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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."
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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!   Who knew Marine Mat wasn't just loved by people? This spring, Marine Mat donated a mat set to Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder (DPMMR), a non-profit organization committed to the conservation and protection of marine mammals. These professionals have been rescuing whales and dolphins in the Florida Keys since 1987. The mats were placed on the dock to protect the dolphins from the sharp edges. As you can see, the dolphins love Marine Mat!   Eckerd Connects is one of the Pickren family's favorite charities. The local organization is known for the powerful impact they have on youth and families across the country. This year, WCSS donated $5,000 to their 13th annual Night of Inspiration virtual event, which benefitted the Success Award fund. Recipients of the Success Award are working hard to pursue their dreams and provide a better life for their families. These funds help create the opportunity for them to reach their potential by providing things like clothes for a job interview or tutoring services to a child in foster care. We were so excited to hear what past recipients have accomplished and we look forward to the bright futures of those who will benefit from this year's fundraiser. On April 24th SBT sponsored the Clearwater Open Karate Championships. Kids who live in North Greenwood and the surrounding community were able to show off the skills they have been practicing and participate in some healthy competition. The event organizer and karate teacher, Walter Evans, commented: “SBT has been a big support of our program and donated to our karate tournament in past years. Donations like these help us buy trophies for my students and make the day a success! Thank you SBT.”   In March 2021, Watercraft Superstore donated $5,000 to Clothes to Kids. The Pickren Family companies are long-time sponsors of Clothes to Kids. As students transition back to in-person learning, this donation will help the non-profit organization find them clothes for school. Kim Pickren volunteers weekly at Clothes-to-Kids: I get to see first-hand how the donations we receive are carefully used by Clothes-to-Kids. We help children of all ages feel confident and proud of the way they look at school. I think that confidence transfers into school success and I’m grateful for the work this organization does for our community.  In March 2021, SBT donated $2,500 to become a Bronze Sponsor of Dunedin Cares. Dunedin Cares is a nonprofit organization close to SBT’s factory that fights food insecurity in the community. Their initiatives work to serve families with children, seniors, veterans, homeless, and the unemployed. Their mission is to alleviate hunger by providing food to the local community, showing kindness, respect, and compassion as neighbors help neighbors. Sage Pickren, Community Outreach Director, comments: Our companies located in Oldsmar have a great relationship with Oldsmar Cares and have supported them in the past by donating money, toys, and bicycles. We were very excited when one of our managers in Clearwater, Stephanie Mosny, brought up the idea of donating to Dunedin Cares. We know that kids cannot learn in school and thrive in their community, if their basic need of having food is not met. Our donation will help sponsor the annual Peanut Butter & Jelly Drive and will make a positive difference for the kids living in the community that surrounds our Clearwater companies.  Several of the Pickren family companies have participated in auctions and fundraisers early this year by donating products. In February, 2021, Marine Mat donated a gift basket full of goodies to the Average Hunter. Each year Matt Staser, the Average Hunter, hosts an auction that benefits St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. St. Jude is committed to providing quality care to children with cancer and life-threatening diseases, regardless of their ability to financial cover the costs of treatment. Organizations like The Average Hunter make the mission of St. Jude possible. Marine Mat donated around $200 worth of product including a Yeti cooler pad, fishing rulers, and a $50 gift card.   In April, Marine Mat put together a similar gift basket for another fundraiser called Benefit on the Bayou. Hydro-Turf, a sister company of Marine Mat, also donated around $500 worth of traction mats, apparel, and stickers. These products were won in a raffle to benefit a child with Leukemia who lives in Lafitte, Louisiana. Lafitte is a large fishing community that works to support local families when they are in need. The benefit will support medical bills for the treatment the child is receiving at Children’s Hospital in New Orleans.
To celebrate the holidays this December and give back to the community, SBT hosted Ride & Read Sundays. There has never been a more perfect year to spend time riding bikes outside and reading at home. SBT distributed 500 children’s books and 100 helmets over the first three Sundays in December. The company also partnered with BikeSport, a bike shop in Tampa, to do free bike repairs for children in the community.  Greg Pickren, owner of SBT, commented: Cycling is one of my favorite hobbies. Over the years, our companies have given away bikes to the children in the community for Christmas. It dawned on us that some of these bikes might be in need of simple repairs. We thought that hosting an event that encourages healthy living and literacy might be the perfect way to give back to the community in 2020.  SBT also handed out 100 helmets to the kids in the community. Sage Pickren added, “I work in a research lab that studies educational brain science. We use fMRI scans to examine how children learn to read. We were happy to give away helmets to encourage the kids to protect their brains while they ride their bikes.” The last Sunday was rescheduled due to uncharacteristically bad weather in Florida. Luckily, SBT was able to reschedule the event to the day before Christmas Eve (12/23/20). As is tradition in North Greenwood, O’Neal and Neidra Larkin gave out donated toys to the kids in the neighborhood. They set up their tables in the Watercraft Superstore parking lot right next to SBT’s book table and gave away an awesome selection of toys! In October 2020, Greg Pickren acquired a new company in the marine and powersports industry, Hydro-Turf. The company manufactures traction mats for personal watercrafts. Greg relocated the company from California to Florida in December. During the move, he decided to donate three forklifts, nine overseas containers, office furniture, pallet racking, and shelving to the Salvation Army in Anaheim, California. The donation is estimated to be valued at $100,000. Greg Pickren further explains his decision to donate: We were happy to find out that the Salvation Army in Anaheim was Hydro-Turf's next door neighbor. After touring their facility and seeing the wonderful work they were doing, we decided to donate some of the equipment that we acquired. Their distribution center houses a lot of supplies that helps veterans, victims of domestic abuse, and the homeless in the greater Los Angeles area. We hope that this equipment can make their facility more organized and efficient, so they can continue to fulfill their mission and serve the community.  |
AuthorSage Pickren Archives
April 2021
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