TOWN N’ COUNTRY, FLA. (WFLA) — Two local business owners and a Bucs player are joining forces to give back to a community they know and love this holiday season.

Business owners, Jovanna York and Carlos Gutierrez, are partnering with Buccaneer’s Defensive End, Will Gholston, to host a free turkey drive skate party for the Town N’ Country community.

“After school we used to walk the streets everyday,” York recalled.

Decades of memories feel like yesterday for York and Gutierrez who have always called Town N’ Country home.

“We both were raised here, went to schools around here,” York said. “We used to come skate here. This has been my best friend since third grade.”

The two are now business owners. York owns Lepley’s Kitchen and Lounge in Seminole Heights, and Gutierrez owns Financially Fluent, an insurance and finance firm.

Jovanna York, co-owner of Lepley’s Kitchen and Lounge with Carlos Gutierrez, President/CEO of Financially Fluent

“Coming back home, it puts me back in my childhood but at the same time it puts me in a place where I want to be able to give back,” Gutierrez said.

That’s exactly what the pair is doing. York and Gutierrez are hosting their 2nd annual Turkey Giveaway Skate Party, which benefits the area they know and love.

“I just feel like everybody forgets about Town N’ Country,” York said. “People don’t realize that Town n’ Country is an area of minorities that are really affected. A lot of these kids are on free lunch, a lot of them have jobs to help parents provide for their homes.”

With the added impacts of back-to-back hurricanes, the help is needed more than ever. That’s why Bucs DE, Will Gholston, is also joining in the effort.

“When the hurricane hit driving around this neighborhood I saw a lot of debris outside of everybody’s home, so hopefully it’s bright spot,” Gholston said. “Something that can take a little stress of their backs knowing we are providing so much for them and just a good time.”

Families will get a day of free skating, free haircuts, free hair braiding, tv and toy giveaways and over 1,000 turkeys and holiday meals are being given out.

“It’s huge because your community is who makes you and shapes you,” Gholston said. “I know that coming from Detroit. My community helped me become the man that I am, so to have the opportunity to give back to the community I’m a part of- it’s a no brainer.”

“It’s a blessing and it just makes me more happy to see where I come from and give back to people who come from the same neighborhood as me,” York said.

The free event is Sunday, November 24 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Skateworld on Paula Drive.