Education & Philanthropy

Tampa Bay Rays player Brandon Lowe has chosen the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay as his charity partner in the Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation’s Giving Bowl, a fundraising initiative that highlights local athletes and their selected nonprofits. Lowe is one of five Tampa Bay athletes participating in the bracket-style competition, which raises awareness and

The University of South Florida has received a record-setting $40 million donation to establish the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing, the first named college in the United States dedicated to AI and cybersecurity. The gift from Arnie and Lauren Bellini is the largest in USF’s history and aims to strengthen workforce development,

The Glazer family, owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has awarded grants to 95 small businesses in the Tampa Bay and West Central Florida regions affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The funding is part of the Glazer Family Small Business Fund, which provides financial relief to businesses impacted by recent storms. The fund, administered

Stairway for Heroes uses the power of golf to provide veterans with not just a sport, but a community, a support system and a fresh start. Founded by Melvin Azofeifa, a Navy veteran who struggled with his own transition after 14.5 years of service, Stairway for Heroes was born from his personal experience of finding

The Pagidipati family, of Tampa, has been named to the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Philanthropy 50, an annual ranking of the largest donors in the United States. The family donated $50 million to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, last April, to support pediatric health care in the Tampa Bay region. The contribution, one of the largest in

The Steinbrenner family, longtime philanthropists and principal owners of the New York Yankees, has donated $5 million to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital to support the expansion of its pediatric emergency and trauma services. The donation, which builds upon decades of the family’s support for the hospital, will help fund additional treatment rooms, advanced diagnostic equipment,

Metropolitan Ministries and the YMCA of St. Petersburg have formed a new partnership to expand services for families experiencing homelessness in Pinellas County. Under the agreement, Metropolitan Ministries will offer shelter, transitional housing, workforce development and other support services at the David and Virginia Baldwin and the Lealman Transitional Residence, facilities formerly managed by the

The University of South Florida Board of Trustees has formed a search committee to identify the university’s next president. Board Vice Chair Mike Griffin, a USF alumnus and co-head of the Florida region at Savills, will lead the search committee. Griffin also chaired the university’s 2021-22 presidential search and facilitated nearly 40 listening sessions with

AdventHealth Foundation West Florida has received a large donation from Robins & Morton, a national construction firm, to enhance health care services across the region. AdventHealth did not disclose the amount of the gift. The gift will support state-of-the-art obstetrics simulation equipment, advanced breast imaging technology at AdventHealth Carrollwood and a mobile health clinic managed

University of South Florida President Rhea Law says she plans to step down after a national search is conducted to select her successor. Law, who has led USF since August 2021—first as interim president, before being appointed permanently, in March 2022—expressed gratitude for her tenure at the university. “During my tenure we established bold goals

Transportation is often taken for granted. Owning a car and getting to work on time is, for many, a luxury. The impact of such independence extends beyond the daily commute. With a vehicle, individuals can run errands, take children to school and enjoy family days at the beach. Not having access to a car can

Clearwater Marine Aquarium has unveiled its BayCare Kids Check-Up Exhibit, an interactive attraction designed to promote health awareness among families. The three-year partnership with BayCare kicks off with the first phase opening in the Mangrove Key Kids Zone, just outside the aquarium’s animal hospital and surgical suite. The exhibit highlights the parallels between human health