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This year marks 20 years of SBT and the family companies celebrating Thanksgiving in North Greenwood! This annual tradition is one of the most notable celebrations in our community and one that our family looks forward to every year. Hundreds of people gather to eat food that is catered by SBT. All are welcome and the food is free to anyone who attends. The celebration is always marked by announcements and words of gratitude from community leaders. This year, there was a special demonstration from the Shihan Walter Evans School of Survival, A youth karate organization that SBT sponsors. Greg Pickren, owner of SBT, expressed his gratitude: We are extremely grateful for the community that surrounds SBT and our Clearwater companies. We have had long-standing partnerships with the community leaders who encourage our neighborhood to be safe and supportive for our youth. Our community has made our businesses successful and we are honored to be able to give back to the community in this way. Thank you to our employees and the community members who graciously volunteered their time to make our annual Thanksgiving dinner a success. This is a tradition we hope to continue for 20 more years!
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This fall, our Clearwater companies have been able to continue our corporate partnership with three Pinellas County Schools in several meaningful ways. Oftentimes school budgets do not fully cover expenses that public schools have for their students and teachers. Items like food, uniform clothing, school spirit swag, and rewards for good behavior are often not approved by federal and state funds. SBT, Watercraft Superstore, and HydroTurf are combining their efforts to help fill this gap for three local schools close to the factories.  SBT, Hydrotuf, and Watercraft Superstore have made several donations to Skycrest Elementary. In September, the companies donated breakfast from Panera to support a teacher appreciation day. In the beginning of the school year, teachers were asked to create wishlists of items they needed for their classroom. The companies purchased many items off the teacher wishlists, including rewards for good behavior and clickers to advance slides when teachers are presenting content to their students.
In November, the companies sponsored a Veterans Day breakfast to welcome the volunteers who shared their experiences about serving our country with the Skycrest Elementary students.  At Sandy Lane Elementary, students were in need of extra clothes for their uniform closet. SBT, Watercraft Superstore, and HydroTurf donated several shirts and shorts, so that students could have clothes that looked good and fit well. At Calvin Hunsinger School, teachers were in need of some school spirit! In addition to the snacks that were donated at the beginning of the year, the Clearwater companies purchased t-shirts for the entire staff. The Clearwater companies are proud to support public schools and show appreciation to the teachers who work hard to make a positive difference in our community.  We are proud to announce our partnership for the 2023-2024 school year with three local schools in Clearwater, Florida. SBT, HydroTurf, and Watercraft Superstore have joined forces to sponsor three local schools near the factories: Sandy Lane Elementary, Skycrest Elementary, and Calvin Hunsinger School. The companies began the partnership by donating snacks for teachers and staff for professional development in-service days.  The leadership team at Sandy Lane Elementary gathers for a picture to thank Watercraft Superstore for their yummy treats.  Sandy Lane Elementary is an arts integration school that focuses on incorporating visual and performing arts into the general education classroom. The school serves students in grades K-5 and is categorized as a Title 1 school, meaning that a large percentage of the students it serves live at or below the poverty level. This year the school's goal is to ensure that all scholars are provided with challenging, rigorous, relevant, and standards-based education in a positive and safe learning environment.  Skycrest Elementary teachers gather for a picture to thank SBT and HydroTurf for their snacks and drinks!   Skycrest Elementary School is a Leader in me school, meaning they focus on Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Happy Kids. These life-long lessons teach students how to be proactive, manage conflict, and plan for their future. This year, Skycrest elementary's School Improvement Plan includes key strategies focused on effective leadership, student achievement, high-quality instructional practices, and family/community engagement. Skycrest Elementary is also clasified a Title 1 school.  