Over the past 45 years, McGowan has dedicated his life to family law. As a private practitioner, he could always be counted on to volunteer his time to take family law cases pro bono. After retiring from private practice, McGowan started full time as an attorney at Community Law Program. During his time at Community Law, he has impacted the lives of many clients in positive ways. Many cases he has represented have resulted in positive outcomes thanks to McGowan's tireless and relentless efforts of providing outstanding representation to vulnerable clients. McGowan continues to make an impact on the lives of countless children; work that he says is extraordinary and life-affirming.
The grant tonight will be used to expand Community Law Program's Family Law Litigation Project. This project provides representation for vulnerable residents who are involved in family law proceedings. Many of the clients helped through this program are victims of domestic violence or are currently homeless or on the verge of being homeless. By the end of 2022, Community Law Program will have assisted 100 people through this program, with 75% of them successfully initiating their cases in court.
McGowan became the 472nd 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 $24.7 million to more than 600 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.
