TAMPA, FL – The Tampa Bay Lightning honored Susan Cohen as the Lightning Community Hero this evening during the first period of tonight’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Cohen, who received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Hero program, presented by Jabil, will donate the money to Children’s Home Network.
Cohen has been a constant support as a volunteer at Children’s Home Network, a nonprofit that focuses on unlocking the potential of at-risk children and families by providing compassionate and effective services, for the past 22 years. Specifically, she dedicates much of her time to their Kids Village, a residential and therapeutic foster home that serves approximately 150 children a year. With a passion centered around optimizing education and developing avenues for healthy relationships, she is a regular and positive presence for the kids Children’s Home Network serves. She epitomizes what it means to be a mentor to children who have suffered unimaginable trauma in the form of abuse and neglect. Cohen is nothing short of inspirational as she encourages children to see beyond their reality of hardships by creating a new reality for them through education, love, trust, and respect.
The funds from tonight’s grant will be used to support the mission of Children’s Home Network. Specifically, it will be used to strengthen several operations at Children’s Home Network, including an array of clinical therapeutic interventions, prevention and family preservation services, caregiver support, maternal health programming, foster care licensing, and more. One of the programs that will be supported is their Kid’s Village, ensuring these children continue to receive the support they need.
Cohen became the 602nd Lightning Community Hero since the Vinik Family 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 $32.47 million to over 760 unique nonprofits in the Greater Tampa Bay area. During the summer of 2021, the Vinik Family announced that the Community Hero program would continue its commitment with an additional $10 million through the 2025-26 season. Upon joining the ownership group of the Tampa Bay Lightning in October 2024, Doug Ostrover, Marc Lipschultz, and their families have teamed up with the Vinik Family to contribute to the program and ensure its continued success and lasting impact across the Tampa Bay community.
