A Legacy of Giving: A conversation with Tampa Bay Buccaneers co-owner, Darcie Glazer Kassewitz

You have to wonder, what would Tampa Bay look like if the Glazer family had not become the owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1995? We would have a very different community, and not just because of football…even though that is a pretty big deal.

It’s what’s happening off the field that is transforming the lives of families. Whether it’s a new pair of glasses for a child in need or uplifting young women in the community…the family’s gift of empowerment matters.

When we learned about the huge range of causes they support, we asked to sit down with Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, who co-owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with her five brothers and serves as chairman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation, Glazer Family Foundation and Glazer Vision Foundation, to talk about what our hometown Bucs are doing behind the scenes.

TBPM: Let’s start with the beginning, and where the journey of giving back to Tampa Bay began.

DGK: We purchased the team in 1995 and have felt deeply connected to this community ever since. The entire Tampa Bay region is special, and finding ways to positively impact and give back to our communities was very important to our family.

Our values are rooted in lifting people up and caring for children. Those principles form the foundation for everything that we do.

TBPM: For our readers, the Glazer Children’s Museum in Tampa and the Glazer Family Playground in St. Pete are among the most recognizable impacts your family has made. Why was it so important to help establish a safe place for kids to learn, play, and explore?

DGK: When my brothers and I were very young, my parents always told us that we were capable of achieving great things if we worked hard enough for it. So, my family wanted to create environments for children to learn, play and explore, not only to create moments for families to be together, but also to enrich the minds of children.

TBPM: Speaking of glasses, the new Let’s See! exhibit at Glazer Children’s Museum — which is based on the Glazer Vision Foundation — is a beautiful and fun way for kids to learn about how their eyes work, and understand the importance of vision care for every child. What do you hope kids and parents take away from the exhibit?

DGK: One in four children has a vision issue, and one in five families can't afford eye care. Everybody in my family wears glasses. My father got his glasses when he was very young and he felt it changed the trajectory of his life.

There are so many challenges that kids face today, and if we can hand them a pair of glasses and correct their vision in an instant, it's such a valuable tool. This helps remove barriers to learning and can improve the chance of a child’s success.

TBPM: We live in a time when it seems like we are connected thanks to social media, but there is also a clear sense of disconnection. People are craving meaningful conversations and opportunities to network. This is something that the She is Football Summit truly embodies. Why is it so important for you to launch this event to help grow female leaders?

DGK: Helping people reach their highest potential is core to our family’s values. She is Football Weekend was born out of our commitment to empower girls to do just that. It was an incredible day to celebrate female leaders, both within this community and from afar.

Our long-term goal is to develop 50,000 female leaders each year. This type of programming and access to women in leadership positions across all industries is vital to helping us meet that goal.

TBPM: We’ve been through some unprecedented times over the last few years, from the COVID-19 pandemic to devastating hurricanes. The impact your family has made to help families carry on is pretty incredible. Why was it important to establish the Glazer Family Small Business Fund to help local businesses recover?

DGK: One of the best characteristics of Tampa Bay is the abundance of unique small businesses; it’s what makes Tampa Bay so special. There is also an incredible ripple effect that a small business has on local communities that helps keep everyone together.

Whether it’s by employing many people, creating unique experiences or becoming a gathering place, small businesses are wonderful community connectors. We knew there was a great need for support after the hurricanes, and this sparked the idea to create a fund.

My family is rooted in business, and helping businesses in need just made sense to us.

TBPM: Food insecurity is an issue facing many families in our community — your family has not only helped provide 5 million meals during the COVID pandemic, but the efforts continue today through mobile food pantries and even school pantries.

DGK: We host the D-Line Mobile Food Pantry at Lockhart [Elementary School], and we've opened five food pantries at different schools, supporting nearly 30,000 families. We also host our Turkey Time with the O-Line every year, which has provided over 15,000 families with a full Thanksgiving meal.

Food is fundamental in order for children to thrive, and we hope to remove as many obstacles as possible to help students reach their full potential.

TBPM: The legacy of giving goes beyond just your family. The players are making their own charitable impacts in the community. Tell us how your family supports them on this journey.

