CES works with groups and people who work at keeping the environment healthy—this includes our gorgeous beaches and our neighborhood, as well as supporting healthy and happy children.
Living in sunny Florida affords us so many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. Winter doesn’t mean shutting in and waiting for spring to enjoy nature. To the contrary, we Floridians look to winter as a light cool-down, it’s gardening perfection, time for beach clean-ups and running races for charity!
Keeping Things Healthy
What better way to enjoy the winter than with a healthy run for a great cause?
One such run is our all-time favorite, the Say No To Drugs Holiday Classic! It is so successful and fun that it celebrated its 30th Anniversary Run this year! CES has been a proud sponsor of this race for many years.
A 5K /10K/1mi Fun Run, the Say No To Drugs Holiday Classic hosts thousands of runners each year. With its upbeat message to stay Drug Free and its awesome medals and high-tech timers, this race is a “must race” for everyone from seasoned professional runners to Mom’s pushing strollers! CES employees enjoy volunteering as race marshals and amazing pancake makers. Some eagerly run or walk in the race and others help with set-up and break down. We cannot wait until next year’s race, as it is the best around.
Keeping Things Happy
Working with children is perhaps THE most rewarding activity there is. Being able to share skills, love, and kindness with our Community Learning Center Academy kids each month is for certain the highlight of each month for me.
CES sends me to read to the kids and then do a craft. Selecting the theme and picking out the book and craft project is great fun. Happy children who know they are loved and valued is something that is important to us, as it should be. Be sure to always share your love and kindness with children, for they will surely do the same. Keeping things happy means keeping children happy, for they spread happiness quicker than anyone!
Keeping things Clean
The gorgeous Gulf of Mexico is our pride and joy here in Clearwater. Whenever we can help keep that gem shining, we are happy to. So, when I found out about a group cleanup on the beach, I jumped in.
@SeaGoingGreen held a cleanup in conjunction with a group called TerraMar. We focused on removing cigarette butts. I never knew the damage that comes from this “normalized” form of litter, but my awareness was raised and I was happy to jump in. We removed bags of cigarette butts which otherwise would have just sat there for years, taking what seems like forever to degrade. The worst-case scenario is when these butts are washed out to sea where they leach toxic chemicals into the water posing a risk to many forms of marine life. Turtles, fish and seabirds swallow them and can then choke or even suffocate—at the very least they have problems with digestion!
Removing these and raising awareness to smokers that this is actually litter and can so easily be kept out of our oceans and environment with some care and concern, is the least we can do to support a healthy environment and keep things clean.
Keeping things Green
Florida winters make for perfect gardening weather. At CES we are so lucky to be part of our Clearwater Community Gardens. Located right across the street from our company, we enjoy organic gardening in our raised garden box.
This season we planted a variety of lettuces, cilantro, cabbage, arugula, tomatoes, basil and spinach. Organic gardening emphasis and awareness is something that we all need to learn more about. Like keeping harmful drugs out of our lives so that we sustain healthy bodies, eating healthy foods has the same importance. It is worthwhile for everyone.
Gardening in this community way is priceless, as we learn so much in being a good neighbor, how to garden and how to get along together in the Florida sunshine. We are very lucky indeed and we know it.
