Last year, over 40 tons of food were collected in Bay area food drives around the holidays
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Raymond James Financial are determined to "Sack Hunger" this holiday season, so much so that they've enlisted the assistance of eight other Pewter Partners as well as Buccaneer players, cheerleaders and mascot Captain Fear.
But what they really need is your help.
This year, Buccaneer fans and concerned citizens will have two opportunities to donate to the annual food drive. With the help of Chrysler/Jeep, Coca-Cola, Dodge, the Florida Department of Citrus, Red Lobster, The Tampa Tribune, WFLA News Channel 8 and Winn Dixie, Raymond James and the Bucs will be holding the first drive on Friday, November 19 at Raymond James Stadium.
Citizens are encouraged to bring two nonperishable or canned food items to the south end of Raymond James Stadium on Friday from noon to 1:30 p.m. Those who make donations will receive an autograph from a Buccaneer player, the Buccaneer Cheerleaders and Captain Fear.
Friday's event, which will be followed by a food drive at the gates of the Stadium before Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers, is part of the Buccaneers' Pewter Partners "Sack Hunger" campaign to stock Bay area food banks before the Thanksgiving holiday.
This will be the fifth consecutive year that Raymond James and the Buccaneers have teamed up to collect food from ticketholders at the last home game before Thanksgiving. Ticket holders are encouraged to bring nonperishable or canned food items to the game on Sunday, where they will be collected at each entry point to the stadium up until kickoff.
Among the food banks that will add to their coffers from this week's drives are St. Petersburg Free Clinic, Religious Community Services, Metropolitan Ministries and America's Second Harvest. Last year, an estimated 40 tons of nonperishable food items were collected and distributed to the Tampa Bay community as a result of a three-month drive around the holidays.
