 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.
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 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. On December 22nd, 2019, hundreds of toys were given to children in need in the North Greenwood community. SEI and the Pickren family were proud sponsors of the event. SEI employees collected toys at the factory and donated them to the toy drive. Each year, beloved community members, O'Neil Larkin and Nedra, organize and run the toy give away. Children of all ages gather to receive a wrapped Christmas present.  Community members gathered the day before the event to wrap all of the toys!  SBT and WCSS employees serve turkey, corn, rolls, and greens to community members. This year on Sunday, November 24th, SBT and WCSS proudly hosted the annual North Greenwood Thanksgiving Dinner right in their front yard! For over 15 years, hundreds of community members have gathered to share a meal and celebrate the successes of the community for which they are grateful. In the past, this event has been graciously been hosted in O’Neil Larkin’s front yard, but this year, the event moved a few yards down the street in front of the SBT and WCSS factories. Greg Pickren, SBT owner, explains this year’s change: We are always so impressed with the turnout at the annual Thanksgiving dinner. With the help of many community members, particularly our good friend O’Neil Larkin, this event has become a very successful and joyous celebration that we look forward to every year. To accommodate the large number of guests that share a meal together, we moved the location to our factory. This change will allow SBT and WCSS to continue their on-going support of the North Greenwood community for years to come.  A full Thanksgiving dinner was provided to over 1,500 people courtesy of SBT, WCSS, and the North Greenwood community. Clearwater mayor, George Cretekos, welcomed community members at the event. Attendees ate good food, shared stories about the community, and enjoyed the entertainment! 
This year's Skyway Ski Show was a huge success, despite some not very Florida-like weather. Representatives from Yamaha, Kawasaki, and SeaDoo presented their PWCs and gave panelists the inside scoop about newest innovations and design. 
This year's charity recipient was Oldsmar Cares, a nonprofit organization located in the backyard of sister company, SEI. Oldsmar Cares provides stop gap rent and utility assistance, a food pantry, and a clothes closet- at no cost- to those in need in the greater Oldsmar area. The Watercraft Superstore proudly donated $5,000 to help support the organizations in achieving some of their many goals. Oldsmar Cares was established in 1997 and is made up of a staff of dedicated volunteers. For more information about the organization, click the logo to visit their website.
 Students from Operation Graduate had an opportunity to tour SBT with Greg Pickren on February 18, 2019. Operation Graduate is an after school program run by Paula Kay at United Way. Students from the neighborhood surrounding SBT gather together after school to learn about building a successful future. The program teaches students how to maintain a strong GPA, build a competitive resume, and apply to colleges. SBT hosted Operation Graduate students at SBT, so they could see the inside of a business and learn about how the company operates. Greg Pickren and SBT manager, Cj Lammers, spoke to the students about what they look for when they are hiring and qualities that make good employees. Greg Pickren, owner of SBT, commented about the Operation Graduate tour: Our company becomes stronger when we can involve young people in our community. We are always looking to hire hard workers and we enjoy sharing the exciting things that are happening in our factory. This group of students had excellent questions. They clearly have bright futures ahead of them.  Greg Pickren, Kim Pickren, Cj Lammers, Stephanie Mosny, Robert Weldon, and John Salvatore gather for a tropical picture at the Oldsmar Cares Gala. This year SBT and WCSS supported Oldsmar Cares by attending their 9th Annual Gala. The event raised $137, 957. Oldsmar Cares' mission is to provide stop gap rent and utility assistance, a food pantry, and a clothes closet- at no cost- to those in need in the greater Oldsmar area. The nonprofit organization also provides health screenings and employment services to individuals who reside in the 34677 zip code, which happens to be the neighborhood of another Pickren family company, SEI,  Watercraft Superstore was an official sponsor of the Gala. They will continue to support Oldsmar Cares this spring as they've been selected as the official Skyway Ski Show charity recipient.  Justin Webb, Carrie Sinwelski, Stephanie Mosny, John Salvatore, Robert Weldon, Kim Pickren, Greg Pickren, and CJ Lammers share a table at the Gala.  Although the weather in Florida is still beautiful and sunny, SEI has managed to get in a very generous winter spirit. On December 16, 2018 SEI donated 30 bikes to the North Greenwood community Christmas. Families from the surrounding neighborhood gathered together to take pictures with Santa Claus and receive presents. Through donations from SEI and other local businesses, the event was able to give away over 100 bikes! Justin Webb, manager of SEI, also personally donated a helmet for every bike that SEI donated, so kids could ride safely in the neighborhood.  SEI has been a partner in the North Greenwood community Christmas for many years. This year was particularly special because the staff at SEI collected and donated over 250 toys to the event! Justin Webb shared his excitement, "We had so many toys to donate that it completely filled up my 4 runner! We are always proud to do our part for the community."  |
AuthorSage Pickren Archives
April 2021
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