Since 2004, B.E.S.T. mission is to identify, inspire, develop, and educate with a focus on under-represented and disadvantaged youth to address the national shortage of healthcare professionals that will impact underserved communities. Every year, B.E.S.T. is able to provide an average of 250 participants the opportunity to get hands-on experience in a variety of medical related fields, such as watching surgeries and shadowing health professionals. Their mission has allowed them to impact over 4500 underserved, low-income youth who have gone on to major in a medical discipline.
The grant tonight will be used to support several ongoing initiatives at B.E.S.T., including their Certification and Leadership programs. The B.E.S.T. Certification Program provides pre-medical or other healthcare-related students access to training, jobs and programs that allow growth in clinical healthcare. B.E.S.T. also offers a leadership course for alumni of their programs to provide support and additional trainings.
The alumni of B.E.S.T. became the 465th 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 $24.35 million to more than 750 different 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.
