Replay Tampa Bay Donates New, Gently Used Sporting Goods to Local Youth

TAMPA, FL - The Tampa Bay Sports Commission (TBSC), alongside members of the 3A State Champion Tampa Catholic High School Boys Soccer team, donated over 200 new and gently used sporting goods to the afterschool program at the Tampa Police Athletic League (PAL) as part of Replay Tampa Bay's first distribution event of 2021.  

Replay Tampa Bay, an initiative designed to "Help Keep Kids in the Game," is an annual sporting goods drive that collects new and gently used sporting goods and distributes them to the local youth. Together with Team Tampa Bay partners, the TBSC, Elder Automotive, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning, and others, have collected and distributed more than 4000 items for local kids in need since 2011. 

Taking place on “813 Day,” Marcello Valbuena, the 2020-21 Gatorade Florida Boys Soccer Player of the Year, and his Tampa Catholic teammates, are leaving a lasting legacy in support of local youth sports. 

Many of the items donated came directly from Tampa Catholic's annual Replay Tampa Bay drive held as part of their Annual Preseason Classic and Gatorade's cause marketing platform "Play it Forward." As part of his Player of the Year accolade, Valbuena was awarded a $1,000 grant and graciously selected Replay Tampa Bay as the beneficiary, affording brand new sporting goods for Tampa PAL's after-school program. To date, grants from Gatorade's Player of the Year program have totaled more than $2.7 million across 1,117 organizations. Tampa Catholic High School has been a significant contributor to the Replay Tampa Bay initiative since 2018.

Previously, Metropolitan Ministries, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Charities, Pinellas Sheriff's Police Athletic League, Rich Houses, and the Family Enrichment Center have received Replay Tampa Bay goods, and in turn, hosted distribution events on their respective campuses. In March 2014, Replay Tampa Bay officially became a year-round collection and distribution initiative. For more information, visit replaytampabay.com.