Last but certainly not least, Calvin Hunsinger School, is a school for Exceptional Education students in grades K-12. Most of the students who attend the school have sensory, emotional, or behavioral challenges. The school uses positive behavior supports and trauma-informed care to prepare the students for their futures. The school also has Title 1 status and all 115 of their students receive breakfast and lunch at no cost. Sage Pickren, Director of Community Outreach, comments on the partnership: Our companies are excited to continue this partnership with our local public schools. We hope that our donations throughout the school year make the teachers in our community feel appreciated and creates learning environments where students can thrive. Back in January, Marine Mat sponsored a C.A.S.T. for Kids event in Charlotte Harbor, Florida. This foundation organizes fishing trips for children with disabilities, who might not otherwise get to experience being out on the water. Marine Mat donated over $1,000 worth of product to make the event special for children and the volunteers. Thank you so much for putting on this amazing event. Not all special needs events are “special” but you all have gone the extra mile to give us a great experience where these kids felt honored and valued. Your generosity and kindness is so appreciated.    Back in February, SBT sponsored the Clearwater Open hosted by the Shihan School of Survival, one of SBT's longtime community partners. The tournament occurred this summer and was a huge success! Walter Evans, program director, expressed his gratitude to SBT: We at Shihan School of Survival are so appreciative for all you've done for us here at our martial arts program to better our youth in our communities. We had a chance because of SBT to order some amazing looking trophies that everyone was proud to compete for.   HydroTurf continued their support of Lighthouse for the Blind and Low Vision by hosting students for a factory tour on June 30th, 2023. Lighthouse has a Transitions for Teens program, which prepares blind and visually impaired teens for the responsibilities of adulthood. The program focuses on job readiness, social interactions, and independent living skills. As part of the program, the Lighthouse students toured the HydroTurf factory to learn about factory operations and the job skills that are required to perform certain roles in the company.  During the tour, the Lighthouse students participated in three stations. Stephen Tackney, HydroTurf General Manger, presented about the history of the company and shared about the types of products HydroTurf manufactures. He also described the characteristics he looks for when hiring employees and emphasized to the teenagers the importance of being on time to work and having a positive attitude.  The HydroTurf Sales Manger, JC, volunteers with Lighthouse outside of work and is our connection to the program. During the tour, he guided students through a sorting and counting station, where the teenagers experienced a typical factory workstation. They practiced counting spare pieces of mat and sorting them into bins for resale. He also showed the students the sew shop and the different fabrics and threads that are used to make PWC seat covers.   During the third station, students learned about how the factory’s inventory is stored, organized, and transported. They also learned about the groover machine that creates the traction on the mats. Students were able to match up different mat patterns to their stencils and learn about one of the most important steps in HydroTurf's manufacturing process.   Last, but definitely not least, all the HydroTurf employees and students gathered for a pizza lunch and received goody bags of HydroTurf swag. Sue Glaser, Transition Coordinator for Lighthouse, expressed her gratitude after the visit: We can't thank you and your team enough for giving our students such a warm welcome and informative, behind-the-scenes tour of Hydro-Turf! Everyone there was so thoughtful and friendly. They really made our group feel welcomed and comfortable. We heard many positive comments from students on the way back and they loved going through their goody bags. The hats look so great! We are trying to talk them all into wearing one next time we have a field trip (so we can find them all easily!). We greatly appreciate all the time it took you to create stations for our students to get the full experience and end the day with a delicious pizza lunch! As part of our continued partnership with Clothes to Kids, Marine Mat recently sponsored their fundraising event. Clothes to Kids is an exceptional nonprofit organization dedicated to providing new and quality used clothing, free of charge, to low-income or crisis-affected school-age children. This partnership is especially meaningful to our companies as Kimberly Pickren, the wife of Marine Mat owner, Greg Pickren, has volunteered regularly for Clothes to Kids for more than 8 years. She explains why the organization is important to her: Every child deserves the opportunity to feel confident and comfortable at school. By providing kids with the clothing they need and a friendly shopping environment, students can focus on their academics and enjoy school. Teens in the Lighthouse for the Blind & Low Vision's Transition Program went kayaking with WayneAdventures and they had quite the adventure! Sue Glaser, transition coordinator, shared about the experience, "From manatees sniffing boats and swimming in between us, to practicing water rescues and paddling hard against the strong winds, students worked on a lot of skills and had a great time. We were grateful to enjoy a delicious lunch of wraps, fruit, and cookies afterwards thanks to HydroTurf! We appreciate all the support from the amazing Tampa Bay Community!!"  