Gillis is the founder of the International Institute of Orthotics and Prosthetics (IIOP) in Tampa and the Veterans Stride Foundation, which provides orthotics and prosthetics education and rehabilitation at no charge to veterans living with amputation. She has been dedicated to developing and delivering degreed programs in the O&P field, which has led to an academic footprint unlike the profession has ever seen. She now hosts a Master's Degree Program that trains up to 72 students in Tampa at a time. Additionally, she has provided numerous veterans and people living with amputation wrap-around services such as wellness programs and other rehabilitative services. Her work has completely transformed the lives of many, as well as the profession as a whole.
The grant tonight will be used to support the mission of Veterans Stride Foundation. Specifically, the grant will be used to purchase new computers for their new computer lab, which will give students the opportunity to design and print prosthetics and orthotics for patients.
Gillis became the 532nd 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. Through tonight's game, in total, the Lightning Foundation has granted $28.97 million to more than 700 unique nonprofits in the Greater Tampa Bay area. During the summer of 2021, the Viniks announced that the community hero program will give away another $10 million over the next five seasons.
