TAMPA – Tampa Bay Lightning players Jake Guentzel, Erik Cernak, Zemgus Girgensons and Mikey Eyssimont, along with team mascot ThunderBug, visited AdventHealth Tampa’s Pediatric Unit on Oct. 1 as part of the Community Kickoff Day celebration.
This event highlights the Patch with a Purpose initiative, which expands the NHL team’s impact off the ice and into the Tampa Bay community.
As part of the initiative, the players wore white road jerseys featuring the new AdventHealth patch, the first purpose-driven jersey in the NHL. The program supports critical local nonprofits, with a focus on promoting wellness and community health throughout the region.
During their visit, Guentzel, Cernak, Girgensons, Eyssimont and ThunderBug interacted with patients and families, signed autographs, took photos and gave out the newest version of “Buddy Bears” that don the team’s new away jerseys with the AdventHealth logo.
“We were honored to have the Lightning players bring some joy to our young patients,” said Sandra Burnetter, pediatric services director at AdventHealth Tampa. “This visit was a wonderful reminder of how community partnerships like Patch with a Purpose help uplift the spirits of children and families during their hospital stay.”
As the Official Health and Wellness Partner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, AdventHealth aims to promote a healthier, more active and more engaged community.
