On Monday, November 24 at 5:30 p.m., the Buccaneers' offensive line and UnitedHealthcare will team up with Publix Super Markets, Coca-Cola, Pepperidge Farm, and United Way Suncoast to provide Thanksgiving meals for those less fortunate at the eighth annual "TURKEY TIME WITH THE O-LINE." Along with Buccaneers Cheerleaders, Captain Fear, and more than three-dozen Buccaneers staff members, Buccaneers O-linemen Josh Allen, Anthony Collins, Oniel Cousins, Evan Dietrich-Smith, Demar Dotson, Kadeem Edwards, Garrett Gilkey, Logan Mankins, Patrick Omameh, Kevin Pamphile, Matt Patchan, and Jeremiah Warren will distribute full Thanksgiving meals to 750 families in need from the Tampa Bay area during the event at One Buccaneer Place. The families, who have been pre-selected by Buccaneers Academies staff and local nonprofit organizations identified by United Way Suncoast, will receive a full meal purchased by the Buccaneers' offensive line. These hearty meals include one 10-12 pound turkey, cranberry sauce, gravy, mashed potatoes, vegetables and pie. With support from
UnitedHealthcare, the families will also receive Thanksgiving kits in reusable shopping bags, including an aluminum pan, storage container, turkey baster, turkey thermometer, and recipe card.
Tuesday's event has been championed by the sixth-year veteran Dotson, who is carrying on the tradition launched back in 2007 as a way for the offensive line to make a major impact in the Tampa Bay community during the holidays. Following Monday's distribution, the annual event will have provided nearly 5,000 families with Thanksgiving meals over the past eight years.
In addition to "Turkey Time with the O-Line," Buccaneers safety Dashon Goldson will host "Goldson's Gobble-Gobble Giveaway" on Tuesday, November 25 at New Bethel Baptist Church in Tampa. Goldson, along with teammates, will distribute turkeys and various holiday side dishes to more than 300 pre-registered families. And on Tuesday, November 18, wives and girlfriends of Buccaneers players and coaches distributed more than 100 turkeys to families at Van Buren Middle School in Tampa. Overall, the team's efforts are supporting more than 1,000 local families for Thanksgiving.
