TAMPA, Fla — The Tampa Bay Lightning honored Holly Andrade as the Lightning Community Hero and gave her a $50,000 check to be donated to Learning Independence For Tomorrow, known as (LiFT).
Since losing her son Andrade has worked to advocate for children with neurodiversity.
As her son got older Andrade saw a need for educational resources and lesson plans for the neurodiverse population. She became one of the founding teachers of LiFT Academy. It opened in 2013.
The grant is meant to be used to implement new features in LiFT’s new classrooms.
"This space will allow LiFT to double the number of students served, as well as foster a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment. LiFT provides a space that is sensory-friendly, encourages collaborative learning, and promotes meaningful interactions among peers and educators."-Tampa Lightning
Andrade became the 473rd 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.
