TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning, in partnership with the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA and AdventHealth, today announced the second-year beneficiaries of the Patch with a Purpose program – the National Hockey League’s first-ever, purpose-driven jersey patch initiative, created to extend the Lightning’s impact far beyond the ice.
Launched ahead of the 2024-25 season, Patch with a Purpose represents a multi-year, $1 million commitment by the Lightning to invest in local non-profit organizations that address critical community needs and promote health, wellness, education and opportunity for all who call Tampa Bay home. Now entering its second year, Patch with a Purpose continues to demonstrate how the power of Lightning hockey can bring communities together and drive meaningful change across the region.
For the 2025-26 season, AdventHealth has selected the University Area Community Development Corporation (UACDC) as its beneficiary. The $100,000 Patch with a Purpose grant will support the organization’s Rehab to Restore Hope program, an initiative focused on expanding sustainable housing for veterans throughout Tampa Bay.
Through the program, UACDC purchases and renovates duplexes and triplexes to create safe, stable homes that support both physical and emotional wellness for veterans and their families. By addressing housing instability, UACDC’s approach improves long-term health outcomes and fosters a renewed sense of dignity, hope and community among those who have served.
“The Patch with a Purpose program is about helping families, empowering communities, and creating new opportunities for health and hope,” said David Ottati, President and CEO of the AdventHealth West Florida Division. “This year’s effort will help advance the mission of the University Area Community Development Corporation, an organization that provides education, attainable housing, and wellness programs for families in some of Tampa Bay’s most underserved neighborhoods.
“When organizations like the Tampa Bay Lightning, YMCA and AdventHealth come together around a shared purpose, we help strengthen the foundation of our community and open doors to a healthier, more hopeful future for all.”
The Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA has designated its 2025-26 Patch with a Purpose funds toward a number of the organization’s programs that uplift and empower families across Tampa Bay, including Cancer Survivorship, Military Family Support and Drowning Prevention programs. These efforts reflect the YMCA’s commitment to addressing key health and safety priorities while nurturing the spirit, mind and body of the community it serves.
“We are excited to be entering the second year of this incredible partnership with the Lightning and Vinik Sports Group,” said Matt Mitchell, President & CEO of the Tampa YMCA. “Together, we’re building on the momentum we created last year to further elevate awareness of the many ways the Y strengthens our Tampa community.
“The Patch with a Purpose program has already made a meaningful difference, and this continued collaboration allows us to expand our impact and enhance the overall well-being of our neighbors. We’re proud to keep growing this partnership and advancing our shared commitment to a healthier, stronger community.”
As part of this year’s Patch with a Purpose celebration, Lightning fans will once again have the opportunity to join in the giving. During the Lightning’s home game on Saturday, October 25, versus the Anaheim Ducks, fans can participate in the Round Up initiative at concessions inside Benchmark International Arena, rounding up their purchases to the nearest dollar to benefit this year’s selected organizations – the YMCA and UACDC.
In addition, the Lightning will implement a number of community engagement elements this season, providing fun and impactful ways for fans to get involved. The AdventHealth Buddy Bear Program will return for a second straight season, allowing fans who purchase a Fanatics away jersey, or choose to apply an AdventHealth patch on their existing away jersey, in-arena to receive a free AdventHealth Buddy Bear. For every Buddy Bear distributed, a pediatric patient in AdventHealth’s care will also receive a Buddy Bear.
Additionally, beginning in January, the Lightning and four local YMCA locations will host free floor hockey clinics designed to introduce children across Tampa Bay to the excitement and teamwork of hockey. The partnership will also launch youth floor hockey leagues later in the season. To register and for more information, please click here.
In its first year, Patch with a Purpose generated transformative results. The Family Healthcare Foundation, chosen by AdventHealth as one of its 2024-25 beneficiaries, connected more than 1,300 Tampa Bay families to affordable, life-changing healthcare coverage from pediatric appointments to cancer screenings. Another one of AdventHealth’s chosen beneficiaries from last season, the Calvary Community Clinic, has served 60 Tampa Bay families to date with essential health checkups, chronic disease management and urgent treatments. Calvary Community Clinic anticipates having a greater impact of serving over 200 patients by June 2026 through the resources provided from Patch with a Purpose.
Alongside AdventHealth, the YMCA celebrated some of their own programs, including Thriver’s Club, Operation Strong Families and Drowning Prevention, each contributing to a healthier, safer community.
As Patch with a Purpose enters its second year, the Lightning organization remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering long-term positive change throughout Tampa Bay. The program’s $1 million, five-year pledge underscores the organization’s belief that the true measure of success goes beyond the results on the ice and extends into the strength and well-being of the community it represents.
For more information about Patch with a Purpose, please click here.
~www.TampaBayLightning.com~
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