Rays, Buccaneers and Lightning join effort to move Tampa Confederate monument

Ex-Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy has also pledged money toward the effort

An effort is underway in the Tampa Bay area to move a Confederate monument in downtown Tampa and the three major professional sports teams from the area have bound together to issue a joint statement. 

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.

We've issued a joint statement with the @TBBuccaneers and @TBLightning. #TeamTampaBay pic.twitter.com/MDWKnVgdrQ

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 17, 2017

The monument in question is the Memoria In Aeterna monument from an old courthouse. Originally, the monument was set to be moved to a cemetery, but the Hillsborough County Commission amended a vote to require $140,000 in private money in order to move the monument. 

On that front, former Bucs head coach Tony Dungy has gotten involved: 

Here is the link for anyone who is interested in donating to 'Tampa Statue Relocation Fund' - https://t.co/1er6qFu6N8 via @gofundme. pic.twitter.com/DtqDFbwwjc

— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) August 17, 2017

Dungy has pledged $5,000 of his own money. On Thursday afternoon, CBS 10 News in Tampa reported that the effort to raise $140,000 to move the memorial reached its goal. 

For more coverage surrounding the ongoing confederate momument controversies across the country, be sure to go to CBS News.