Lightning, Mosaic To Host Canned Food Drive Before Game

TAMPA, FL – While many people equate donating food with the holiday season, the need to feed the hungry in the Tampa Bay area goes on throughout the year.

For the past four years, the Tampa Bay Lightning and The Mosaic Company have partnered with Feeding Tampa Bay to help people who struggle with hunger. As a part of their work together, the three organizations will host a canned food drive before its game against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, March 30.

Beginning at 5 p.m. on Ford Thunder Alley, all fans who donate three canned goods or more will receive a co-branded drawstring bag courtesy of Mosaic. Monetary donations will also be accepted, as $1 provides 10 meals to those in need through Feeding Tampa Bay.

At last year’s food drive before a Tampa Bay Lightning game, volunteers collected more than 865 pounds of food and $1,189, which provided more than 12,615 meals in the Tampa Bay community. This year, organizers hope to provide more than 13,000 meals for people in need.

During the game, Mosaic will present a check in conjunction with the Goals For Food Program for a total of 470,000 to Feeding Tampa Bay and 13 other local food bank partners. In addition to Feeding Tampa Bay, this year’s donation recipients include All Faiths Food Bank, Cutting Edge Ministries, Feeding Florida, Hardee Help Center, Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida, Help of Fort Meade, Meals on Wheels of Tampa, Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee, Mulberry Community Service Center, Our Daily Bred of Bradenton, Thomas Promise Foundation, United Food Bank and Services of Plant City and Volunteers In Service To The Elderly.

Mosaic, the world’s leading producer of concentrated phosphate and potash, donates $500 per goal scored by the Lightning during each home game and $5,000 for every hat trick. The program will continue throughout the remainder of the Lightning’s regular season home schedule as well as during the 201-18 season.

“Mosaic is committed to helping end hunger in our local communities, and we are extremely proud to partner with the Lightning, Feeding Tampa Bay and other local food banks to make a difference,” said Walt Precourt, a senior vice president with Mosaic. “We support hunger relief efforts throughout the year, and the Goals for Food program is important because it get right to the heart of feeding the hungry in our local communities while also helping to increase awareness about this critical need.”

Feeding Tampa Bay is the largest food rescue and distribution organization in the Tampa Bay area, serving a food-insecure population of more than 700,000 in a 10-county area. Feeding Tampa Bay recovers surplus food donations from local growers, manufacturers, supermarkets and organized community food drives. The organization distributes the food to people in need through a partnership network of more than 500 faith-based and other incorporated nonprofit hunger relief organizations.

Patch staff photo