WFLA

Tampa Bay hockey clubs unite to raise money for injured player

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. (WFLA) — Several local hockey clubs in Tampa Bay have teamed up to support a player who was injured during a match on Tuesday.

Jenessa Jacobs is a member of the Tampa Bay Rum Runners and was playing in a game at AdventHealth Center Ice when she was injured.

“I ended up going into the boards with another guy and my leg absorbed the impact of both of us,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs broke both her tibia and fibula in one leg and severely injured the other one.

“My team, thank goodness most of them are actually nurses as their 9 to 5 jobs, they were right there with me to help get me stabilized until the ambulance showed up,” she said.

It is not only her hockey club showing support, but others have also spread the word to fundraise for Jacobs and her family.

“My husband’s out of work at the moment, and obviously can’t work as much as I want to with this injury,” she said.

She explained the local hockey teams do much more than just go head-to-head for matches, they also have each other’s backs and volunteer to give back to communities.

“My gratitude and appreciation to every single one of them,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs said she expects to undergo another surgery within the next week.

If you would like to donate, Tampa Bay Rum Runners has set up a GoFundMe page for Jenessa.