Donations from Rays, Bucs, Lightning and mayor aim to remove Confederate monument

Tampa Bay professional sports teams and the mayor of Tampa have all pitched in to cover the cost of removing a Confederate monument from Hillsborough County.

The Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers said they donated funds to pay for the monument’s removal, according to Bay News 9.

In a joint statement to Bay News 9, the teams said:

“Recognizing that this monument does not reflect the values of our community, in collaboration with the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, our organizations have dedicated funds to assist in moving the statue from the public space in front of the courthouse. Now more than ever before, we must stand united and committed to diversity and inclusion as we all attempt to heal from the tragedy in Charlottesville.”

But they’re not alone. Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn announced Thursday he personally donated $1,000 toward the monument’s removal, his Twitter account showed.

“Not a City statue but I have a moral obligation to do my part. Now take it down,” Buckhorn tweeted Thursday.

Hillsborough County commissioners voted Wednesday to allow 30 days to raise $140,000 in private funds for the statue to be moved, according to Bay News 9. The monument currently stands outside the Hillsborough County court house.

This story was originally published August 17, 2017 at 3:12 PM with the headline "Donations from Rays, Bucs, Lightning and mayor aim to remove Confederate monument."