Dane Mosny, Palm Harbor University High School student and son of WCSS manager, Stephanie Mosny, expresses his gratitude about the donation: FEAST is an organization that collects food and donates it to families around Pinellas county. Thanks to your help, we were able to do that by collecting more than 100 food items and raised more than $400 to donate to FEAST. I want to thank you personally for participating in this food drive and giving back to the community.  SEI generously donated a lower unit, with a retail value of $1,500, to Wishing and Fishing. Wishing and Fishing is an organization dedicated to providing fishing and wildlife educational outings for children diagnosed with cancer, blood disorders, debilitating diseases, and children who are living in adverse conditions. SEI’s donation will help Wishing and Fishing maintain their boats, ensuring they can continue to provide safe and enjoyable experiences for children out on the water!  Greg Pickren (right) poses for a photo with the lower unit donated to Wishing and Fishing HydroTurf Sponsors Students in the Lighthouse for the Blind & Low Vision Transition Program4/5/2023 Students in the Lighthouse for the Blind & Low Vision (LBLV) Transition Program participated in a charity event on April 1 for the American Lung Association of Florida: Tampa Bay. HydroTurf donated $500 to the program to sponsor the team and provide a well-deserved pizza lunch following the event. The annual Fight for Air Climb is a stair climb race up the 42-story Bank of America Plaza in downtown Tampa. Thirteen Transition Program students climbed the building and/or raised money at the event with their fundraising business, Braille With Vision. The Lighthouse Transition team, "Are we there yet?", raised a total of $1,926 for the ALA of Florida: Tampa Bay! Many of the students have been training since January, climbing the 914 steps of the building during Saturday practice climbs. Teachers and volunteers climbed with students during the race to provide sighted guide assistance if needed. Two students placed in the top 30 out of 300 climbers and both placed first in their respective age groups!!  Thanks to the generous support of HydroTurf, all students and team members received an official "Are we there yet?" team shirt and a celebratory lunch at Eddie & Sam's NY Pizza after the event. The HydroTurf Sales Manager, JC, was introduced to the sport of stair climbing by climbing alongside one of the Transition students. Many people do not even know that stairclimbing is a sport, yet alone how difficult it is! LBLV Transition students gained valuable skills contributing to the community, managing a fundraising campaign, building confidence, and budgeting money at a local restaurant. Together, HydroTurf and Lighthouse for the Blind & Low Vision teens gave back to the community! On Saturday, March 18, 2023, the Pickren family participated in the Breakthrough for Brain Tumors 5K to celebrate and support Chris Pickren in his fight against brain cancer. The 5K took place at Al Lopez Park in Tampa, Florida and benefited the American Brain Tumor Association. Chris Pickren was a top individual fundraiser and donated $6,223 to the cause, which helped the campaign exceed their overall goal of raising $100,000!  Inspired by Chris Pickren's fundraising page, 4XPro donated $4,201 to the Brain Cancer Fund at Tampa General Hospital. This fund supports the Neuro-Oncology department to better care for their patients by covering expenses that insurance will not cover. This fund helps patients, who are receiving treatment, pay for out-of-pocket costs like transportation to doctor appointments, groceries during their stay, and their chemotherapy medication. This fund allows patients and caregivers to focus on what is most important- winning the fight of their lives.  Chris Pickren with his brain surgeon, Dr. Harry van Loveren Chris Pickren expresses gratitude about the donation to the Brain Cancer Fund: Thank you for the donation, 4XPro. I'm glad we were able to direct this money to support patients in the community. I love the people at Tampa General Hospital's Cancer Institute. As you know, putting up with me is rarely easy. They do it with a smile and actually seem to enjoy it. I might be the first cancer patient that looks forward to my next visit to the TGH cancer center to hang out with my friends!  Chris Pickren with TGH ICU nurse, Daniella, and a nurse in Dr. Ranjan's group, Laura  Chris Pickren with a TGH administrator in Dr. Ranjan's office, Waleska  Chris Pickren at the 5K with his wife, Melinda, and his three children, Ethan, William, and Cody SBT continued their support of the Shihan School of Survival by donating $700 this year. Part of the donation went towards sponsoring the Clearwater Open Karate Tournament, which will take place on June 3, 2023. The annual karate tournament serves as a platform for budding martial artists to showcase their skills, compete, and gain valuable experience. It brings together participants from the local community and beyond, creating an atmosphere of friendly competition and mutual respect. Through this tournament, children learn important life lessons such as discipline, perseverance, and sportsmanship. The other portion of the donation went towards sponsoring free community karate classes that take place at the North Greenwood Recreational Center. These lessons offer an opportunity for individuals of all ages to learn the art of self-defense, improve their physical fitness, and enhance their mental well-being. This sponsorship helped children in the community have access to uniforms, supplies, and a custom SBT patch!
