Seven years ago, Fitzpatrick was introduced to Oldsmar Cares, an organization that provides rent, utility assistance, food and clothing at no cost to those in the Oldsmar area. She has volunteered more than 7,000 hours at Oldsmar Cares and other non-profits to make the Tampa Bay area a better place to live.
As one of the most dedicated volunteers at Oldsmar Cares, Fitzpatrick has helped manage holiday food distributions and toy drives, managing a team of 50 daily volunteers and providing critical software to improve their technology. She has motivated and inspired many of the staff and volunteers at Oldsmar Cares during their different functions.
Fitzpatrick becomes the 437th 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 $22.8 million to more than 750 different nonprofits in the Greater Tampa Bay area. During the summer of 2016, the Viniks announced that the community hero program will give away another $10 million over the next five seasons.
