The Tampa Bay Lightning and Benchmark International donated $300,000 to 12 Tampa Bay nonprofits on Thursday, kickstarting the 2026-27 NHL season with one of the largest single-day philanthropic efforts in Lightning franchise history.
The mass donation included an event at Benchmark International Arena and is part of the organization’s ‘Strikes of Kindness’ initiative, which supports community needs including education, health and wellness and food insecurity.
Lightning Executive Vice President of Community Development and Social Impact Elizabeth Frazier said the event was designed to thank and support nonprofit partners, who will continue to be supported and highlighted during the upcoming season.
“Today is about bringing people together, celebrating the great work that these amazing nonprofits are doing in the community, donating to them, volunteering and having some celebrations.”
DeDe Grundel is the executive director at the Friends of Joshua House Foundation, one of the organizations that received a grant. Friends of Joshua House Foundation is a therapeutic shelter for abused, abandoned and neglected children in foster care ages six to 17.
The grant will help Friends of Joshua House provide area children with education, housing and daily care.
“We homeschool a lot of children who have been through so many placements that they haven't been in public schools for sometimes two to three years. We need to give that time for them to catch up, to remediate,” Grundel said. “It's going to help with our education program. It's going to help to feed children. It's going to help house children. It's going to do all the things that we do for our kids that the government can't necessarily pay for right now, so we rely on the community."
Thursday’s grants will support a range of initiatives, including educational programming for thousands of students, medical equipment purchases, meal assistance and veteran support services.
Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay is among this season’s grant recipients, and President/CEO Christina Roberts said the funds will further financial and business education for area children.
“It allows for us to deliver the learning experience so that students can engage in understanding how businesses run, how economic concepts work for them when they're adults, and they also have career exploration,” Roberts said.
The organizations were given custom Lightning jerseys as part of Thursday’s donation, and Lightning employees on Thursday volunteered for three nonprofits alongside employees from Benchmark International.
Seeing the organization on a Lightning jersey was a nice surprise to Roberts.
“We start education in fifth grade to eighth grade. We have a new high school model that we've been expanding throughout the school districts in seven different counties, 24 high schools. Without the support of the Lightning and our corporate partnerships, we wouldn't be able to deliver the work that we're doing. And I couldn't be more excited because the Tampa Bay Lightning are going to have a branded case challenge that our ninth-grade students at Plant High School will be working on this spring. So it's truly special.”
The Lightning organization’s Strikes of Kindness program will continue over the course of the season. Thursday was just the beginning of what figures to be another season of Bolts giving back.
“Whether it's in a classroom, a hospital, community centers, neighborhoods across Tampa Bay, you are the ones that make things happen,” Lightning Chief Executive Officer Steve Griggs said in a message to the nonprofits. “We feel very strongly about what you guys are doing. We feel very strongly about what everyone is doing out there to make impacts in this community.”
“Today isn't just about writing checks,” Griggs added. “Today is about supporting all of your missions and making sure that we are committed to helping change lives. You guys are out there doing that every single day, and we're so appreciative. We just want to help in our little way. What happens in this arena is amazing, but what happens in the community because of what you guys are doing is amazing. So let's go change some lives today.”
The following organizations received a $25,000 grant on Thursday:
- ALS Association
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay
- Bullard Family Foundation
- Feeding Tampa Bay
- Feeding the Fosters
- Friends of Joshua House Foundation
- Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay
- Operation Healing Forces
- Special Operations Warrior Foundation
- Straz Center for the Performing Arts
- Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA
- Vincentian Cares
