TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning visited Nelson Elementary School in Dover on Tuesday, marking the 1,000th school the hockey team has supported as part of their Equip The Thunder program.
The program donated a total of 216,000 hockey sticks and balls to first through eighth-graders in schools across the Tampa Bay area; and after a seven-year period, the Bolts announced in a news release that their visit to Nelson Elementary School will be the last time the program will be used.
"It’s the completion of the original Equip the Thunder program that was funded by the NHL’s Industry Growth Fun," said the Lightning in a news release on why the program is ending.
Tampa Bay will present a 1,000th jersey and trophy to the elementary school in a ceremony that included representatives from the Lightning, Hillsborough County school district and Nelson Elementary School.
After the ceremony, 350 first through third-graders at the school were treated to ball hockey clinics, Lightning t-shirts and a visit from ThunderBug.
The Bolts are in the midst of a playoff run to win the Stanley Cup three times in a row.
Tampa Bay defeated in-state rivals Florida Panthers 4-1 in Game 1 on Tuesday to take an early lead in the series.
The Lightning play Game 2 at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 19 at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise.
