Tampa Bay Lightning player Alex Killorn has been using his time in quarantine to entertain fans through his Dock Talk Instagram Q&A show, while making a difference in our community with his limited-edition “Dock Talk with Killer” t-shirts that are being sold to raise funds for Hillsborough Education Foundation.
“Brian Breseman had been asking me to do a video for the fans, and I told him I wanted to do something different, something a little bit more interactive, Killorn said. “I was on my dock so I figured, I might as well do a Q&A with a fan on my jet ski— I just thought it would be funny.”
With appearances by several other players from the Lightning, Buccaneers and Rays, Killorn’s “Dock Talk with Killer” show proved to be a hit among fans and the community. After receiving an outpouring of support for the show, Killorn said he decided to use the extra buzz to help raise money in support of Hillsborough Education Foundation’s mission to strengthen public education and our work to support students and teachers in need—a cause he said is very important to him.
“Education has always been really important to me. I think it’s really important to give back, especially with kids who don’t have the means to keep up with school. School for me was so important,” said Killorn.
A Harvard graduate and son of a teacher, Killorn said he has been a longtime supporter of education programs and initiatives in Tampa. When he learned of Hillsborough Education Foundation’s work to provide resources and supplies to students and teachers in need, including recent efforts to close the digital divide for at-risk students who were learning from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Killorn said supporting the Foundation was a “no brainer.”
Hillsborough Education Foundation CEO Kim Jowell said HEF is incredibly grateful for a continued partnership with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Killorn’s amazing support with his “Dock Talk with Killer” shirts.
“We are so grateful to Alex for his support and desire to help us ensure students at our highest needs schools in Hillsborough County are equipped with the resources and supplies they need to succeed,” Jowell said. “One of our core beliefs is Equity of opportunity, because we understand the need to close the achievement gap for students by providing some of our most vulnerable students with additional support. This generous donation will help us continue our important work.”
With more than $48,000 raised, Killorn said he is proud of the success of the t-shirts and said the support from the community was beyond his imagination.
“I think we far exceeded our expectations in that we didn’t really know how many people were going to buy them, but there’s been a ton of support so far,” Killorn said. “It’s been a fun process seeing how much we can raise, but at some point we’re going to stop selling the shirts because we want to make these limited so the people that bought them really feel special for buying them.”
To purchase your exclusive Dock Talk shirt before sales end, visit TampaBaySports.com/DockTalk. For more information on ways to support Hillsborough Education Foundation’s mission to strengthen public education, visit EducationFoundation.com/WaysToDonate.
