandise.
NFL VIRTUAL EVENTS
Character Playbook 2021 Kickoff Event: Tuesday, September 7, 1pm ET, Zoom
• The start to the 2021 school year brings a new set of opportunities and challenges. The NFL/United Way Character Playbook program kicks off the year with NFL Legend host Dhani Jones, Bengals Legend and NFL Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz, and Jeremy “Freddie Falcon” Legg as they help high school students explore how to stay mentally tough through transitions and how to be a positive part of any community. Funded by the NFL Foundation and United Way Worldwide, Character Playbook is a digital education resource that supports positive character development, social emotional learning, mental wellness and healthy relationships in middle and high school students. The Healthy Relationships program is available nationally to middle school students, while Mental Wellness Basics reaches 160 high schools across the country, all free of charge.
The league continues to work closely with the CDC and local Tampa health officials on all 2021 Kickoff events to ensure we are providing an experience that is as safe and successful as possible for the local community and its many visitors