Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 2-2-16

Local
Lightning Chairman Brings Hockey To
Ferrell Girls Preparatory Academy
Tampa Bay Lightning chairman Jeff Vinik, United States Women’s National Team member and Olympic Silver Medalist Anne Schleper, Hillsborough County Public Schools Superin- tendent Jeff Eakins and Hillsborough County Public Schools Di- rector of K-12 S.T.E.M. Education Division of Curriculum and Instruction Larry Plank were at Ferrell Girls Preparatory Acad- emy on Friday, January 22, 2016 for an all day Street Hockey Clinic.
The street hockey clinics were led by 2004 Stanley Cup Cham- pion, Jassen Cullimore and Schleper. A group of 85 students from the school described the Build the Thunder and Equip the Thunder programs while also discussing the Future Goals-Hockey Scholar program. All 489 girls at the school received a hockey stick, ball and a Lightning BOGO ticket voucher.
The Lightning, in conjunction with the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association, is investing more than $6 million over the next five years to grow the game of hockey and teach life skills lessons to Tampa Bay’s young people.
The Lightning have introduced five separate, five-year initiatives under the Build the Thunder umbrella:
* Equip the Thunder - distributing 100,000 street hockey sticks and balls to primarily third through fifth graders through an extensive school outreach program
* Train the Thunder - offering 10,000 hours of progressive training opportunities for players and coaches
* Develop the Thunder - increasing the number of youth players (7-13 year olds) registered with USA Hockey in the Tampa Bay area by 1,000
* Guide the Thunder - utilizing Lightning players, coaches and alumni as life skills mentors to identify and work with 100 at- risk youth from diverse backgrounds
* Create the Thunder - establishing 10 junior varsity hockey programs for aspiring high school hockey players
(Photographs by BRUNSON)
Ferrell students, Ashleigh, Naeemah, Kaitlyn and Alexis.
Ferrell students in Lightning shirts with their hockey sticks: Jamecia, Victoria and Sarah.
Ferrell Assistant Principal, Carla White Sunday.
Chairman Vinik presents Supt. Eakins with his Lightning shirt.
JeffVinikwasatFerrellGirlsPreparatory School for a street hockey clinic.
United States Women’s National Team member and Olympic Silver Medalist, Anne Schleper.
Ferrell students Shenae, Conslee, Adriana and Paris.
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