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Updated: April 7, 2025 @ 6:32 am
Congressman Cory Booker (D-NJ) spoke on the U.S. House floor for 25 hours this week.
Congressman Cory Booker (D-NJ) spoke on the U.S. House floor for 25 hours this week.
The commonly known phrase, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” was repeated throughout the evening at the United Negro College Fund’s second annual 2025 UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball – Tampa Bay.
It’s a phrase many have heard in commercials during UNCF’s storied 81-year history. However, on Saturday, March 29, it was followed by another: “A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in.”
Held at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, the black-tie event brought together community leaders, educators and supporters of higher education to raise scholarship funds for underrepresented minority students who wish to attend college, especially those attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
“Now more than ever, this event is critical,” said Gwen Hewitt, UNCF’s area devel- opment director. “Last year, UNCF awarded $580,000 in scholarships in the Tampa region, and we can only do that because of generous donors. We have students in Hill-sborough County who need funding to attend college.
This event allows us to support more students from Hillsborough, Tampa, Pinellas, and Pasco.”
Legendary football coach Tony Dungy was honored with the UNCF’s M.A.S.K.E.D. Award (Mankind Assisting Students Kindling Educational Dreams), which recognizes individuals, organizations, or corporations who embody the UNCF motto: “A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in.”
A former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach and the first Black head coach to win a Super Bowl, Dungy has dedicated decades to advocating for youth empowerment through education, leadership, and character development.
“Education is critical for our entire country,” said Dungy, also a bestselling author. “But when you look at Black youth, it becomes even more evident how important education is, and how vital the support of UNCF remains.”
Before receiving his award, three short videos highlighted Dungy’s commitment to the community and mentorship. Bucs Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks, Grace Family Church founding pastor Craig Altman, and Robert Blount, president of Abe Brown Ministries, spoke about Dungy’s pro- found impact on their lives and the Tampa Bay region.
Dungy emphasized that strengthening the community has always been his priority.
“When I came to Tampa in 1996 as the head coach of the Bucs, I wanted to build a winning team,” he said. “But I also wanted us to represent the city and make this community a better place to live. Part of doing that means stepping up as a role model and supporting initiatives that strengthen our community.”
St. Petersburg native and acclaimed filmmaker Will Packer, along with his wife, Heather, were special guests at the event. Packer, a longtime supporter of the UNCF Masked Ball in Atlanta, attended the Tampa event for the first time.
“A legend, a legend,” Packer said of Dungy. “I grew up in this area, I grew up a Tampa Bay Bucs fan. I saw what he did with the team and this community, it’s huge. He is a legend, and we are honored to be here with him.”
As a Florida A&M University graduate, Packer and his wife support initiatives that uplift marginalized communi- ties. Through their Packer Family Foun- dation, they contribute to causes that empower students, “especially those that support HBCUs to be elevated.”
“We understand that these organiza- tions support kids that would not otherwise get it,” Packer said. “Oftentimes, these kids just need to know that they can be something beyond their current circumstances and our younger generations aspire to be what they see. It’s important to me to push myself out there so that the younger generation can see I can do it. He looks like me.
He came from a lot of the situations and circumstances that I came from. And that’s why it’s important and I support UNCF.”
Guests arrived in elegant gowns and tuxedos, many donning masks in celebration of the evening’s theme. The dinner featured fennel pollen-seared salmon, blackened airline chicken, and Creole mustard jus. During the meal, guests enjoyed a musical performance by two Brandon High School musicians.
Photos of past area UNCF scholarship winners were displayed on big screens in the room.
The evening was hosted by Deanne King, a reporter and anchor for WFLA News Channel 8.
An auction raised thousands of dollars, featuring Bucs tickets, an exclusive One Buc Place and stadium sideline experience, a signed Bucs Polo shirt, and a luxury fashion and shopping outing with the Tampa Bay Fashion Experience.
The company, owned by Taneka Bowles, wife of current Bucs coach Todd Bowles, organizes community-focused fashion events and runway shows in the Tampa Bay area. Bowles also served as the ball’s honorary chair.
The UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball, hosted in partnership with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s office, is a fundraising event for the United Negro College Fund.
Since its inception, UNCF has provided scholarships to more than half a million students nationwide.
Founded in 1944, UNCF has raised nearly $6 billion to help students and families achieve their dream of attending college. Its mission is to build a pipeline of underrepresented students who, with UNCF support, become highly qualified college graduates.
“Our mission is education,” Hewitt said. “We are looking for first-generation college students to be able to get to, and, through college. That’s it. Whatever happens in the world, it doesn’t matter, we are still on point and on purpose.
It is about educating our community. Period. We need this in Tampa because we can’t predict the future but what we do know is that education will turn the key to the door for opportunity.”
For more information on UNCF and ways to support, visit UNCF.org.
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