The Lightning's Community Heroes program has "continued despite challenges in the postseason," and team Owner Jeff Vinik and his wife, Penny, decided for the Stanley Cup Final to "double the $200,000 donation they had been making for each round in which the Lightning plays," according to Mari Faiello of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. The $400,000 donated for the Stanley Cup Final appearance has been "divided among eight organizations," and each round's donation has had a "theme to acknowledge issues that have come up this year." In the first round, the foundation "chose nonprofits that have done a lot with social justice issues." Next, it "chose health care workers and four hospitals that have collaborated during the pandemic to help keep the Tampa Bay area safe." In the conference final, the donation "went to educators and was divided across seven counties to help with the adjustments instructors are having to make in the coronavirus world." For the Stanley Cup Final, the Lightning Foundation "recognized four areas to help improve racial equality and inclusion: education; workforce development and economic empowerment; police-community relations; and social services and humanitarian assistance." Two nonprofits in "each area received $100,000 to split" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 9/20).
FAMILY FIRST: In Tampa, John Romano noted while the NHL "might have been able to expedite" Vinik’s entry into Canada during the pandemic, the league "could not guarantee his family would get fast-tracked too." So Vinik watched Game 1 on TV instead. He said, "I wish I could tell you I was in Edmonton, and I wish I could tell you I was going to Edmonton. But it would have been hard to get my wife and kids in, and we’ve been in this together for 10 years now. So, I would just rather watch the games with them." Romano noted typically, the only time Vinik heads into the team's dressing room is "after they’ve won a playoff series." So to compensate for being away from the team, he has been talking to VP & GM Julien BriseBois "by phone every other day, and he's done a FaceTime call with coach Jon Cooper after the clinching game in each of the first three rounds" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 9/19).
