TAMPA, Fla. — Hockey is back. After a few games on the road, the Tampa Bay Lightning will host their home opener Tuesday night.
The Bolts will face the Philadelphia Flyers on ESPN at 7 p.m.
“As a fan, I am so excited that hockey is back,” said Sarah Costello, the senior manager of the Lightning Foundation.
Costello is also excited about finding new ways to help great causes, and right now, the focus is on hurricane relief.
“You know, I think all of us were heartbroken to see the devastation that hit the greater Fort Myers area as a result of Hurricane Ian, and you know, a couple days earlier the path was looking not so great for the Tampa Bay region, and you know, we were so sad for our friends to the south,” she said.
Right after the storm, Bolts fans sent supplies like food, toiletries, and baby formula down to the Fort Myers area.
“We were able to fill three full PODs containers with donations to send down to the United Way of Florida,” said Costello.
Now, they can help storm victims again in a different way. The Lightning Foundation is wrapping up its Florida Strong silent auction. Until the end of Tuesday’s second intermission, you can bid on things like team-signed jerseys, signed pucks, a signed Steven Stamkos banner, and one-of-a-kind experiences like private dinners with Pat Maroon and Rob Gronkowski.
“We’re over the moon to be able to raise these funds for the communities impacted by the storm,” Costello said.
Whether you’re at the game or not, you bid online. Visit floridastrong.givesmart.com if you’d like to participate or see what’s up for auction.
As of Monday night, more than $50,000 in bids have already been placed, and Costello hopes that number will shoot up exponentially before the auction is done.
