Lightning, Mosaic To Host Food Drive Before April 10 Flyers Game And Present $84,000 'Goals For Food' Check At Game To Feeding America Tampa Bay And Other Local Food Banks

TAMPA BAY, Fla., April 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Tampa Bay Lightning and The Mosaic Company will partner this Thursday when the Bolts take on the Philadelphia Flyers at the Tampa Bay Times Forum to host a food drive to benefit Feeding America Tampa Bay. In addition the organizations announced that they will continue to partner for the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The first 1,500 fans to bring five non-perishable food items to Ford Thunder Alley at the Times Forum prior to Thursday's 7:30 p.m. game will receive a Lightning drawstring bag courtesy of Mosaic. During Thursday's contest the Lightning and Mosaic will present Feeding America Tampa Bay and other food bank partners with a check for $84,000 from the Goals for Food program, in which Mosaic donated $500 for each home game goal and $5,000 per hat trick this season to Feeding America Tampa Bay and 11 other local food banks. The check includes the Lightning's two pre-season home games, and the regular season through April. This total amount will help the organizations distribute roughly 588,000 meals to our hungry neighbors in need. 

"As Mosaic works to help grow the food the world needs, valuable partnerships such as Goals for Food with the Lightning ensures that essential food reaches the tables of those in need," said Bo Davis, Mosaic senior vice president of phosphate operations. "Ending hunger truly requires teamwork, and we are extremely proud to partner with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Feeding America Tampa Bay, and other food banks throughout our operating area to make a difference in our local communities."

"The Lightning are not only proud to be joining our great friends at Mosaic to make a donation to Feeding America Tampa Bay from the Goals for Food program, but we're also extremely excited that it will continue as we head into the Stanley Cup Playoffs," Lightning president Steve Griggs said. "We are extremely fortunate to have such great partners as Mosaic and Feeding America Tampa Bay."

"On behalf of the 700,000 who are hungry in our community today, we would like to thank our great partners, The Mosaic Company and the Lightning," said Thomas Mantz, executive director of Feeding America Tampa Bay. "With the tremendous support from the Goals for Food program, we increased visibility, awareness, and most importantly, provided nutritious meals to children and families in the Tampa Bay area."

About The Mosaic Company
The Mosaic Company is the world's largest combined producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash, two essential crop nutrients. Driven by its mission to help the world grow the food it needs, Mosaic is committed to strengthening global food security and protecting critical water resources. The Mosaic Company and The Mosaic Company Foundation make investments in and partner with best-of-class leaders in the focus areas of food, water and local community investments. More information about Mosaic is available at www.mosaicco.com.

Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment, LLC
The 2004 Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning and the leasehold rights to the Tampa Bay Times Forum were purchased by an entity controlled by Jeffrey Vinik in March, 2010. Shortly thereafter, Vinik also purchased the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League. Since acquiring these assets, Vinik has spearheaded a complete brand and business transformation of the teams and the arena under the banner of Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment, LLC. The organization's "Lightning Community Heroes" and "C.H.A.R.G.E." (Contributing Hours Across our Region through our Generous Employees) programs have become symbols of a community-first business approach.

About Feeding America Tampa Bay
Feeding America Tampa Bay makes a difference in the lives of thousands of people each week through its distribution to a partnership network of more than 600 faith-based and other non-profit hunger relief organizations. Receiving surplus food donations from growers, manufacturers, supermarkets and community food drives, Feeding America Tampa Bay supplied more than 35 million pounds of food to its 10-county service area in the past year - enough to provide more than 2 million meals every month to those who would otherwise go hungry. Feeding America Tampa Bay is a member of the national Feeding America network. www.feedingamericatampabay.org …because no one should go hungry.

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SOURCE The Mosaic Company