Tom Brady announced Thursday his plan to make a donation towards ongoing relief efforts in Florida as the state combats the devastating effects of Hurricane Ian.
The Buccaneers traveled to Miami on Tuesday, normally an off day for players, to continue preparing for Week 4 while simultaneously monitoring the trajectory of the hurricane. Earlier in the day, the team announced its home game against the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football will still take place at 8:20 p.m. ET inside Raymond James Stadium as scheduled; the NFL reportedly planned to move the game to the Vikings’ U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis if the weather proved too severe.
A few hours after Tampa’s announcement, Brady shared on Twitter that he intends to donate to the Florida Disaster Fund, and urged the “rest of the NFL family in our state.” to do the same.
“Happy we’re [sic] able to head home for Sunday night, but so many people in Florida won’t be able to do the same. I’ll be making a donation to the Florida Disaster Fund to get things started, and I’m hoping the rest of the NFL family in our state will follow suit,” Brady tweeted.
Tampa Bay’s ownership group soon matched Brady’s efforts with a donation of its own. The Glazer family plans to donate $1 million toward the cause, which will be “allocated to organizations that are providing support to those who have been most impacted by the storm in Southwest Florida and throughout the state,” per the team.
“The destruction suffered in Southwest Florida and the damage inflicted throughout our state will be felt for some time,” Bucs co-owner Darcie Glaser Kassewitz said in a statement. “It will take entire communities resiliently working together for an extended period and our family is committed to aiding in the recovery, Our thoughts and prayers are with the countless people affected, the heroic first responders and all of those helping to keep others safe.”
Since making landfall on Wednesday as a Category 4, Hurricane Ian has already left millions of Florida residents without power. According to CNN, the hurricane is currently considered a Category 1 as it moves through Florida and into other parts of the South, including the Carolinas and Georgia, going into the weekend.
If you would like to learn more about the Florida Disaster Fund or make a donation, please click here.
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