Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Presented by

Baker and Emily Mayfield Host Second Annual "BE the Ball" Event | Brianna's Blitz

Baker and Emily Mayfield host second annual “BE the Ball” event, a fundraiser to support early childhood literacy programs in Tampa Bay

Aug 26, 2024 at 09:21 AM

Brianna Dix

Staff Writer/Reporter

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' quarterback Baker Mayfield and his wife Emily Mayfield hosted their second annual "BE the Ball" event on August 25, 2024, benefiting early childhood literacy programs.

The Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation is an initiative born from the Mayfield's gratitude and desire to pay it forward. The organization provides programs, scholarships, and philanthropic opportunities to help others navigate life's challenges in order to BE the best version of themselves. Early learning and school readiness advocacy helps ensure that children from under-resourced communities have the tools to be successful in school and in life.

The Foundation launched with the first-annual "BE the ball" event in August of 2023, raising funds that ultimately helped families across Tampa Bay access high-quality early learning experiences in support of their initiative "BE successful".

The second annual event took place on Sunday, August 25th, 2024, from 3:00-7:00 p.m., and the funds raised benefited the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County (ELCHC). Bucs' players Mike Evans, Tristan Wirfs, Chris Godwin, Kyle Trask and Justin Skule were in attendance, along with Head Coach Todd Bowles, Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen and Quarterbacks Coach Thad Lewis. Dr. Fred Hicks, Chief Executive Officer of ELCHC shared, "I am deeply grateful for the transformative support from the Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation, whose dedication to early childhood education is creating lasting impacts and brighter futures for our youngest learners."

"Being able to give back is truly a blessing," said Baker Mayfield. "We're doing our 'Be the Ball' event again – the Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation – and we joined up with the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County again. We did that last year but decided to really try and dig our feet in even deeper and make a bigger difference. We're looking for a better turnout, obviously last year we had to pivot a little bit with the weather, but everybody handled it the right way. It's a fun event. One of those where you get to go swing a golf club, you don't have to be great at … It's so much fun to be able to have guys come out. You don't have to dress up in a suit and tie – you just get to come casually in Florida gear and just have fun with it. To be able to give back and make a difference… I was just learning about Tampa and just learning the area in general last year, just about the public-school systems and how many people are truly in need that aren't necessarily under the poverty line [but] are right there at it that don't get the [resources]. So, this is a great event for us to be able to help out those people that [don't] necessarily get the [resources provided] from being [under] the poverty line."

The tournament took place on Sunday, August 25th, at Topgolf in Tampa, Florida from 3:00-5:00 p.m., and was followed by an in-venue post-event dinner on the rooftop deck from 5:00-7:00 p.m.

"We just want to use our platform to help level the playing field and provide resources to children in the community," said Emily Mayfield. "We were told I think a couple years ago, 'You should give where your heart breaks and also where your heart bleeds,' and I think for us, that is children."

1 / 24

TAMPA, FL - August 25, 2024 - Baker and Emily Mayfield during the 2nd Annual BE The Ball event in support of the Baker and Emily Mayfield Foundation. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers