Community Foundation Tampa Bay is proud to celebrate fundholder Genevieve Lykes Dimmitt, or Vevie as we know her, for being named a Tampa Bay Lightning Foundation Community Hero. This honor recognizes individuals whose service has made a meaningful and lasting difference, and few embody that spirit more fully than Vevie. As part of the Community Hero recognition, each honoree receives a $50,000 grant from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Hero program, to be directed to the charitable organizations they choose.
Vevie’s leadership is rooted in courage, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to helping others. Through Love IV Lawrence, an endowment fund at Community Foundation Tampa Bay, she has transformed personal loss into a powerful movement for mental health awareness, education, and suicide prevention. Her work has helped shift conversations, reduce stigma, and ensure that more people across Tampa Bay know they are not alone.
“Vevie’s impact is profound and deeply human,” said Marlene Spalten, President and CEO of Community Foundation Tampa Bay. “She leads with honesty, empathy, and purpose, and her work has changed lives across our region. This recognition reflects not only her dedication, but the hope and healing she has helped bring to so many families.”
Love IV Lawrence was created in memory of Vevie’s son, Lawrence Hundley Dimmitt, IV, who was lost to suicide in 2017. From the beginning, Vevie chose openness over silence, believing that honest conversations save lives. That belief has guided everything she has built. Under her leadership, Love IV Lawrence has expanded access to mental health education, supported local nonprofits, and empowered thousands of individuals with tools to recognize and respond to mental health challenges.
One of the organization’s most significant areas of impact has been mental health education. Love IV Lawrence has helped certify more than 8,000 people in Mental Health First Aid through partnerships with Community Foundation Tampa Bay, Directions for Living, Humana Health Care, St. Petersburg College, Safe & Sound Hillsborough, and Kate Spade New York Foundation. These efforts equip educators, caregivers, students, and community members with practical skills to recognize and respond to mental health challenges and support individuals in crisis.
Beyond education, Love IV Lawrence has also championed local nonprofits working on the front lines of mental health and suicide prevention. Since 2019, the organization’s competitive grants program has provided over $745,000 in funding to fifty-five local nonprofits supporting stigma reduction, suicide prevention, and mental health and compassion resilience. These efforts reflect Vevie’s belief that community impact is greatest when organizations work together with shared purpose.
“Vevie does not seek recognition,” Spalten added. “She shows up quietly and consistently for others, offering support, leadership, and generosity. Her ability to bring people together around difficult conversations, while keeping compassion at the center, is what makes her such a deserving Community Hero.”
The Lightning Hero Award also celebrates momentum. Love IV Lawrence continues to expand its reach and deepen its impact, engaging over 10,000 community members through educational panels, art exhibitions, Mental Health First Aid trainings, and its signature mental health awareness event, Reeling in Stigma. Now in its sixth year, Reeling in Stigma brings the community together to engage in honest conversations about mental health, reduce stigma, and strengthen connections among families, professionals, and advocates. The upcoming event reflects the same spirit that defines Vevie’s work: education, collaboration, and hope for a healthier future.
As shared by Love IV Lawrence, this recognition represents more than a moment of celebration. It represents collective effort, shared belief, and forward movement. Volunteers, partners, supporters, and advocates have all played a role in turning compassion into action and expanding access to mental health resources across our region.
Vevie Dimmitt’s Lightning Hero Award is a powerful reminder of what is possible when generosity meets courage. Her work continues to inspire meaningful change, strengthen our community, and honor a legacy rooted in love, honesty, and connection.
Community Foundation Tampa Bay is honored to steward the Love IV Lawrence fund and to celebrate Vevie’s extraordinary leadership. We join the Tampa Bay community by congratulating her on this well-earned recognition and thanking her for the hope she continues to bring to so many.
To learn more about Love IV Lawrence, visit loveivlawrence.org. To learn more about the upcoming Reeling in Stigma event, visit ReelinginStigmaVI.eventbrite.com.
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