 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.
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 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!   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.  |
AuthorSage Pickren Archives
April 2022
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