A Kid’s Place of Tampa Bay has named one of its five on-campus foster homes the Daisy B. Lay House, honoring the woman who forever changed the life of Fred Lay, a longtime supporter and founding board member of the nonprofit.
Lay, the founder and owner of Construction Services Inc., donated more than $500,000 in general contracting services and support over the years. His most recent contribution: committing to provide all services for a new 12,000-square-foot activity center now under construction on the Brandon campus.
“My mother, Daisy, personified what A Kid’s Place is all about—love, stability and hope for a better future,” said Lay. “She rescued me from life in an orphanage. Her selflessness left a lasting impact on me, and I’ve always felt a deep desire to pay that forward.”
Born to a single cigar roller who once worked as a welder in Tampa’s shipyards during World War II, Lay was adopted at birth by Daisy Lay, who raised him as a single mother. Inspired by her example and mentored by the late A Kid’s Place founder Dottie Berger MacKinnon, Lay became an instrumental figure in the nonprofit’s development.
Over the years, his family and company have built basketball courts, covered patios, remodeled offices and led fundraising efforts to help the organization thrive.
“Fred Lay’s generosity is transformative,” said Brad Gregory, chief executive officer of A Kid’s Place. “The Daisy B. Lay House is a symbol of enduring love and the power of family, and it will inspire every person who walks through its doors.”
Since opening in 2009, A Kid’s Place has served more than 1,700 children and 750 families, providing safe and stable housing for foster youth, with an emphasis on keeping siblings together. In 2021, it expanded to offer support for young adults aging out of the system.