Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and team owners to donate to Hurricane Ian relief efforts

By Judy J. Beasley Last updated Nov 21, 2022

By Ben Morse and Jacob Lev, CNN

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and the team owners, the Glazer family, both announced on Thursday that they would make donations to Hurricane Ian relief efforts.

Hurricane Ian made landfall along the southwest coast of Florida near Cayo Costa as a powerful Category 4 storm on Wednesday. It strengthened in the Atlantic after killing at least 19 people in Florida and leaving millions without power, driving winds of nearly 85 mph on its way to the South Carolina coast.

Brady said in a Posting on Twitter“Happy was able to go home Sunday night, but so many people in Florida won’t be able to do the same.

“I will donate to the Florida Disaster Fund to get things started, and I hope the rest of the NFL family in our state follows suit.”

The Glazer family will donate $1 million allocated to “organizations that provide support to those most affected by the storm in Southwest Florida and across the state.

“The destruction experienced in Southwest Florida and the damage inflicted across our state will be felt for some time to come,” Bucs co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz said in a statement. “It will take whole communities working together resiliently for an extended period and our family is committed to helping the recovery.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the countless people affected, the heroic first responders and all those helping to keep others safe.”

The Bucs moved football operations to Miami, South Florida earlier this week in the wake of the storm. Earlier Thursday, the Buccaneers announced Sunday night’s home game against the Kansas City Chiefs would be played as scheduled at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

Brady, 45, spoke of the positive impact hosting Sunday’s game in Tampa could have had on the sport’s unifying ability.

“I always feel like sports have brought people together over a long period of time,” the seven-time Super Bowl champion told the media. “Looking at different adversities, whether it’s 9/11 or Katrina, sport has an amazing way of healing wounds and bringing people together and bringing communities together and starting to encourage a common interest for the common good.”

He added: “I think anytime you can be a part of things like that it’s a great feeling. I know it means a lot to us to always have the opportunity to come out and play for our fans. But after what so many people have been through in the state, it’s great to go out there and give them something to cheer about.