We all have different ways of showing our hometown team pride.
What You Need To Know
- Greg Brauer retired after a cancer diagnosis
- Several projects a year end up being donated to charities
- For regular customers, he doesn't charge for the labor, only the materials
- WHAT TO KNOW: Bucs vs. Cowboys preview, traffic information, fan experience, more
This is especially true as fans get ready for the big Bucs and Cowboys game this Thursday night.
We spent some time with one local artist who helps raise the flags in more ways than one.
Just about every day you’ll see Greg Brauer hard at work in his driveway.
“This one is a Buccaneer flag mailbox post,” Brauer said in between carving out a giant wooded flag.
He doesn’t need to advertise his skills because people know his work by word of mouth.
“This one is actually, believe it or not, heading to New York,” he said.
If you think he’s been woodworking his entire life, guess again.
“Pretty much a year after I graduated high school I ended up in the military, Air Force enlisted. Did about 10 years of active duty. After that, my last station was here at MacDill, what was then Readiness Command, it became SOCOM. I got a job as a government civilian and I did that close to 38 years combined,” he said.
He soon retired.
“Mostly because I had a cancer diagnosis with chronic lymphocytic Leukemia,” said Brauer.
He’s doing good now and keeping an eye on his health.
“I decided, I’m going to do something I enjoy. I got out and started building stuff,” he said.
Every piece he makes is made by hand.
He started out making corn hole boards and cat trees, but it’s the mailboxes that got people hooked.
Several projects a year end up being donated to charities.
For regular customers, he never charges for labor, just the cost of materials.
His favorite piece is in his own yard and he can knock out a few projects a month.
There’s evidence of his talent all around his neighborhood.
“So I ended up with most of my neighbors having different mailbox posts,” he said as we walked down his street.
He can make just about anything for any team and as the Bucs head into another season, he’s excited once again to showcase his support.
“I just enjoy doing this. I enjoy figuring things out. I kind of look at this more like art versus finishing something for someone. It’s a piece of art,” he said.