MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning National Hockey League organization recently honored a MacDill Air Force Base dependent as their 27th Lightning Community Hero for the 2019-2020 season.
Jordan Jasper, who received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Heroes program, will donate half of the funds to the Tampa Bay History Center, while the other half will go toward a scholarship for his education.
As the child of a military family, Jasper grew up watching his parents serve others and volunteer in the community. Jasper began volunteering at the age of 11 and joined the teen court program of the Thirteenth Judicial Court of Hillsborough County when his family moved to Tampa.
Jasper trained as a teen attorney in criminal cases involving juvenile offenders, and his experience led him to apply to the Tampa Mayor's Youth Corps. Jasper currently serves on the Tampa Mayor's Youth Corps leadership council, where he engages in year-round initiatives to help alleviate poverty, homelessness and hunger in the community.
In addition to Jasper's involvement with the Tampa Mayor's Youth Corps, Jasper also serves as a teen volunteer at the Tampa Bay History Center. While volunteering at the Tampa Bay History Center, Jasper identified that senior citizens in the community are often unable to enjoy the History Center due to physical limitations and lack of transportation.
Jasper plans on launching a free museum outreach program, titled Memories for Life, which will bring authentic historical objects from the Tampa Bay History Center to seniors in assisted living facilities. Jasper's new initiative will include a team of teen volunteers and will provide seniors with intellectual, psychosocial and physical enrichment.
The Lightning Community Heroes Program is the signature philanthropic initiative of the Lightning Foundation and has been lauded for its innovative contributions through the sports community.
Since 2016, the Lightning Community Heroes of Tomorrow program has recognized inspiring public-spirited young people from the Tampa Bay community. The program’s goal is to identify young leaders and “change-makers” in local high schools, colleges and universities who are driving social change, making a positive impact in their community and who have come up with an idea or initiative that can benefit the greater Tampa Bay community.