To celebrate the holiday season, SBT sponsored the annual North Greenwood Christmas Toy Giveaway. Families from around the community lined up near SBT to pick out toys for their children and take pictures with Santa. There were toys for kids of all ages including hula hoops, action figures, dolls, games, sports equipment, and gift cards! Greg Pickren, Owner of SBT, commented: It's important to us that members of our community can gather and spread joy during the holiday season. We like seeing kids in the neighborhood receive presents they wouldn't normally be able to receive and benefit from the generosity of our community. We hope to be able to continue this tradition every year. To kick off the holiday season, SEI donated 50 bikes to the Oldsmar Cares’ 2022 Spread the Love Kids Christmas & Toy Giveaway. Every year, families in Oldsmar can register to receive gifts for their children at no cost. The celebration included food, music, a gift-wrapping station, and crafts for kids.  Justin Webb, General Manager of SEI, personally donated 50 $30 gift cards for parents to purchase helmets for their children: Oldsmar Cares provides many important services to the community surrounding SEI including a food pantry, clothes closet, and rent and utility assistance. We especially like the programs that help the children in our community live healthy and happy lives. It makes us happy to see kids getting outside and riding bikes around the neighborhood and to know that SEI has a positive impact on our community. 4XPro donated $500 to Clothes to Kids this year and continued their support of one of our family's favorite charities. SBT got creative this year and hosted the annual Thanksgiving dinner as a drive-thru because of rain. For the first time in over 15 years, the sun did not make an appearance at the annual dinner. SBT had many things to be grateful for this year though. We were able to gather together in person and serve over 750 pounds of turkey to our beloved community! Thank you to all our volunteers and employees who packaged meals and delivered them to the long line of vehicles. We were happy to keep this important tradition alive. Watercraft Superstore was proud to sponsor the Clearwater Urban Leadership Coalition's Family Fun Night this year. The event took place at the Buccaneer Football Field and was complete with free food, games, slides, vendors, health screenings, and live entertainment. The Clearwater Urban Leadership Coalition focuses on improving North Greenwood, the neighborhood where both SBT and Watercraft Superstore are located. The organization works towards building community wealth through community business development, health, self-sufficiency, literacy, education, and resilience.  This year, Marine Mat continued their support for C.A.S.T. for Kids by making a $1,000 donation. C.A.S.T. for Kids is a nonprofit organization that arranges fishing trips for kids with disabilities. Robby Wellden commented: We like C.A.S.T. for Kids because it allows children the opportunity to spend time on the water. Fishing and being on a boat is something every child should be able to enjoy, regardless of their individual differences. Marine Mat has many products that make being on a boat comfortable and fun. We love that children all over the country get to go fishing through this organization. This year was particularly special because Marine Mat got to sponsor a C.A.S.T. for Kids event in Charlotte Harbor, Florida. In the future, Marine Mat hopes to host an event in the Tampa Bay Area, so it was great to have Marine Mat volunteers attend an event close to home. Marine Mat donated shirts, hats, and koozies to the event to be included in swag bags for the volunteers and children.
