Moffitt Receives Super Bowl LV Forever 55 Micro Grant
The NFL’s big game is known for so many things – great plays, iconic renditions of the National Anthem and awe-inspiring commercials. But this year with Super Bowl LV coming to Tampa, an even longer lasting impression will be made thanks to a grant received by Moffitt Cancer Center.
Moffitt has been designated as a Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Forever 55 Legacy Micro Grant Program recipient. The grant will be used to provide 35 uninsured Tampa Bay-area young adults with the series of HPV vaccinations through a project called Vaccinations Today for Prevention Tomorrow.
“Grants like these don’t come along every day,” said Dr. Susan Vadaparampil, Associate Center Director, Community Outreach, Engagement & Equity. “We had the freedom to pick the problem and propose the solution based on our ongoing engagement with the community Moffitt serves.”
Vadaparampil said that HPV vaccination was selected as a priority by the Tampa Bay community during Moffitt’s health needs assessment.
“While uninsured adolescents 18 years or younger can get vaccinated through the Vaccine for Children’ program, those over 18, for whom vaccine is also recommended, may find cost a barrier,” she said.
Forever 55 is the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee’s legacy program focused on six pillars that best address the needs of our community – early childhood education, food insecurity, families, health & wellness, sustainability and systemic justice.
According to Moffitt’s M-POWER Community Outreach Manager Chantel Griffin-Stampfer, the cancer center was encouraged to apply for the grant.
“Our mission is to address health disparities in the community,” Griffin-Stampfer said. “There is strong evidence that HPV and HPV-related cancers can be eliminated with vaccine compliance and this program also aligns with our desire to deepen our partnership with the Ybor Youth Clinic.”
Vaccinations funded by this grant are scheduled to be administered at the Ybor Youth Clinic later this year.
