TAMPA, Fla. — The three major professional sports teams based in the Tampa Bay area say they have “dedicated funds” to help remove a Confederate monument from the city.
The NFL’s Buccaneers, NHL’s Lightning and Rays of Major League Baseball issued a joint statement Thursday saying they’re working with the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce because they’re “recognizing that this monument does not reflect the values of our community.”
Rays spokeswoman Rafaela Amador Fink says the teams agreed not to disclose the dollar amount.
Former Buccaneers coach Tony Dungy tweeted that he would donate $5,000 to help move the statue from its spot in downtown Tampa.
The teams’ announcement came a day after commissioners, in a divisive 4-2 vote, gave fundraisers 30 days to collect $140,000, about half of what’s needed to relocate the monument.