Despite Sunday's Loss, Lightning Fever Remains High

TAMPA, FL -- The only thing better than cheering on the Lightning is supporting the community while doing so.

Join #Boltsborough County Tuesday, May 15, for Do Good Tuesday, as Hillsborough County teams up with the Lightning to collect food donations at Joe Chillura Courthouse Square from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in downtown Tampa.

Hockey fans, residents, visitors and downtown workers are urged to wear Bolts blue as they drop off their nonperishable food donations and help fill the painted Lightning logo with donations for Feeding Tampa Bay to deliver to families in need.

In exchange for a nonperishable food donation, donors will receive Lightning swag and a choice of lunch from Papa John’s Pizza or Sonny’s BBQ.

The Lightning Girls, Rolling Thunder and ThunderBug will be on hand for photos and dancing as the community prepares to cheer on the Tampa Bay Lightning at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., Tuesday night at 8 p.m. in the Lightning's second face-off with the Capitals in the Eastern Conference Finals.

In case of inclement weather, the food drive will be moved to the lobby of County Center, located directly across the street from Joe Chillura Courthouse Square.

After dropping of your food donations, head to the official Lightning watch party in Ybor City.

From 6 to 11 p.m., fans can watch Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final on three giant screens located throughout in Centro Ybor and other locations along 7th Avenue.

Food and bevarages will be available at local restaurants and bars.

Parking will be a flat rate of $5 in the garage and $1 an hour in the flat-rate parking lots.

The watch party for Game 4 on Thursday, May 17 will be at Curtis Hixon Park, 600 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa, from to 6 to 11 p.m. In addition to three giant screens to watch the game, the park will have food and beer trucks available.

Watch parties also will take place at:

· Franklin Manor, 912 N. Franklin St., Tampa

· Largo Central Park, 101 Central Park Drive, Largo.

If you know of another watch party, let us know and we’ll add it to our list, dann.white@patch.com.

Image via Hillsborough County