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.
The Lightning Foundation gave Lopano a $50,000 grant, which he’s donating to the Tampa Bay Aviation Association. The money will go to the nonprofit Girls Achieving Leadership in Aviation Program, which provides scholarships for girls to pursue careers in aviation.
“You know, I gave him probably the biggest hug I could ever recall giving him, and he held on tight"
A father and son from Parrish reunited after Thursday’s horrific mass shooting at Florida State University. Steve Malave drove hundreds of miles to be with his son Christopher in the aftermath.
