CES sends you our best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year! We are entering the “roaring 20s” and exiting the last decade with a flourish. We want to tell you about some of the things we participated in and some of the awesome folks in our community.
December is a month filled with holidays and many festive activities. Its time for family get-togethers and parties with friends. It is also a time for supporting those less fortunate than ourselves.
Our amazing company participates in bringing even more joy and help to our community.
Many organizations in our area also have such a calling, and they produce wonderful events which genuinely help others.
We pledge our CES support in terms of friendship, promotion and volunteerism to such good-guy groups and organizations. A few of these are near and dear to our hearts and we bring our love to them each year.
Our generous staff ensure that many toys are bought and donated to the North Greenwood neighborhood event put on by the wonderful Nedra and O’Neal Larkin. The Larkins put on an incredible event each year complete with food, treats and yes…toys! This year they had over 300 toys and all of them got wrapped! This event is open to the neighborhood to simply come and enjoy! The Larkins have been awarded the Key to our City for their wonderful generosity towards others. Joining up and assisting such loving human beings is what it’s all about!
Say No To Drugs Holiday Classic Race Celebrates its 31st Year
CES has been a sponsor of this incredible race for many years. The purpose of the race is one that we whole-heartedly embrace. Besides this, we LOVE to volunteer by making pancakes, giving out water or medals, running raffles, or running in the race. This race brings THOUSANDS of people each year and we love helping it be so successful! Get the full story at: www.saynotodrugs.com
The mission of the Say No To Drugs Holiday Classic is to raise awareness of the harmful effects of drugs and provide education to as many people as possible, while offering an alternative which is to go for a run, get in shape, run a race and connect with positive, like-minded people.
Financial support for the race comes only from local businesses as well as from race entry fees. After race expenses are paid, available proceeds go to local charities and children’s organizations.
Charitable donations are given annually to organizations such as the Boy Scouts (Council & Troops), Girl Scouts (Council & Troops), Challenged Athletes Foundation, Police Athletic League and others.
Our hope is that with the help of our financial contribution and participation, that these groups and others, can help further their goals to help as many people as they can.
The Festival of Trees
CES is proud to support The Arc Tampa Bay Foundation. This is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Each year we participate in their incredible Festival of Trees fundraiser event.
By entering their charity tree decoration contest, we help in the festivities. We also have generously purchased each of the trees we have decorated. This is part of the fundraising. All decorated trees are sold at the three-day Festival of Trees.
Last year was the first year we entered and we won the blue ribbon in our category. Our “Elfin Positivity” was filled with candy treat ornamentation and positive messages held by impish elves. This was exciting and this year we were eager to create another happy, uplifting tree design.
Inspired to keep everyone chilled-out and enjoying the holiday season, and with a play on the song title “Don’t Worry Be Happy,” we created our tree: “Don’t Worry Be Hoppy!”
We graced every inch of the tree with the magical spirit of Guatemalan worry dolls and happy hopping creatures! We also presented all who visited our twirling, musical magical tree with their own authentic Guatemalan worry dolls. Many hours of CES staff-given love were contributed to the tree’s creation.
Although we didn’t win the blue ribbon this time around, we brought tremendous joy to the thousands of people who came through the event.
Knowing that those visitors went home, told their worries to their worry doll, placed them under their pillows, and by morning had their worry taken away…we slept very well ourselves!
We look forward to next year and in the true spirit of competition, we’re already working on creating our winning theme! Blue Ribbon! Here we come!
