TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning will hit the ice to kick off the 2024-25 season on Tuesday, and they'll be supporting a good cause as they play.
The team will hold a food and supply drive during their first two home games on Tuesday and Thursday to benefit community members affected by Hurricane Milton. The supplies will benefit three partners around the region, including Feeding Tampa Bay, Metropolitan Ministries and the University Area Community Development Corporation.
The team is asking fans to donate the following items starting at 5 p.m. on Ford Thunder Alley, just outside AMALIE Arena:
- Non-perishable food, including canned fruits & vegetables, canned proteins, peanut butter, cereal & granola bars, family-sized juice, shelf-stable milk, and dry
goods - Manual can openers & wrapped plastic utensils
- Cleaning supplies (trash bags, sanitizing wipes, laundry detergent pods)
- Hygiene items
- Diapers & baby formula
"Fans are encouraged to bring their donations to Ford Thunder Alley before heading into the arena to cheer on the Lightning," the team said in an emailed press release. "Every contribution, big or small, will make a difference in helping local families."
Feeding Tampa Bay shifted almost overnight into a disaster relief center, shipping out tons of food and supplies to affected communities around the region. The organization recently built a 215,000-square-foot warehouse built to withstand Category 5 level winds (155 mph).
Classified as first responders, it's not just the building, but the team at Feeding Tampa Bay that was prepared for the storm.
"Two or three weeks out, we start taking out our book that we follow every single time there's a disaster and we start talking about where we're going to deploy, what we're going to deploy," Thomas Mantz, president & CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay, said. "Excess food delivery! We start to bring in food from around the state and around the country to get deployed. Then we think about during the storm what resources are needed. Are we getting meals to shelters?"