Chris Godwin, Jr. Named Tampa Bay Lightning Community Hero: Team Godwin Foundation Receives $50,000 Grant
There’s a reason Mariah and Chris Godwin have always felt at home in Tampa Bay, and it goes far beyond what he’s done on the football field.
On April 21, during a Tampa Bay Lightning playoff game at Benchmark, the Lightning Foundation honored the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver as a Lightning Community Hero, presented by Jabil. In front of thousands of fans, the Lightning awarded the Team Godwin Foundation a $50,000 grant in recognition of Mariah and Chris Godwin’s unwavering commitment to the Tampa Bay community.
The standing ovation said it all.
More Than a Player
Chris Godwin has always believed that showing up for your community is part of the job. In 2018, he and his wife Mariah founded the Team Godwin Foundation with a mission rooted in two deeply personal causes: Supporting at-risk youth and giving animals a second chance.
Since then, Team Godwin has grown into a meaningful force in Tampa Bay, running programs that help cover life-saving veterinary treatments for shelter animals, provide relief and resources for pets and families in the wake of natural disasters, providing field trip experiences for youth experiencing homelessness, and much more. Their advocacy work ensures and every dog and young person has someone in their corner.
What the $50,000 Will Fund
This grant isn’t just a recognition. It’s fuel for real, tangible impact in the lives of Tampa Bay residents.
Team Godwin Foundation plans to put the $50,000 to work in two meaningful ways:
Back-to-School Block Party with Friends of Joshua House
Team Godwin will partner with Friends of Joshua House to host a Back-to-School Block Party for youth in foster care. Joshua House has served Florida’s most vulnerable children for decades, providing safe housing and wraparound support. This event will bring joy, resources, and community to young people who need it most, right here in Tampa Bay.
Sponsoring a Service Dog Through K9s for Warriors
In a beautiful intersection of their animal welfare and human service missions, Team Godwin Foundation will sponsor a service dog (rescued directly from a shelter, of course) through K9s for Warriors, the nation’s largest provider of service dogs to military veterans suffering from PTSD. The rescued dog won’t just find a home. They’ll become a lifeline for a veteran who has sacrificed so much for this country.
Tampa Bay, Thank You
The Tampa Bay Lightning Community Hero program has celebrated more than 630 heroes and distributed over $34 million to nonprofits across the region since 2011. Being named among that group is an honor that Mariah and Chris carry with deep gratitude.
To the Lightning Foundation, to every fan who cheered in that arena, and to this community that has given so much to the Godwins, thank you. This recognition belongs to every dog that found a second chance, every young person who felt seen, and every volunteer who showed up.
The work continues. And with this investment, it goes even further.
