“It was a perfect night,” said Mark Barry, the Arc Nature Coast (TANC) CEO.
On Dec. 4, the Tampa Bay Lightning honored Barry as a Lightning Community Hero during the first period of Monday’s home game against the Dallas Stars. As part of this, Barry received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation in partnership with the international manufacturing company Jabil Incorporated. This money will be put towards improving and expanding The Arc. Barry, who is set to take a well-deserved retirement in 2024, was nominated by Nancy Stubbs, Chief Development Officer at TANC, for his decades of service to the non-profit.
“[Nancy] did it because… I’ve been with the organization a total of 44 years and I had helped the organization go through a lot of growth, changes, and improvements and just kind of had a lot of impact on the organization because I’ve been here for so long…” Barry said. “The nice thing is when it’s an internal hero that’s been nominated, the money goes to the organization that the individual is at.”
Barry and company already have a plan for where these funds are going, too. The Arc is in the process of constructing a new building on Neff Lake Road in east Hernando, but costs are ballooning due to the economic climate. So, this money is going to provide substantial assistance to the non-profit in its expansion efforts. This is critical for The Arc since it operates with the purpose of promoting and protecting the human rights of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Arc’s CEO was blown away by the Lightning’s hospitality and generosity. According to Barry, the foundation donates the same amount to various non-profits for every single home game. When he learned he would be honored by the Lightning, Barry thought he might simply receive a check in the mail. He was not expecting the sports organization to go all out in giving him and his guests a night to remember.
“They just do such a wonderful job of making it personal. They didn’t need to do all that. If they didn’t do any of that, the impact would still be tremendous on our communities, but they really treat the community hero in a very special way. I just found that touching… All of our guests in the suite just had a wonderful night. I was really touched just by that.”
Barry and up to 22 guests were invited to watch the evening’s matchup from a luxurious rink-side suite rented by Jabil. A personal video was also played for them during one of the breaks in action. Before the game, he and three others received a tour of Amelie Arena that included the locker room, a check presentation by Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, and an announcement during the game by Sergachev. While getting his photo taken with the defensive player, Barry told him, “Now you got to go win.”
“You got it,” Sergachev said. The Lightning proceeded to snap their four-game losing streak and blanked the Dallas Stars 4-0.
Looking ahead, Barry and TANC have an upcoming Christmas Dance this Friday, Dec. 15. Sponsored by Marker 48’s Brew Good Foundation, there will also be a guest appearance by Santa and Mrs. Clause at 7 p.m.. On Dec. 21, there will also be an Open House at The Arc Education Center that will feature an appearance by the jolly couple at noon. Both events will be free to attend.
