Tampa Bay Business & Wealth celebrated the 2023 finalists and announced the winners of its third annual Apogee Awards, at Armature Works. But before that, the class of 2023 Apogee rolled up their sleeves and volunteered at United Way Suncoast for an afternoon.
Finalists for the 2023 Apogee Awards gathered at United Way’s new office space for a volunteer activation where they put together more than 100 literacy kits that will support our efforts to elevate early learning.
“We not only attended the event and saluted the finalists and winners, but we engaged all along the way. We met with finalists at VU, when they recorded their interviews, and we connected with them at a special pre-gala reception,” says Ernest Hooper, senior vice president of communications for United Way Suncoast.
United Way Suncoast was the nonprofit partner for the Apogee Awards.
“With 80-90 percent of brain development occurring between the ages of 0-5, the need to educate our youngest minds and promote kindergarten readiness is tantamount to bringing about generational change,” Hooper says. “Students prepared to learn on the first day of kindergarten are more likely to graduate high school, more likely to enjoy post-secondary success and more likely to enjoy higher earnings over their lifetimes. The Apogee finalists took a huge step towards helping more students peak in their formative years.”
