Many of our MAN v FAT clubs do great work in contributing towards their local towns and cities, thanks to some great charity and community initiatives.
Across MAN v FAT Football, Rugby and Soccer, our clubs have contributed huge sums of money and also time to some very worthy causes.
The guys in MAN v FAT Tampa Bay have added their name to the list, with a special Clothing Drive to support good causes in the area.
Antonio Salguero, who was shortlisted for Media Mogul at this year’s MAN v FAT Awards, is one of the men leading the clothing collection and we caught up with him to find out more.
Tell us how the idea for this collection first came to you
The idea really came from a few things coming together at the same time. Since returning from Birmingham, I’ve been thinking a lot about the community side of MAN v FAT and how we can use what we’re building in Tampa to give back.
With my birthday falling on match night on August 20, our two-year anniversary coming up, and so many of our guys reaching new milestones, it felt like the perfect time to do something together.
One of the most tangible signs of our progress is the clothing we no longer fit into, so donating those items felt like a natural way to celebrate that progress while helping others.
I brought the idea to Coach Mike, who was immediately supportive, and then Sammy suggested combining it with humanitarian aid for Colombia. I really liked the idea of bringing both efforts together, which made the collection even more meaningful.
What was the initial reaction from the rest of the guys in the league?
The reaction has been really positive. Even with short notice, five guys brought in a good amount of clothing during the first week, and a lot of others immediately started asking how they could contribute.
That interest led us to extend the drive to two weeks. This week, guys have been asking about lightly used clothing, shoes, workwear and other items they can donate, especially if they have recently donated clothes elsewhere. With the humanitarian aid component for Colombia as well, it has given people another way to participate.
What has been great to see is that the guys aren’t simply asking whether they can help — they’re actively looking for ways to help.
The Tampa league is in great shape currently – how pleasing has it been to see it grow in numbers over recent months?
It has been incredibly exciting, and at times almost overwhelming in the best possible way. Tampa started with roughly 14–16 guys, and seeing those early foundations grow into multiple teams and a much larger community has been really rewarding
What excites me most isn’t simply the increase in numbers. It’s seeing how quickly the newer guys have embraced what MAN v FAT is about. They want to participate, contribute ideas, support one another and become part of the culture we’re building.
We have guys from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences, and that brings a lot of different perspectives to the group. We may not always agree on everything, but those different viewpoints often lead to better ideas and stronger solutions.
My experience in Birmingham and playing with Westminster also gave me a much wider view of what MAN v FAT can become beyond our own weekly matches. Being able to share those experiences with the Tampa guys — and show them the awards, tournaments, travel and wider community around MAN v FAT — gives everyone something bigger to work toward.
Seeing other U.S. clubs such as Miami and Long Island City represent at the national tournament in the UK has been exciting as well. We’re proud to see other American clubs succeeding, and it motivates us to keep building Tampa into the strongest community we can.
The off-field community has become one of the most meaningful parts of the experience for me, and a lot of that inspiration has come from people already within our own group.
Shannon Reid and I joined MAN v FAT at the same time and ended up on the same team, so I’ve been fortunate to get to know him and his wife, Jeanine Reid, very well. Jeanine is a breast cancer survivor and is the 2026 Hope Ambassador for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Through Shannon and Jeanine, some of us had the opportunity to participate in a breast cancer support walk last year.
Seeing the two of them actively giving back and supporting something so personal has had a real impact on me. They’ve shown us firsthand what it looks like to take your own experiences and turn them into something that helps other people.
That has helped shape how I think about MAN v FAT Tampa. The football and weigh-ins may bring us together initially, but the relationships we build away from the field are what can turn a league into a real community.
Whether it’s supporting each other personally, showing up for causes that matter to our members or finding new ways to give back, I think that off-field connection is where we have an opportunity to create an even bigger impact.
The unneeded clothes will be a great physical example of the progress you’ve all made. How much of a boost has it been for everyone to cast off clothes they no longer fit into?
I think the impact goes much deeper than simply clearing clothes out of a closet.
When you’re in the middle of a weight-loss journey, it can sometimes be difficult to recognize just how far you’ve come. Other people may notice the changes before you do. But when you’re holding clothes that once fit and now don’t, suddenly that progress becomes tangible. You can actually see and feel the work you’ve put in.
That confidence creates a ripple effect into other areas of life. You see guys becoming more active with their families, enjoying travel differently, shopping for clothes with more confidence and celebrating victories that may seem small to someone else but can mean a great deal personally — even something like no longer needing a seatbelt extender on a flight.
Being able to donate those clothes makes that progress even more meaningful. We get to recognize how far we’ve come while allowing something that represents our own journey to help someone else move forward.
I’m excited to see where it goes and hopefully this is just the beginning of more opportunities for us to give back as the Tampa community continues to grow.
What are the early thoiughts about how it went?
The drive wrapped up last week, and the response was incredible. The Tampa guys stepped up in a big way, collecting clothing, workwear and athletic gear benefiting Pinellas Hope Catholic Charities, along with food and other essential items for Colombia Humanitarian Aid.
Want to join Antonio in action?
If you’d like to join our MAN v FAT Soccer program, then take a look at www.manvfatsoccer.com to see our existing leagues and those coming up in early 2027!
