The 9th Annual Clays for a Cause event, presented by St. Johns County homebuilder MasterCraft Builder Group, was held on Thursday, Dec. 9, 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 9th Annual Clays for a Cause raised $225,000 for multiple North Florida charities including Seamark Ranch, St. Augustine Youth Services, Alpha-Omega Miracle Home, Rethreaded, Catholic Charities, HorsePlay Therapy Center, Investing in Kids (INK!), Jacksonville Arts and Music School, The Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam, Port in the Storm, St. Johns Police Athletic League and Top Shots.
"It's a privilege to come together each year and spend the day raising awareness for some of my favorite causes here in Northeast Florida," said MasterCraft Builder Group CEO and founder Chris Shee. "As a home builder, to have 12 of my competitors out here supporting this event is incredibly touching. This event gives back to our community, and the generosity of our sponsors blows me away time and time again."
Since its conception, Clays for a Cause has raised more than $850,000 for charities throughout Northeast Florida. For example, Investing in Kids (INK!) is a local nonprofit that helps fund projects for students and teachers throughout St. Johns County.
In addition, Alpha-Omega Miracle Home provides housing, counseling and education for single mothers, their children and senior women. And HorsePlay Therapy Center offers equine therapy for children with disabilities and will be using this year’s donation to fund their new program, Rise Up for Veterans.
"What Chris Shee does for our community is incredible; he is the fuel to the engine of the nonprofit world," said Lisa Franklin, CEO and founder of Alpha-Omega Miracle Home. "His heart for this community and nonprofits is like no other. This is our second year participating in Clays for a Cause, and we've also been beneficiaries of his fundraiser, Concerts for a Cause. The donation from this year's event will go toward our new campus to provide greater housing opportunities to women in need."
