SEMINOLE, Fla. — A community is coming together to support the lightning strike survivor Tampa Bay 28 told you about last month.
30-year-old Travis Kurtz was struck outside a pizza shop in Seminole, changing his life forever.
WATCH: 'Don’t be a Florida Man — I’ve already done it': Community rallies behind lightning strike survivor
On Sunday afternoon, the owner held a fundraiser to help support him in his recovery.
As part of our commitment to following up on stories, our Tampa Bay reporter, Annette Gutierrez, returned to speak with family and friends.
From raffles and games to music and classic cars, dozens of people came out to Rizzotto’s Pizzeria to rally behind the man who survived.
"It’s really refreshing to see, to be honest with you — restored the faith and humanity for sure," said Kurtz.
Kurtz is counting his lucky stars, with a new outlook on life, after surviving a rare act of Mother Nature.
"I’m happy to have a second outlook at life, and I'm happy to have the chance to do it," said Kurtz.
For a while, he lost his ability to walk, talk, and move.
"I didn't know if I'd ever had the chance to live a nice normal functioning life and the fact I am, I’m taking advantage of every second of it," said Kurtz.
Kurtz trusted only us to share his survival story — and that was about three weeks ago.
Since then, his family has nicknamed him the “Florida Man” — and now, they’ve even made T-shirts to prove it.
"It was something that we thought would be kind of a brighter way to look at a very bad situation," said Kurtz.
On August 18, while making his rounds as the property manager of this complex, Kurtz was struck by lightning. Mark Rizzotto, the pizza shop owner, was the one who found him. And once people learned about the accident, they began checking in.
"They were calling me and thanking me, friends, family, strangers were coming in and thanking me," said Rizzotto. "So when I started noticing that,I'm like, we gotta get some people together and, and have something for this kid… and you know, it's nice, it gives him support too."
Sponsors like Middle Grounds Grill, Snappers Sea Grill, 1200 Chophouse, United Rentals, and Sunny Sip helped make the fundraiser come to life on Sunday.
Approximately 200 community members attended to support Kurtz and his family, along with the first responders who helped save him.
"Travis and Jess, as we’ve gotten to know them, they’re about as good a people as you can get, and so I’m sure they have a lot of medical bills from all of this so we just wanted to help them out in any way we could," said Taylor Tillinger, Kurtz's neighbor, who came to show support.
Everyone is grateful that Kurtz survived.
"It’s a miracle from God that he’s here, and I could not be more thankful," said Allison French, a family member. "It was the most insane thing I've ever heard. I couldn't believe it. I've lived here my whole life. I've never known anyone to get struck by lightning. It sounds like a crazy thing. It's something that only happens in movies."
Kurtz said he feels humbled and overwhelmed knowing so many people are rallying behind him.
"It’s really great that - to know not only have I made an impact on them, but such a positive one, and I just want to continue doing that," said Kurtz.
After all of this, Kurtz and his family have learned not to underestimate the weather — even when it’s just sprinkling.
"We are not invincible in Florida - even if it's sprinkling out, there's still the chance of something happening," said Jess French, Kurtz's girlfriend. "I mean, we're all still going to run out in the rain, but if you if you can be cautious, be cautious."
"Don't be a Florida man," said Kurtz. "I've already done it for you.
For more information on the GoFundMe to support his recovery, click here.
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Annette Gutierrez knows safety is important for every community. She’s focused on finding solutions and getting results for both crime and our roads. She takes pride in sharing stories from Sarasota and Manatee counties, so send Annette tips on how she can help.
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