The 11th Annual Clays for a Cause event, presented by St. Johns County homebuilder MasterCraft Builder Group, was held Dec. 7 at Saltwaters Shooting Club in St. Augustine. The event brought together members of the local construction community as well as the general public for a day of clay shooting and raising money for area nonprofits.
The largest to date, the 11th Annual Clays for a Cause raised $358,300 for multiple Northeast Florida charities including Seamark Ranch, St. Augustine Youth Services, Alpha-Omega Miracle Home, Rethreaded, HorsePlay Therapy Center, Investing in Kids, Jimmy Jam, Port In The Storm, Top Shots, Builders Care and Kids Safe Zone — bringing the 11-year total to just under $1.5 million.
“The most important thing to note here is that all of your money, every single dollar, is going directly to these charities, since MasterCraft pays for every penny it takes to put on the event,” said MasterCraft Builder Group CEO and founder Chris Shee as he addressed attendees during the checks presentation. “Also, all of the money stays here locally where we can truly see the good that it does. I truly could not do this without all of you or without my amazing team.”
Since its conception, Clays for a Cause has raised just under $1.5 million for 37 charities throughout Northeast Florida.
For example, the Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County, which was given $25,000 from the fundraiser, will be using the funds to build a new office space, which will free up two of their existing homes for more families.
A new recipient of Clays for a Cause, Villages of Hope, which was also given $25,000, will use the funds to continue building their tiny homes community in Jacksonville that offers a safe place for women to heal and restore as they pursue a new life that is free from substance abuse, trafficking and sexual exploitation.
“Clays for a Cause is the golden standard of a fundraising event,” explained Lauren Peterson, director of donor relations for St. Augustine Youth Services (SAYS). “Chris’ pure-hearted generosity and joy in giving is infectious. This event invites people to dig into the community where we live and invest in making it better. SAYS is so grateful to be one of the beneficiaries, and we love watching the event grow year-after-year. Chris and this event have been a direct influencer on our ability to expand to meet the growing mental health needs of our growing community.”
