TAMPA, FL (April 28, 2016) – As the exclusive hospital of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Florida Hospital is recruiting all babies born at any Florida Hospital in the Greater Tampa Bay area as a rookie in the Bucs Babies program starting Thursday, April 28th through May 31st to coincide in the NFL draft.

This is the third consecutive year of the program. The Bucs Babies program is a club created for the tiniest Buccaneers fans. This year, newborns and families will receive an official Bucs Babies swaddle blanket, bib, baby hat, diaper bag and "training camp" gear that includes health and wellness items from the Bucs, Florida Hospital, and Bucs Partners, Domino's and Proctor & Gamble. The Buccaneers will offer each family a chance to experience their first Bucs game with pre-season game tickets. Florida Hospital will also host an exclusive family-friendly birthday party on Sunday, May 1st at One Buc Place to celebrate the first and second birthdays of the rookies previously drafted into Bucs Babies.

The birthday party will have exclusive access opportunities at One Buc Place including appearances from the Buccaneers players, cheerleaders and Captain Fear along with face painting, balloons, and a magic show. The event will encourage families to get active and play using the NFL Play 60 equipment, participating in the quarterback challenge drill and jumping in the bounce house.  Publix will be supplying special cupcakes, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida will be providing all beverages and Chevron will be supplying coloring books and crayons. Florida Hospital will be presenting families with a gift and special photo opportunities. "Florida Hospital is a proud partner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Together, we are focusing on improving the health and wellness of the Tampa Bay community. Our Bucs Babies program enables us to "draft" the tiniest rookies and connect with new moms, dads and families in a healthy and fun way. We look forward to hosting families at the 2nd annual Bucs Babies birthday party," said Lauren Key, Vice President of Marketing, Florida Hospital West Florida Region.

Families participating in the program can use #BucsBabies all month long to upload photos of their own little rookies at CatchBucsFever.com

The Bucs Babies program will be offered at Florida Hospitals in the greater Tampa Bay area including: Florida Hospital Tampa, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, and Florida Hospital North Pinellas.

Buccaneers Chief Operating Officer, Brian Ford added, "you can never be too young to be a Buccaneers fan and the Bucs Babies program offered by our partners at Florida Hospital is a great way to celebrate the next generation of Buccaneers fans. We look forward to welcoming the newest Bucs Babies this year and to hosting the birthday party for the two previous draft classes at One Buccaneer Place."

Florida Hospital and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially kicked off their partnership in September of 2013. Florida Hospital, which operates 26 hospitals across the state, is the exclusive hospital of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. To learn more about the Florida Hospital and Tampa Bay Buccaneers partnership, visit www.CatchBucsFever.com.