DGK: We started our Glazer Family Player Matching Fund years ago to support the great things that the players are doing in the community. And truly, the players do so much more than the public sees. They are exceptional men who are constantly out there doing things on their own, without cameras or extra fanfare. We wanted to support players in any way we could.

TBPM: We want to turn our attention to girls' flag football. You have played a major part in shining the spotlight on this sport and its growth nationwide.

DGK: There are so many phenomenal female athletes playing flag in Tampa Bay. And now that flag football is going to be in the 2028 LA Olympics, we're really excited that many of these local players, who have been part of our flag programs hosted at the Buccaneers training facility, will be competing in the Olympics.

For us, it's very rewarding, and we're so excited for these young women.

TBPM: With eyes on the future, what are you working on right now?

DGK: We’re working hard on our upcoming She is Football weekend. We're hoping to double its impact and raise more money to keep girls in sports. My family is also excited about an expansion to our family foundation, which will be announced in 2026.

THE GLAZER FAMILY: MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN TAMPA BAY

Glazer Children’s Museum in Tampa

Opened in 2010, the Glazer Children’s Museum reflects the family’s long-standing commitment to children. Since then, the museum has hosted more than two million guests and was voted one of the Top 10 children’s museums in the country.

Glazer Family Playground at the St. Pete Pier

The Glazer Family Playground, opened in 2020 at the St. Pete Pier, is part of a 30-year commitment to the city. Opened in July 2020, the expansive, colorful playground has become a destination amenity for thousands of children and families.

Glazer Center for Medical Education

Following a $3 million gift to AdventHealth, the Glazer Center for Medical Education will be unveiled at the AdventHealth Tampa campus in the new year. Through its Graduate Medical Education program for residents beginning their careers in medicine, this center will help shape compassionate, skilled caregivers who will serve our community with excellence and purpose for years to come.

Glazer Vision Foundation

Established in 2009, the Glazer Vision Foundation provides free eye exams and prescription glasses to underserved children through its Mobile Vision Clinic. Since its inception, the foundation has reached 200,000 children and distributed more than 20,000 pairs of glasses.

Education

The Buccaneers have invested millions to address educational disparities, installed 135 shade structures at elementary schools, and welcomed over 24,000 students to home games. Since 2018, the team has provided flag football curriculum to 1.6 million middle school students, including flag kits, equipment, and instruction.

In addition, the Buccaneers have also renovated eight recreation centers to provide safe and secure environments for children to learn and thrive, while also establishing their Player-Student Mentoring Program, which creates unique mentorship opportunities for over 500 local students with players and staff.

School Food Pantries

In partnership with the Mosaic Company, the Buccaneers support mobile food pantries at local schools, providing more than 560,000 meals since 2001.

Breaking Barriers

The Buccaneers became the first NFL team with two full-time female coaches, Lori Locust and Maral Javadifar, who made history as the first women to win a Super Bowl.

She is Football Weekend

Launched in 2025 and returning next year, She is Football Weekend is a two-day event that celebrates girls and women. The Bucs aim to develop 50,000 female leaders each year. In 2020, the team became the first in the NFL to create an academic scholarship for girls who played any form of football.

Girls Flag Football Preseason Classic

Introduced in 2019, the Preseason Classic has grown into the nation’s largest girls' flag football event. The tournament set record marks in 2025, featuring 2,100 athletes and 115 teams.

Shanna and Bryan Glazer Jewish Community Center

Opened in 2016 through a lead gift from Shanna and Bryan Glazer, the center offers health and wellness programs for people of all ages.

Disaster Relief & the Glazer Family Small Business Fund

Following every major local disaster, the family has donated millions to support the community. After hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, the Glazer family contributed $2 million to local relief, including $1.2 million for the Glazer Family Small Business Fund, which has supported 297 businesses to date.

Player Community Impact Board

Formed in 2018 with a multimillion-dollar investment by the Glazer family, the Player Community Impact Board empowers players to direct community and social justice initiatives each season.

National Coaching Academy

Established in 2024, the National Coaching Academy creates new pathways for aspiring coaches pursuing careers in the NFL. The Academy is open to all persons with three or more years of coaching or work experience in a football program at the high school, college, or semi-professional league level. Since its inception, it has drawn thousands of applicants, with 50 finalists representing six countries in the last two years.