When Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper first started the Coop’s Catch for Kids fishing tournament fundraiser eight years ago, his aim was to support area children fighting pediatric cancer as well as their families.
After nearly a decade of boats taking to the waters of Tampa Bay, more than $1.5 million in donations raised and hundreds of people helped, the event now has a face beyond the boat docks—one that will continue helping in the local battle against cancer.
The Muma Children’s Hospital at Tampa General Hospital will be the home of the Coop’s Catch for Kids Family Lounge thanks to a donation from the J5 Foundation, the Cooper family’s charitable organization.
The lounge offers a place for area pediatric patient families, including those fighting pediatric cancer, to rest and spend time together.
“That is a place where some of the most brave and resilient kids walk through our door every day,” Sarah Frahn, vice president of women’s and children’s services for TGH, said of the cancer center during a speech at the 2025 Coop’s Catch for Kids Angler’s Party on Nov. 9. “And the Coop’s Catch Family Lounge is a place where our patients, families and visitors can leave the bedside and go to an area where they can recharge and recover and spend quality time. We're so grateful for your generosity.”
As the Lightning host Hockey Fights Cancer night on Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers, those families will be front of mind for Cooper.
“We’re not curing cancer with my speech or the attendance. What we're doing is we're closing the gap,” Cooper told the Lightning website at the Angler’s Party.
Families fighting alongside their child warriors are essential, which is what curated the idea for the lounge.
“Sometimes what goes overlooked is the people, the families that are affected. How can we make them more comfortable? How can we ease their pain,” Cooper asked. “And so for us, that's the big picture. It’s easing the pain for not only the patient, but the family.”
That sentiment was echoed by Sarah Costello, who works as director of the Lightning Foundation and community events. Costello said the Coop’s Catch Family Lounge provides families a space for quality time together.
“It’s important to remember why we do this, which is our kids who are fighting cancer,” Costello said. “For these kids and their families, the time spent in a hospital is a complete disruption of their daily life. They miss school time, time with their friends, time in their activities and even family time, and every moment that those families can spend together is totally precious.”
