Just because they’re not at camp yet doesn’t mean there’s nothing going on at One Buc Place as the summer rolls around. In fact, this time it wasn’t what was going on at One Buc, but where One Buc was going, and on Monday that location was Grant Park Community Center in East Tampa.

As part of the “Day of Service” initiative, the Buccaneers partnered with Jabil and UnitedWay to revive and renovate Grant Park’s public community center for kids. The renovations included a new game room, a redesigned fitness center, games such as air hockey, a pool table, a ping pong table and more.

Owner/President of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation & Glazer Family Foundation, Darcie Glazer, was on site when the building was opened to the kids for the first time on Monday.

“This renovation isn’t about the building, it’s about the kids,” Glazer said. “We’ve given thousands of hours through our staff and our players into the community because we feel giving back is one of the most valuable things that we can do as a franchise… I am one of six siblings, and when we were growing up, we were always taught that no matter how young you are, you are always old enough and smart enough to start working on your dreams. For us and my family, this is an embodiment of that message.”

Cam Lynch, Freddie Martino at Grant Park

The entire Bucs business staff put their work at One Buc Place on hold for a few hours to come out and help renovate Grant Park Community Center. Moving furniture, installing computers, painting walls; whatever they needed to do to get it done. But, the business staff members weren’t the only ones there form One Buc. Buccaneers players Donovan Smith, Cameron Lynch, O.J. Howard, Adam Humphries, Freddie Martino, Maurice Fleming, Leonard Wester, Caleb Benenoch and David Rivers were also there to open up the new facility and play with the kids.

One of the major partners with the Buccaneers in accomplishing this Day of Service was Jabil, a product solutions manufacturer based in St. Petersburg, Florida. Beth Walters, Jabil Senior Vice President, gave a few words as to why they felt called to get involved with such a revival.

“Jabil became a community partner with the Buccaneers about a year ago, and people were asking, ‘Why are you teaming up with our football team? You make electronic products. What do those two things have to do together?’,” Walters said. “Our Jabil Cares platform is built around environment, empowerment and education. This project today actually hits all three of those in a great way. We’re empowering some of our youth here today, we’re obviously helping to build a foundation for education, and helping to keep the environment here at Grant Park special as well.

In addition to Glazer and Walters, Bob Buckhorn, City of Tampa Mayor, also was in attendance and gave a few words of motivation and gratitude to those who volunteered their time to make the renovation possible.

“This is an exciting day,” Buckhorn said. “All of these kids here deserve the same fighting chance that my two little girls do, and it’s because of you and because you recognize that as you’ve been blessed, you have an obligation to be a blessing to others. As we rise as a city, we must also lift. We’re lifting out here. We’re making a difference in the lives of these young people.”