newsnow: King Family Members to Host Buccaneers in Monday’s Wild Card Game
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced today that Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, and Yolanda Renee King will attend as special guests for Monday night’s Wild Card matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. The members of the King family will be recognized as honorary Buccaneers team captains and will participate in the game’s coin toss. It will mark the first time that Martin Luther King III and his family have joined in the commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at a National Football League game.
The NFL recently announced its deepened commitment to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy throughout Wild Card Weekend. The pledge includes a five-year commitment to Realizing the Dream, a platform created by Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, and Yolanda Renee King. Realizing the Dream is a significant initiative to unite and uplift communities across America by calling for 100 million hours of service by the 100th anniversary of Dr. King’s birth. It is an impressive five-year program aiming to mobilize and inspire youth, educators and communities as a whole to take action on local issues and make a meaningful difference through acts of service. For more information, please visit www.realizethedream.org.
“Having the King family in attendance to celebrate the remarkable legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on this special evening is an honor and a privilege,” said Buccaneers Co-Owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz. “The work being done by the Martin Luther King III Foundation is truly inspirational and aligns with the Buccaneers social justice mission to effect meaningful and positive change through purposeful dialog and impactful programs.”
In addition to the family’s recognition as honorary team captains at the coin toss, the Buccaneers will honor Dr. King’s legacy throughout the game with video board tributes and graphics. Halftime will showcase the Bethune Cookman University Concert Chorale, which will perform the songs “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” “I Can See Clearly Now,” and “Way Over in Beulah Land.”
As part of the league’s game integration, all six playoff games played from January 13-15 will feature MLK and Be Love decals on all player helmets, and end zone stencils with ‘It Takes All Of Us’ and ‘Be Love’. The phrase ‘Be Love’ is a central tenet of the King Center, which is led by Dr. Bernice King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.