Education & Philanthropy

Jeff and Penny Vinik have made a $1.5 million donation to the Florida Aquarium via the Vinik Family Foundation. The donation was made in support of the Aquarium’s $45 million Sea Change capital fundraising campaign. “The Florida Aquarium plays a vital role in our community, inspiring conservation efforts and providing educational experiences for people of

Bank of America has named Vincent House and Starting Right, Now as the 2023 Neighborhood Builders awardees for their work advancing economic mobility and building up underserved neighborhoods in Tampa Bay. Through this multi-year grant, funding and leadership training for the nonprofits’ leadership, programs and services addressing homelessness and mental health discrimination will be able

Congressman C.W. Bill Young has had a profound impact on the Tampa Bay area community, serving in the United States House of Representatives from 1971 until his passing in 2013.  Young accomplished a lot in his over 40-year career as a U.S. Congress member. In the mid-2000s, he started to work on one of his

St. Petersburg College has added two new credentials – a Prekindergarten/Primary Education Bachelor of Science degree and a Training and Development Advanced Technical Certificate. The credentials were added to help meet workforce demand for preschool teachers and training and development specialists. SPC previously offered the Prekindergarten/Primary Education bachelor’s degree, but enrollment was paused while the

Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will launch a community partnership to address affordable housing, in Hillsborough County. As part of the initiative, Buccaneer players will contribute, financially, to help fund the construction of two Habitat homes in the Temple Terrace community. In addition, players and team staff, alongside middle

Tampa General Hospital is partnering with jewelry designer Kendra Scott to raise funds for the TGH Children’s Hospital. From November 28 through December 7, 20% of any in-store purchase will be donated to the TGH Children’s Hospital when Tampa General Hospital is mentioned during checkout. Purchases can also be made online with a specific code

Metropolitan Ministries is collaborating with 30 community partners to expand its holiday outreach and will operate 10 “pop-up” tent locations in neighborhoods of highest need, throughout the region. For the fifth year, Metropolitan Ministries is teaming up with Thaddeus Bullard, also known as  WWE global ambassador Titus O’Neil, and his Bullard Family Foundation. Former Major

Transitioning from the military to civilian life is more than just a career change. It is a life transformation, often forcing a complete reworking of identity and a reconfiguring of self-worth.  Operation New Uniform, a nonprofit organization founded in 2014, in Jacksonville, supports veterans and military spouses, across Florida, making this transition. By offering the

A five-year, $3.2 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Monitoring and Event Response for Harmful Algae Blooms program will fund a team of researchers, led by the University of South Florida College of Marine Science, to forecast sargassum blooms and prevent them from plaguing coastal communities. USF CMS will receive about half

Three years ago, Scott Sutek brought a new type of networking organization to the Tampa Bay area, Contractors, Closers and Connections. As co-founder, and managing principal, of Tampa’s Davis Tucker Group, a consulting firm in the construction space, Sutek is always on the lookout for innovations in the industry.  CCC was first launched in 2019,

Florida Blue Foundation, the philanthropic affiliate for the state’s Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, announced a $3.1 million investment to enhance mental health for children, teens, families and older adults. Ten nonprofit organizations, across the state, share in the investment, which support community-based programs and partnerships that will increase access to mental health services and

Project Dynamo has now completed two missions, bringing stranded Americans back United States soil. The first mission arrived from Israel, on Sunday, with evacuees who were unable to return home due to commercial flight cancellations. The State of Florida partnered with Project Dynamo, a Tampa-based veteran-led nonprofit, to bring nearly 300 evacuees back to the