TAMPA, Fla. — Lightning Forward Alex Killorn wanted to do more than just shoot videos of himself passing the time during quarantine.
With the help of Lightning officials, Killorn started "Dock Talk," a series of Instagram videos featuring Killorn riding up to docks on his jet ski and chatting with teammates and other athletes in Tampa.
"I was only planning on doing one at first," Killorn said, in a Zoom interview. "Once it got rolling, people enjoyed it."
Killorn, a Harvard graduate, decided to sell "Dock Talk With Killer" T-shirts. The proceeds will benefit the Hillsborough Education Foundation.
"I think it’s really important to give back," said Killorn, the son of a teacher. "Especially to kids who don’t have the means to keep up with school."
Hillsborough Education Foundation CEO Kim Jowell is grateful to get an assist from a high-profile local athlete.
"The money is really nice, but I’m also really thankful for the platform that he’s given us to highlight the importance of education," Jowell said, via video chat. "We are specifically targeting the students that are the lowest performing in their schools, so that they have access first."
Killorn wants the money raised to give local students the same chances he had growing up.
"I just hope that with this money a lot of students who don’t have WiFi, who don’t have iPads, can keep up with school and finish the school year the right way," he said. "School for me was so important. It’s the reason why I think I’ve gotten where I am today. The route I took is a big part of that."
T-shirt sales have raised more than $48,000 so far.
