The Tampa Bay Lightning honored PDQ Co-Founder and Principal Owner Bob Basham as the second Lightning Community Hero this season during the first period of the January 15 game against the Chicago Blackhawks. Basham, who received a $50,000 donation from the
Lightning Foundation and the
Lightning Community Heroes program, presented by Jabil, will donate the money to the
Boys & Girls Club Foundation,
First Tee of Tampa Bay,
MacDonald Training Center and
Gigi’s Playhouse.
Basham, the co-founder of Outback Steakhouse, PDQ and Glory Days Grill Florida, has long served as a top philanthropist in the Tampa Bay Area for many years, including sitting on several boards that make big impacts in the community. He’s been an active advocate for Metropolitan Ministries for many years, helping families in need of food and household supplies. Basham is also involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay, the Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation and many other local charitable organizations.
Since Basham started in the restaurant business nearly 50 years ago, he’s lived by the mantra “To whom much is given, much is expected." Thanks to his charitable spirit, Tampa Bay has become a better place because of his commitment to helping those in need.
Basham becomes the 413th Lightning Community Hero since Jeff and Penny Vinik introduced the Lightning Community Hero program in 2011-12 with a $10 million, five-season commitment to the Tampa Bay community. The Lightning Foundation has granted $21.6 million to more than 750 different nonprofits in the Greater Tampa Bay area. During the summer of 2016, the Vinik's announced that the community hero program will give away another $10 million over the next five seasons.