TAMPA, FL – The Tampa Bay Lightning honored Carrie Zeisse as the Lightning Community Hero this evening during the first period of tonight’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. Zeisse, who received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Heroes program, presented by Jabil, will donate the money to Tampa Bay Thrives.
Zeisse, the founder and CEO of Tampa Bay Thrives, is a passionate leader who uses her personal experiences with mental health to transform Tampa Bay’s approach to it. Her willingness to be vulnerable plays a significant role in reducing stigma and encouraging open discussions about mental health and wellness. Zeisse’s unwavering dedication has been instrumental in developing a multi-county approach to addressing mental health challenges in the region. She has spearheaded the development of a tactical framework in collaboration with strategic community partners to create systemic approaches to fill critical gaps in mental health services around navigation, access, and stigma. She is an extraordinary representative of the organization for this initiative, and her story truly celebrates the importance of the work being done by Tampa Bay Thrives.
The funds from tonight’s grant will be used to continue to further the mission of Tampa Bay Thrives. They expect to support at least 650 youth and youth development providers and their teams through mental wellness programming at two Youth Symposium events in 2024. Additionally, they will work to develop a strategic roadmap for Tampa Bay Thrives Youth Mental Health Outreach through partnership with community convenings of willing partners. Lastly, they will be providing programming support for two youth convening sessions for at least 500 youth.
Zeisse became the 571st 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 $30.92 million to nearly 750 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.
