TAMPA, FL – The Tampa Bay Lightning honored Michael Igel as the Lightning Community Hero this evening during the first period of tonight’s game against the LA Kings. Igel, who received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Heroes program, presented by Jabil, will donate the money to the Florida Holocaust Museum.
Igel has a personal relationship to the Holocaust, being a third-generation survivor. As the grandson and nephew of Holocaust survivors, he is a fierce advocate for sharing his story with students visiting the Holocaust Museum and the lessons he wants them to learn, and put into their lives, in order to make this world a better, more accepting a loving place. Additionally, he volunteers his time as a Chair of the State of Florida Commissioner of Education’s Task Force on Holocaust Education, ensuring educators are equipped with the knowledge and resources to properly teach students on the subject.
The funds from tonight’s grant will be used to continue to further and expand the mission of The Florida Holocaust Museum. Specifically, the funds will be utilized to focus on public and educational programming aimed at using the lessons of the Holocaust to combat antisemitism and other forms of hatred. This programming will include workplace antisemitism training in twenty businesses across Tampa Bay during the first year. There will also be programming aimed at students, which are designed to teach them about the Holocaust.
Igel became the 567th Lightning Community Hero since Jeff and Penny Vinik introduced the Lightning Community Hero program in 2011-12 with a $10 million, five-season commitment to the Tampa Bay community. Through tonight’s game, in total, the Lightning Foundation has granted $30.72 million to nearly 750 unique nonprofits in the Greater Tampa Bay area. During the summer of 2021, the Viniks announced that the Community Hero program will give away another $10 million over the next five seasons.
