Florida Blue, Jacksonville, Florida: Bolts & Blue Faceoff Against Hunger

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Bolts and Blue Faceoff Against Hunger was created to combat food insecurity in a community of need.  The partnership between Florida Blue and the Tampa Bay Lightning (Bolts) enables both organizations to make positive impacts on greater Tampa Bay while also involving great community partners; in this case, Feeding Tampa Bay and the University Area Community Development Corporation (UACDC). 

According to a 2021 estimation from Feeding Tampa Bay, Tampa’s regional Feeding America affiliate, more than 1.3 million Bay area community members are “food-insecure”. Bolts & Blue Faceoff Against Hunger originated with the question; how can Tampa’s professional hockey team and their exclusive health insurer, Florida’s premier health insurance provider, work together to combat the growing issue in our community? The 2022 version of what’s blossomed into an annual event was hosted Saturday, December 17th, at the UACDC in North Tampa, a community center located at the heart of an at-risk population, and one that underscores the impacts of food insecurity. 

At the core of any food insecurity event is food donation, providing groceries and ingredients for guests to take home and feed their families, however, Bolts and Blue takes that platform and dramatically escalates the experience, learnings, and memories for all guests in attendance. On-site, guests participated in a plethora of games provided by Florida Blue, including hockey accuracy competitions on an inflatable dartboard, cornhole, Jenga, Connect 4, and other yard games, then took home their own jump rope. The Lightning provided guests with a ball hockey experience, setting-up a full-sized outdoor rink and providing lessons, in addition to a take home ball and stick. Guests also benefitted from complimentary haircuts, and financial literacy information provided by another Lightning partner, Chase Bank. As the holidays approached, a themed photography backdrop was provided for families to get their pictures taken, and co-branded wrapping paper was provided for parents to wrap their children’s gifts free of charge. The Lightning’s mascot, Thunderbug, engaged with guests throughout the day as well. 

As opposed to a simple food distribution, Bolts and Blue also provided on-site meals, educational demonstrations for guests to bring home, and a variety of health and wellness resources, expanding the impact of the event. Lightning team chefs prepared on-site meals for all in attendance, provided demonstrations teaching cooking skills, cutting techniques, and kitchen safety. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provided information on their offerings while Florida Blue nurses offered nutritional information for children and adults. The event also featured complimentary eye exams for children via the Glazer Family Foundation. All these features were followed by the distribution of a full family meal from Feeding Tampa Bay in an insulated cooler bag to keep the meal cold, regardless of the guests’ travel circumstances. Guests also went home with several complimentary cooking utensils; a co-branded oven mitt, meat thermometer, cutting boards, and recipe cards for future family meals. 

Ultimately, nearly 350 meals were distributed through the partner event, and as the event has grown every year since its inception, the expectation is a larger, more impactful event in late 2023.