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3 weeks ago | 
abcactionnews.com | Deiah Riley
TAMPA, Fla. — The March 29 Lightning game was Kids Day, which focused on young Bolts fans. During the game ABC Action News anchor Deiah Riley was joined by her daughter Ryan to announce the Lightning Community Hero. Tony DiBenedetto is the founder of Think Big for Kids. The nonprofit works to break the cycle of poverty by supporting students with career exploration, mentoring, and job programs to help them enter the workforce.
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3 weeks ago | 
abcactionnews.com | Deiah Riley
TAMPA, Fla. — At every home game, the Tampa Bay Lightning honor a local person or nonprofit working to make an impact in our community. During the game on March 27, the Bolts honored a woman inspired by her personal experience to provide comfort and support to families with loved ones in hospice care. Susan Javidi is a founding member of the Hospice Women of Giving.
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4 weeks ago | 
abcactionnews.com | Deiah Riley
TAMPA, Fla. — At every home game, The Tampa Bay Lightning honor a local person or nonprofit working to make an impact in our community. Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano was honored as the Lightning Community Hero during the game on March 25. Lopano has been at the helm of TPA since 2011 and has led the airport through tremendous growth. He’s retiring next month after over 40 years in the aviation industry.
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1 month ago | 
abcactionnews.com | Deiah Riley
TAMPA, Fla. — At every home game The Tampa Bay Lightning honor a local person or nonprofit working to make an impact in our community. During the game on March 17, the Lightning honored Mike O’Dell as the Lightning Community Hero. For more than 20 years, O’Dell has been helping veterans in need. He is the President of Hillsborough County Veterans Helping Veterans. The nonprofit helps with shelter, transportation, food, clothing, and utilities ensuring those who served can live with dignity.
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1 month ago | 
abcactionnews.com | Deiah Riley
TAMPA, Fla. — At every home game, the Tampa Bay Lightning honor a local person or nonprofit working to make an impact in our community. Vicky Gonzalez was honored as the Lightning Community Hero during the game on March 8. Gonzalez heads up the Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics Center, also known as the AMROC Fab Lab. It’s a program that lets people engage their passions in science, technology, engineering, and math.
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1 month ago | 
abcactionnews.com | Deiah Riley
TAMPA, Fla. — At every home game The Tampa Bay Lightning honor a local person or nonprofit working to make an impact in our community. During the game on March 6, Irv Cohen was honored as the Lightning Community Hero. Cohen believes access to tech education can open up job opportunities for young people. That is why he founded “CodeBoxx”, a program offering no cost coding education to people from underserved backgrounds.
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1 month ago | 
abcactionnews.com | Deiah Riley
TAMPA, Fla. — At every home game, the Tampa Bay Lightning honor a local person or nonprofit working to make an impact in our community. Dr. Noelle De La Cruz was honored as the Lightning Community Hero during the Pride Night game on March 4. Dr. De La Cruz has a passion for social justice. She spearheaded a mental health initiative called The Strong and Resilient Youth Program at Equality Florida. It provides therapy and counseling for LGBTQ+ kids, teenagers, and their families.
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1 month ago | 
abcactionnews.com | Deiah Riley
TAMPA, Fla. — At every home game The Tampa Bay Lightning honor a local person or nonprofit working to make an impact in our community. During the game on February 27, the Lightning honored Jovan McNeill who is dedicated to inspiring inner-city youth through the great outdoors and turning life skills into a lifetime of memories. McNeill founded Cloud Nine Outdoors in 2015.
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1 month ago | 
abcactionnews.com | Deiah Riley
TAMPA, Fla. — Former State Senator Arthenia Joyner has spent the last sixty-plus years as a civil rights trailblazer who has fought for many of the freedoms we enjoy today. History will describe her as a pioneer, civil rights activist, teacher, lawyer, and leader who happens to be black. “I've lived through all the shades of blackness, you know, from Negro to colored to black and now African American. But I am a black woman, and that's how I best describe myself,” said Joyner.
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1 month ago | 
abcactionnews.com | Deiah Riley
TAMPA, Fla. — At every home game, The Tampa Bay Lightning honor a local person or nonprofit working to make an impact in our community. On February 25, the Lightning honored Retired Major Mack Macsam as the Lightning Community Hero. He founded the nonprofit Veteran Arts Center of Tampa Bay. It provides mental health support, healing, and suicide prevention through art. It has helped more than 3,000 veterans, first responders, and their families find purpose and a renewed sense of belonging.
