2021 was the largest giving year for the Pickren Family Companies, with donations totaling over $50,000.This year, the Pickren Family Companies continued their support of longtime partnerships and picked up some new ones! Because of the success of the companies, along with the acquisition of Hydro Turf, we were able to be more generous with our charitable donations than any prior year. Greg Pickren, owner of the Pickren Family Companies, expresses his gratitude: The success of the companies hinges on the competency and dedication of our managers and employees. It's through their hard work that we are able to give back to our community and support causes that are close to our hearts. A few of the well-established, non-profit organizations that we were able to continue to donate to are Eckerd Connects, Clothes to Kids, and Oldsmar Cares. Those organizations have a long history of helping children in the greater Tampa Bay Area. Two of our most exciting new partnerships are with Ocean Blue Project and Cast for Kids. Ocean Blue Project leads efforts that clean the world's oceans and keep our marine ecosystem healthy. Cast for Kids creates fishing events for kids with disabilities, who may not otherwise be able to access boating and the outdoors. Sage Pickren, Community Outreach Director, describes how we select charities: We are always looking for organizations that set children up for future success. We particularly love organizations that promote healthy living and foster a joy for outdoor activities, especially those on the water! Being in the field of special education, I know about the many barriers children can face in school and their community. We hope that our work provides more equitable experiences to children and families in our neighborhoods.
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In line with the Pickren family's love for being active, SEI and SBT each gave away 50 bikes and helmets to the communities surrounding the factories. SEI donated bikes to Oldsmar Care's Spread the Love Kids Christmas & Toy Giveaway. Justin Webb, general manager of SEI, personally donated all of the helmets to Oldsmar Cares. SBT donated bikes and helmets to O'Neal and Nedra Larkin's annual Christmas celebration in Clearwater. Santa was also able to give out 50 $10 McDonald's gift cards thanks to SBT. Greg Pickren, owner of SEI and SBT, is a cycling enthusiast. Below, he shares his decision about donating to this cause: We are grateful that we have strong relationships with non-profit organizations and community partners in Oldsmar and Clearwater. These partnerships make contributing to our community meaningful and efficient. We are proud to give away bikes and helmets to the neighborhood kids and we hope that they enjoy riding their new bikes outside as much as me and my family love to ride.  Each year, the Larkin family and community leaders host a Thanksgiving dinner in North Greenwood. SBT has been a proud sponsor of the event for over 15 years. This year instead of a buffet line, 250 pre-packaged meals were distributed to local families. SBT paid for the catering of cornbread dressing, green beans, gravy, and 60 turkeys!   Alex Alford, SBT employe, and close relative to the Larkins described the Thanksgiving dinner and how the community participated:
 Local leaders, including O'Neal Larkin, and former clearwater mayor, George Cretekos. 4XPro donated $3,000 to Clothes to Kids. Jeremy Cashman, manager of 4XPro describes why he likes the organization: Clothes to Kids is one of my favorite organizations because their work helps kids feel confident and be successful at school. Children have a lot to think about while they're at school. We hope that this donation helps some kids not worry about what they're wearing.  MarineMat donated $3,000 to CAST for Kids and became an Associate Partner of the foundation. CAST for Kids is a nonprofit organization that arranges fishing trips for kids with disabilities. Being on a boat can be challenging for children with disabilities due to physical demands and outdoor logistics. One of the goals of CAST for Kids is to make fishing more accessible to populations with special needs and expose children, who may not otherwise get the opportunity, to enjoy fishing and being outdoors. MarineMat general manger, Robby Wellden comments: MarineMat is proud to be an Associate Partner of CAST for Kids. We love being able to donate to organizations that encourage families to get out on the water and go boating. Every child deserves the opportunity to go fishing and we are happy to be a part of making that activity accessible and fun for everyone. 
  Kim Pickren and the C-Side Sisters celebrating walking 60 miles for breast cancer prevention and treatment. This year SBT donated $4,600 to Susan G. Komen Foundation, which brings their lifetime donation status to over $20,000! Donations to Susan G. Komen help spread awareness about breast cancer and provide trusted resources to patients to help them navigate their diagnosis and understand treatment options. Kimberly Pickren is a member of the C-Side sisters, a team that trains and walks together at the annual Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk. I look forward to training with these wonderful ladies every year who help fight against breast cancer and walk for a cure! Too many of my friends in our immediate community have suffered from breast cancer and I am grateful to get to walk with them and for them.  Kim Pickren and the C-Side Sisters in a training walk in Palm Harbor, Florida.
 Marine Mat donated $1,000 to Oldsmar Cares' Weekend Food 4 Kids campaign. Many families rely on the meals that school systems provide to keep their children full and healthy. The Food 4 Kids program helps fill the hunger gap for about 20 families who struggle with meals for their children over the weekend at Oldsmar Elementary and Forest Lake Elementary. Marine Mat's donation will help feed these children over the weekend for about two months.   In November 2021, SEI donated $5,000 to Eckerd Connects to support their Hungry for Hope campaign. The program will feed many families in the community during the holiday season who otherwise may go without a traditional holiday meal. The donation from SEI will be able to feed approximately 200 families. Greg Pickren, owner of SEI commented, "We have been proud supporters of Eckerd Connects for over 10 years. We are happy to be able to donate to this program that makes it possible for families to have food during the holiday season. We are grateful that organizations like Eckerd Connects make giving back in our community possible."
Each year, Guide Dogs of America and Tender Loving Canines brings students from all over the US and Canada to a 3-week personalized training program in California. The program helps students who are blind or visually impaired, veterans, and individuals with autism get matched and acquainted with highly-skilled service dogs. These dogs are specially bred and trained to help people with disabilities gain independence and confidence in their daily lives.  Students of Leader Guide Dogs of America with their new service dogs! Ryan's donation of over 1 million United Airline miles allowed students (and their dogs!) to travel to their service dog training program at no cost them. In addition, many volunteers and staff of Guide Dogs of America and Tender Loving Canines were able to travel using the airline miles.  Ryan earned his United Airlines miles by participating in a Bug Bounty program where he reported vulnerabilities in their mobile app to United Airline in exchange for frequent flyer miles. Ryan explained his decision to donate, "My wife and I love spending time with our dog, Beignet. She is definitely not well trained enough to be a service dog, but she enhances our lives and brings us a lot of joy. I was very excited to find an organization that put my airline miles to good use and I'm happy to know that these individuals were taken good care of as they were traveling to meet their new companions."
Ocean Blue Project is a national non-profit organization based out of Oregon that focus on cleaning and conserving oceans and waterways. Each year, the organization runs projects in Florida during the months of November through March. Greg Pickren, owner of SEI Marine Products describes the decision to donate, Each year, our family takes a trip to Key West during lobster mini season. We have noticed while we are boating that there is a lot of plastic in the ocean and some of our favorite reefs have been damaged from pollution. We want our SEI customers to enjoy boating while they are out on the water with their families and one of the ways we can make their experience better is by donating to organizations that keep our waterways clean and beautiful. Ocean Blue Project’s vision is that the world’s oceans, beaches and rivers will once again be pristine, self-sustaining ecosystems where wildlife and human communities can coexist and thrive. Their main programing areas include microplastic removal, local clean-ups, river restorations, and school curriculum. Stay tuned for pictures of the project in Key West that SEI’s donation has funded!  |
AuthorSage Pickren Archives
December 2021
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