FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FORT MYERS, Fla. (September 26, 2025) — The Preserve, an assisted living, skilled nursing, and memory support community in Fort Myers, hosted a special celebration to recognize one of its residents, Bill Marcum, as a founder of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The ceremony included Marcum being presented with a specially dedicated jersey from the NFL franchise in the team’s classic creamsicle shade.

The celebration came just ahead of the NFL team kicking off its 50^th anniversary game on Sept. 21, which may have never happened without Marcum. He’s credited with paving the way for the Bucs to find a home in Tampa.

“I think it was really eating on him that he couldn’t go to Tampa and be part of the 50^th celebration because of physical limitations and whatnot,” said Marcum’s brother, Ron Marcum. “Knowing that you got the stuff you got from the Bucs and that they remembered him and acknowledged him I think is really fantastic.”

In the late 1960s, Tampa Stadium was primarily used for college games. Marcum, heavily involved with the Tampa Jaycees, took matters into his own hands when he set out to prove that Tampa could support an NFL team. Armed with an NFL handbook purchased from a newsstand, Marcum began calling around to NFL teams to inquire about the costs of hosting an exhibition game at Tampa Stadium.

Marcum’s drive didn’t stop there. After receiving 107 signatures, he pledged his personal collateral to secure an underwriting agreement with the former Washington Redskins. His belief in the Tampa market was contagious, and soon enough, the Redskins and the Atlanta Falcons agreed to play an exhibition game on August 10, 1968, at Tampa Stadium – the first professional football game in the city. The game drew 42,000 attendees, nearly filling the stadium to capacity.

That event marked the beginning of a series of high-profile games that Marcum helped organize over the next several years, including matchups featuring the Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings and Washington Redskins. By 1974, Marcum’s relentless efforts paid off when the NFL voted to expand to Tampa.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers was officially born in 1976, and Marcum was hired as the team’s first employee by owner Hugh Culverhouse.

“I broached the subject with him one time because I read the book ‘The Yucks’ that talks about Tampa Bay and their history, and the very first sentence talks about Bill Marcum,” said Aileen Smith, a life enrichment assistant at The Preserve. “Once I told him that I had read the book, he was very interested in talking about how it all came to be.”

Marcum’s success as a promoter continued to shape the future of the franchise, which has grown from its humble beginnings to one of the most valuable teams in the NFL, currently valued at more than $7 billion.

“Oh, I think it’s been a wonderful ride, and I’m glad they let me come along,” said Bill Marcum with a wistful smile.

This special jersey is a testament to his legacy and the pivotal role he played in bringing professional football to Tampa Bay. His unwavering belief in the city’s potential is forever woven into the fabric of the team’s history.

To learn more about The Preserve, please visit ThePreserveVOA.org or call 239-722-6167.

About The Preserve

Located at 14750 Hope Center Loop, at the corner of Six Mile Cypress Parkway and Plantation Road, The Preserve offers 75 private skilled nursing suites for senior residents with specialized or advanced health care needs, as well as 21 boutique assisted living apartments and 17 memory support suites. The community serves as a critical resource for post-acute care, offering high-quality medical services, outpatient services, rehabilitative care and social programs. Highly trained staff members and licensed professionals provide continuous medical support and foster a culture of caring and hospitality, creating specialized programs focused on rehabilitative and restorative care. For more information, visit www.ThePreserveVOA.org.

About Volunteers of America National Services

The Preserve is a Volunteers of America National Services (VOANS) community. VOANS is a nonprofit, mission-based organization dedicated to helping those in need to live healthy, safe and productive lives. Since 1896, VOANS’s ministry of service has supported and empowered America’s most vulnerable groups, including veterans, seniors, people with disabilities, at-risk youth, men and women returning from prison, homeless individuals and families, those recovering from addictions and many others. Through hundreds of human service programs, including housing and health care, Volunteers of America National Services helps almost 1.5 million people in over 400 communities. For more information about Volunteers of America National Services, visit VOANS.org.