Column

Nonprofit groups earn show of thanks

By ERNEST HOOPER
Published January 18, 2008

Before the crack of dawn, they arrived at The Spring of Tampa Bay armed with paint brushes, pressure washers and step ladders.

The mission for this "Dream Team" of 30-plus volunteers? Put a new coat of paint on The Spring's administration building. In less than four hours, the building went from Spartan to sparkling. They stripped old paint, sanded air conditioning covers and put paint in all the right spots.

Then, just to show how much fun they had, they painted each other.

Those kind of charitable efforts are what helped the Lazydays Partner Foundation win the Be More Encouraged judges' choice award at Thursday's WEDU Be More Awards luncheon.

The event, now in its third year, serves as the Academy Awards for local nonprofits in the Public Broadcasting Station's 16-county coverage area.

The ceremony lauded organizations for their efforts in eight categories, ranging from marketing achievements to educational outreach.

As one of the judges, I can tell you that the Lazydays Partners impressed with their fundraising and their donation of time and talent.

Some may think the foundation serves as a vehicle for Lazydays founder Don Wallace to extend his well-known philanthropic efforts. But Wallace was just the inspiration. This group is composed of rank-and-file employees, many of whom provide weekly contributions from their paychecks.

Individually, they knew they were unlikely to achieve the kind of wealth that Wallace built over decades. Collectively, however, they manage to impact a number of organizations, with a specific focus on helping at-risk kids.

The way the "partners" have pooled their resources should serve as a model for other corporations.

Interestingly, the Lazydays foundation shared in the success of two of the winners. Zach Bonner, the 10-year-old founder of the Little Red Wagon Foundation, received the Be More Brilliant Award for innovation.

Bonner, who started the foundation when he was 6, raised awareness of the homeless last November by walking from Seffner to Tallahassee. Lazydays provided an RV for Bonner's trip.

The Spring, one of the recipients of Lazydays' efforts, won the Be More Stoppable Award for nonprofit of the year.

Other honorees: John and Mable Ringling Museum (marketing); Girls Inc. of Sarasota County (special events); University of Florida 4-H Youth Development (educational outreach); Family Network on Disabilities Of Manatee and Sarasota (community spirit) and Big Cat Rescue (People's Choice).

The biggest honor went to the host. PBS made it official Thursday by announcing it will extend WEDU's Be More concept to all of its stations. The format gives nonprofits a day in the sun. Plus, WEDU promotes the winners throughout the year, including a one-hour special on Feb. 21 at 9 p.m.

But the atmosphere is more than just recognition.

"This is my favorite event because I feel like you're family," Bonner said with surprising eloquence for a 10-year-old. "We all share the same hopes and dreams. If one of us shines, all of us shine."

The 400-plus attendees certainly understand why PBS wants to spread the warmth of the event across the nation.

That's all I'm saying.

[Last modified January 18, 2008, 00:33:30]