Tampa Bay Lightning fan groups have become hockey ambassadors

During these hard times, several Tampa Bay Lightning fan groups have emerged as hockey ambassadors by helping others in need.

There are some notions across the world that hockey shouldn’t be played in warm weather cities. There are also some naysayers that believe there are no “real” hockey fans in the south. These old time ideals have long been proven to be false as time has passed. Two groups representing the Tampa Bay Lightning have gone above and beyond in not only being loyal fans but spreading hockey love to their communities.

The Thunder Bolts are a group created by Thomas Schooley, a life long hockey fan and Lightning fan since the team started playing in 1992. Thomas didn’t get to go to his first live game until 2001, when he scored free tickets through a Sunoco gas station promotion.

Through his experience as a Florida based hockey fan, he created the group five seasons ago to help people see the game without spending a fortune and help fans with the information on how to meet Lightning players. What it all turned into became so much more.

“I had the audience and meet so many great people through games and the fan group that I wanted to do something with underprivileged kids and hockey.” – Thomas

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Pucks With A Purpose is a non profit organization set up by Thomas with help from a few members of the Thunder Bolts group. The organization was set up to help children play hockey that normally would not be able to play in an overall effort to make Florida more of a hockey town.

The Thunder Bolts fan group and Pucks With a Purpose have raised over $15,000 through Lightning inspired fundraisers. The various fundraisers have raised money for Sonya Bryson’s charity Voices Of Hope, the Ryan Callahan Foundation, the Mac & Millsy Kancer Jam, and Seats for Service at Amalie Arena, amongst other events. The group has even donated baby baskets to players whose wives were expecting.

So far, Pucks With A Purpose has successfully set up one underprivileged child with full hockey gear and league dues to play through two seasons now. After being told by his mother that she couldn’t afford to send him to hockey, the non profit organization stepped in to assist and make his young dream come true. Not only was the family appreciative of the efforts, the young man’s team won the Ice Plex Rec League championship last season.

Thomas is currently working with more local rinks to set up more success stories like this. These opportunities for children to play weren’t available when Thomas was younger so he wants to give back and give as many hockey kids a chance to succeed in Florida. “Only 11 Florida born players have made it to the NHL and I want Florida to be known as a powerhouse even for hockey,” says Thomas Schooley.

“The word Tampa means sticks of fire in the language of Calusa, which is a native American tribe that once lived south of where Tampa Bay now is.” – Mary Bryant

Sticks of Fire is a large group created by Sean Ruane, Michael Tully and Kent Glisson. What started out as a small gathering of passion and loud hockey fans at a preseason game six seasons ago turned into what is now a strong group of huge Lightning fans.

“You can’t surround yourself with too many good people,” says Rob Lewis. Rob and his wife Christine handle all the cooking in what has now become iconic tailgates in the parking lot of Amalie Arena.

There’s a huge set up with a large tent and welcomed to anyone who is attending the game day festivities. A huge party before the game and starting point of the gameday experience. Tailgates get upwards of 200 people on any given gameday depending on who can make it that given day and grows more in the playoffs.

Marches to the Match is the group trail from the tailgate zone down Channelside Drive and into Thunder Alley. The passionate fans chant, wave their flags and signs cheering for their beloved Bolts all the whole way through to the Lightning Bolts statue, with the last stop of a customary fist bump to Esposito’s statue and then enter the arena.

Section 307 in Amalie Arena is the main home for most of the SoF members. Their main objective is to bring true home ice advantage and cheer on their team loudly and proudly throughout the game. Bringing energy to the arena win or lose makes for a great fan experience at any given game in and around that section specifically. A tie knit group that also travels to road games together.

“Now we have extended family at the games and we get 41+ reunions every year,” says Kent Glisson.

Sticks of Fire give back to the community by bringing foster parents and foster children to games. Working with Heart Gallery of Tampa, they have sponsored more than 10 foster children and different groups of families to their first games and hook them to the beautiful sport of hockey.

Through fundraising and one big donation of a 50/50 raffle winner who gave back directly towards this cause, they have provided locker room tours, attendance to morning practice sessions, game tickets, team gear, food, and of course, the full SoF game day experience. Chicks of Fire is a subdivision of Sticks Of Fire that had a bake sale with the proceeds creating 41 duffle bags fill of necessities and donating them to local churches for distribution to foster children.

They hold one big fundraiser a year and various small ones throughout the year. They have donated towards Wreaths Across America, which raises money to have wreaths placed at local cemeteries for fallen servicemen and women, canned food drives and other causes that help various causes in the area.

“I’m part of something where people from all different walks of life get together to make a difference in the lives of others,” says Kimberly Smith.

Whether Lightning fans are part of one of these groups or both, these amazing people go to great lengths to spread the love for hockey, their team, their communities and their cities. The Lightning team was the main driver that brought these people together that would have never met otherwise, and they continue to grow their extended families and the beautiful game of hockey in Tampa.

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The Lightning organization have recognized their efforts on many occasions and have assisted in some of the causes. There are real hockey fans in warm climate cities, and these wonderful people create more and more hockey fans every year.

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