O'Neal and Nedra Larkin hosted a school supplies event in Clearwater to help families prepare for heading back to school. SBT donated $1,000. Sage Pickren, SBT Director of Community Outreach, commented: As a former teacher, I personally know how challenging it can be to have enough supplies for your students at the beginning of the year. School supplies is expensive, and when you work in a Title 1 school, many families cannot afford to purchase everything on their school supplies lists. We hope that donations like these can reduce the back-to-school stress for families that live near our factory. We are proud to be able to support the Larkins as they continue to make North Greenwood a place where children can access a good education and have the tools they need to succeed. SBT donated $5,000 to become a Diamond Partner for the 5th Annual Rising Above! Youth Explosion Leadership Conference. This event was hosted by the Clearwater Neighborhood Family Center, which is conveniently located on the same street as SBT. The center is dedicated to the belief that families should have the resources, support, and skills necessary to raise children in a healthy and safe neighborhood, which promotes the development of their maximum potential.  SBT manager, CJ Lammers, and SBT Social Media Manager, Barbara Bacvic, pose with Conference Coordinator, Michele Edwards and Executive Director, Terry Jones The 3-day event was hosted at The Long Center, SPC Drew Campus, and the N. Greenwood Aquatic Center. Youth that attended the conference participated in indoor and outdoor games, heard from guest speakers on panels, and were served free food! SBT is a proud sponsor of the Walter Evans Shihan School of Survival. Each year, the tournament hosts kids from around the community to compete and show off the karate and martial arts skills they've been learning. The non-profit organization has a focus on teaching children health, safety, discipline, focus, self-respect, and respect for others. Shihan School of Survival takes pride in providing programs to their youth that give them the mindsets to pursue their academic achievements and jumpstart their future careers.  With the help of SBT, this year's tournament was the best yet! Our new venue made the event very professional and we are continuing to grow!  This spring, SBT donated $5,000 to Eckerd Connects, a long-time Pickren Community Outreach partner. The donation supported Eckerd Connects' Success Awards, which helps children, young adults, and families who are especially vulnerable to failure in the community. The program pays for transitional needs so that recipients can reach their vocational and educational goals. David Dennis, President and CEO of Eckerd Connects, explained the impact of the donation: Thank you so much for your generous gift through SBT to our Success Awards fund this spring.   This year, through the help of Paul (an SBT employee), we found a new nonprofit organization that could use our support. Sunstate Orchestral Program introduces music to children at an early age and promotes a love for music making. The organization uses the El Sistema technique, which has inspired educators all around the world and serves youth in high-poverty areas. Children who attend the Sunstate Orchestral Program have opportunities to build self-confidence, discipline, commitment, social skills, and other fundamental values essential to child development. SBT's donation will contribute to the Honors Spring Recital and Masterclass Series, which reaches over 300 families in the Tampa Bay Community.
HydroTurf was the lead sponsor of the Daytona Freeride. The Daytona Freeride, held on January 13-16, 2022 in Daytona, Florida, offered surf riders the chance to show off their expertise as they competed in battle rounds featuring both aerial stunts and mastery of the waves. The event is the largest gathering of personal watercraft enthusiasts in the USA.    As part of the event, HydroTurf made a $10,000 donation to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Located in Buffalo, New York, Roswell Park treats every type of cancer at every stage. They offer comprehensive care with doctors who create personalized plans of treatment. Donations to Roswell Park support cutting-edge cancer research that focus on finding life-saving treatments and implementing best practices for patient care. Stephen Tackney, manager of HydroTurf, commented on the importance of this donation and the success of the event: We are proud to support the Daytona Freeride- an event that keeps our industry thriving and creates excitement about the sport. Since cancer is an illness that impacts so many families across the world, we were happy that the Daytona Freeride allowed us to donate to Roswell Park. It's important that researchers and doctors have the funding they need to provide the best patient care possible. Brian Sizemore is a surviver of cancer and was treated at Roswell Park. He deserves a lot of recognition for planning this successful event. We are extremely impressed by the professionalism and turnout at the Daytona Freeride. We cannot thank Brian and his team enough.  Stephen Tackney and Barbara Bacvic from HydroTurf thank Brian Sizemore for organizing the event.  As part of the Herd of Hope campaign, HydroTurf was awarded a blue buffalo for their generous donation. |
AuthorSage Pickren Archives
September 2023
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