Mayfield Foundation Surpasses $310K Goal for Early Education at Annual Golf Fundraiser

The Baker and Emily Mayfield Foundation raised over $310,000 at its fourth annual “Be the Ball” charity golf event, with funds directly benefiting the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County. This recent event brings the foundation's total contributions over four years to more than $650,000, which has helped over 360 children access quality early education and care programs.

The charity golf event, held at Topgolf in Tampa, aims to provide early childhood education to local children regardless of family income. Aakash Patel serves as board chair of the Early Learning Coalition.

For Emily Mayfield, this year's event held particular significance as her daughter, Kova, recently started school. “She’s been in school for two weeks and she’s already coming home with new skills, new language,” Emily Mayfield told Tampa Bay 28. “I think it shows us, if she didn’t have that, if we threw her in school at five, how that gap could become a really big gap.”

Baker Mayfield established the foundation four years ago, following his signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023. He emphasizes the long-term positive effects of early education on children's development and future success. “When you’re sending them off to school, the development aspect of it … It’s unbelievable the difference it makes for kids to go to Voluntary Pre-School and the difference it has for graduation rates and high school,” Baker Mayfield stated. “You don’t think about it because they’re that young; you want to make sure they’re safe and happy, the developmental aspect of their brains, and to be able to put them in a position to have success later in life; it’s vital at that age.”

The Buccaneers quarterback views his NFL platform as an opportunity to significantly contribute to and make a difference in local communities. “To take a step back and realize we were given a platform to be able to give back and make a difference in these communities. That’s the most important part,” he said.