Former NFL Coach, Others Donate to Move Florida Confederate Statue

The following is from the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League and Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League. The monument now stands outside the Hillsborough County court house.

On Thursday, Dungy joined the debate by pledging $5,000 to help move a Confederate statue called "Memoria In Aeterna" from the former Hillsborough County courthouse in Tampa, where he and his wife Lauren now live.

A fundraising effort for $140,000 to move a Confederate monument in Florida has met its goal in just one day.

"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".

Tony Marrero of the Tampa Bay Times reported on Tuesday some members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans were "standing guard" to watch over the statue and ensure it would not be taken down.

Baltimore Takes Down Confederate Statues, Basically Gives Trump the Middle Finger
Senator Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) tweeted Wednesday, he would introduce legislation to take Confederate statues out of the U.S. Lee - Trump bemoaned the accelerated effort by many on the left to take down other symbols of the Confederacy.

In addition, former Tampa Bay Storm owner Bob Gries donated $50,000 and current mayor of Tampa Bob Buckhorn chipped in $1,000. "We couldn't have done it without your help!" the message read.

Not a City statue but I have a moral obligation to do my part.

A GoFundMe page has also been set up to raise money to move the statue.

Dungy coached the Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and though he went on to win a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts, he still lives in the Tampa area and remains active in the community.

The white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., last weekend has hastened the removal of Confederate statues across the country.