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Watercraft Superstore donated over $300 worth of products to the Salty Science Fundraiser on January 8, 2022. Salty Science is a team of four female marine scientists who row across the ocean, for the oceans. They focus on managing and preserving marine ecosystems to make them healthier and more sustainable. They study evidence-based solutions to marine conservation issues. Stephanie Mosny, manager of Watercraft Superstore commented, "We are proud to support the women at Salty Science as they embark on their journey to make the oceans healthier. Our company relies on families wanting to spend time on the water and we are happy to be able to donate our products to help make their fundraiser successful." 
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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. 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!   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.  4XPRO and SEI were happy to support Oldsmar Cares' annual Christmas Celebration. This year, to keep things socially distant, Oldsmar Cares hosted a toy drive-thru. Families in need registered for the event and ordered what toys would be best for their children. Then, volunteers stuffed their trunks full of personalized goodies. The hottest items were new bikes, donated by SEI. 4XPro donated $1,000 to the event to purchase other toys and much-needed items.  50 bikes in SEI's factory assembled by factory employees.  Justin Webb, manager of SEI, assembled a team to drive over the bikes in trucks the day before the event to make the special delivery. He also personally donated the majority of the helmets needed for the bikes. Justin Webb comments: We are always happy to donate to Oldsmar Cares because they help us give back to the local community that has supported us for many years. I love promoting healthy living in the Oldsmar community by donating bikes and helmets to allow our kids to spend time playing safely outside.”  Above our some of the bags of toys that were given to families in the drive-thru. Kathy Wallace, Chair of Oldsmar Cares, said, We are so happy 4XPRO was able to donate $1,000 to our Christmas celebration. One of the biggest requested items this year was clothes, which shows how much this community is struggling during 2020. We are so thankful we were able to purchase these items and toys for the kids in the community. Thank you, 4XPRO and SEI! Each year, the Pickren family donates to one of our favorite non-profit organizations- Clothes to Kids. 4XPro was excited to donate $1,000 to the charity this November. Kim Pickren volunteers weekly at Clothes to Kids and explains how things have changed during 2020: I love helping families shop at Clothes to Kids for their school clothes. This year, we had to get creative because of Covid-19. Instead of having families inside of our store, we did the shopping for them and created bags of clothes for them to take home. Kids grow so quickly and clothes are expensive. I love volunteering at Clothes to Kids because it makes the children in our community feel proud about their appearance and helps them dress for a successful future.   Watercraft Superstore donated $100 to Oldsmar Elementary School for their annual walk-a-thon. This year, to keep the event socially distanced, students participated in the walk-a-thon virtually by logging their walks, bike rides, and runs during the month of October. Stephanie Mosny, manager of WCSS, said: I love that our company can support local public schools. My son goes to Oldsmar Elementary and he always loves participating in the annual walk-a-thon. The school has over 650 students and it's fundraisers like these that make sure all the students are getting a high-quality education and are being supported with the resources they need to succeed.  In August 2020, SBT donated $2,300 to Susan G. Komen to support breast cancer research. Kim Pickren comments on the donation: We were disappointed that our team could not do the 3-day walk this year because of the pandemic, but we are happy that scientists are still supported by this organization to do research that helps women suffering from breast cancer. This is an issue that has affected many of my close friends and SBT's donation makes a meaningful difference. Marine Mat, Eastlake Axle, and SEI each purchased a $500 brick at Oldsmar Cares to support the charity's general funds and services. In addition to the company donations for bricks, another $2,500 was donated in cash. Oldsmar Cares is a nonprofit organization that supports families in the community by providing stop gap rent and utility money, a food pantry, and a clothing closet. All day-to-day operations and management are completed by volunteers. In May, 2020, SBT donated $5,000 to Eckerd Connects to support their adoption program. During the COVID-19 global pandemic, many families are suffering economically. A private adoption in most states can cost $30,000. Eckerd Connects reported that they had many families in their program who were about $800-$1,000 short in completing the adoption process when the pandemic struck. SBT donated money to aid families in completing the adoption process during this difficult time. Teresa Spann, SBT CFO, commented:We realize that during the COVID-19 pandemic many families are struggling to make ends meet. The virus has affected so many aspects of our own lives at work and at home. We hope that through this donation, families in our community can have an added layer of security through adoption. To learn more about Eckerd Connects, visit their website: eckerd.org. |
AuthorSage Pickren Archives
September 2023
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