This year, MasterCraft Builder Group’s premier fundraising event, Clays for a Cause, celebrates its 10th Anniversary on December 8, 2022, at Saltwaters Shooting Club. What started as a friendly clay shooting event for the staff at MasterCraft has turned into a huge fundraising event, with members of the local construction community coming together for a day of clay shooting and raising money for area nonprofits.
Last year, Clays for a Cause raised $225,000 for multiple North Florida charities, including Seamark Ranch, St. Augustine Youth Services (SAYS), Alpha-Omega Miracle Home, Rethreaded, Catholic Charities, HorsePlay Therapy Center, Investing in Kids (INK!), Jacksonville Arts and Music School (JAMS), The Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam, Port in the Storm, St. Johns Police Athletic League, and Top Shots. Altogether, the nine-year total is $853,000, and because MasterCraft Builder Group covers 100 percent of the event’s costs, every dollar goes directly to the “Cause.”
“We should have no problem breaking the one million dollar mark this year, which is absolutely amazing,” explained Chris Shee, MasterCraft Builder Group CEO and Founder. “It’s something we should all be proud of because we’ve all made a huge difference in this community by participating in this event.”
With dozens of local nonprofits benefiting from this event, and for many, this is one of the largest donations they receive each year, we asked a few of them to weigh in on what Clays for a Cause means to them.
Catholic Charities St. Augustine
A relative newcomer to the event, Catholic Charities St. Augustine has been a recipient of Clays for a Cause for one year. This faith-based nonprofit serves the most vulnerable in our community, with over 119,000 pounds of food distributed just last year. Elisa Bennett, Marketing & Development Specialist for the organization, told us a bit more about what this event means to her.
MCBG: Why do you think the event has grown so much over the years?
EB: Clays for a Cause has tremendously helped organizations like ours. With such a fun and uplifting event, bringing the community together to raise money for different charities like this is truly amazing.
MCBG: How has Clays for a Cause helped your organization financially and by exposing new people to your cause?
EB: With the donation from Clays for a Cause, we provided food for over 400 children during the 2021-2022 school year while purchasing toys for over 200 children in our Hope for The Holidays program. The money and exposure we’ve received from this fundraiser has truly been a saving grace. With a hard hit from COVID, more and more people need help, and this support has allowed us to help more families than ever before.
MCBG: What sets this fundraising event apart from others?
EB: When we first met Chris, his contagious smile warmed our hearts. He invited us to be a recipient at Clays for a Cause and welcomed us to the event with such joy. When we arrived at the event, he was the first to greet us and help us set up. I was pregnant during last year’s event, and he was so kind and helpful, all while supporting our organization!
MCBG: How can people reading this help your organization?
EB: Along with supporting Clays for a Cause, we are hosting our first-ever Under The Harvest Moon Gala at Tringali Barn at Heritage Farms on Saturday, November 5. Come join us! Supporters can visit our website, ccbstaug.org, either become a donor or a volunteer or signup for our newsletter and look out for upcoming fundraisers.
Alpha-Omega Miracle Home
Alpha-Omega Miracle Home has been a recipient of the Clays for a Cause fundraising event for two years. Established in 1997, this local nonprofit organization supports single moms and senior women with housing, counseling, and the support they need to succeed. Lisa Franklin, CEO and Founder of the organization told us a bit more about what this event means to her.
MCBG: Why do you think the event has grown so much over the years?
LF: Chris does a great job challenging others to help those in need through our community’s non-profits and small groups.
MCBG: How has Clays for a Cause helped your organization financially and by exposing new people to your cause?
LF: Not only has Clays for a Cause been a financial blessing so we can continue to help others, but due to Clays for a Cause, we have received four vehicles for our residents as donations.
MCBG: What sets this fundraising event apart from others?
LF: Well, there was a senior woman, Vicki, who had slept in her car when she was homeless. During our “Sleep Out” event she met Chris Shee and shared a story of how that same car had been totaled in an accident and how the car meant so much to her before arriving at Alfa-Omega because it had been her home. Chris quickly went to work to figure out how to present a replacement car to her. When Chris presented this car to her, it changed her life. THIS WAS A TOTAL SURPRISE FOR HER! I love to see her smile when she talks about her gift of a car.
MCBG: How can people reading this help your organization?
LF: Continue to come out to support Clays for a Cause and enjoy the day as they change lives in our community. Alpha-Omega Miracle Home enjoys giving tours to those interested in learning more about us. We pair single mothers, their children, and senior women in a safe, clean environment as we give a hand up and not a handout.
Rethreaded
For the past four years, Rethreaded has been a recipient of the annual Clays for a Cause event, other fundraising initiatives from MasterCraft Builder Group, and personally from the company’s Founder, Chris Shee. Based in Jacksonville, Rethreaded is a nonprofit that employs human trafficking survivors to create unique products with the proceeds invested in the company to help even more survivors. Kristin Keen, Founder of Rethreaded, told us a bit more about what this event means to her.
MCBG: Why do you think the event has grown so much over the years?
KK: People love being part of something so fun and impactful. The energy that Clays for a Cause has is contagious and draws people in.
MCBG: How has Clays for a Cause helped your organization financially and by exposing new people to your cause?
KK: Clays for a Cause has been a tremendous support for Rethreaded. They’ve assisted us in helping secure a brand-new building that quadrupled our capacity to hire survivors of human trafficking and provide services to help survivors reclaim their lives.
MCBG: What sets this fundraising event apart from others?
KK: My favorite memories from Clays for a Cause always revolve around Chris Shee‘s excitement before and during the event. I’ll see him two weeks out, and he’ll be so excited that they sold out and excited for all the impactful funds he has raised. He gets so giddy with the thought of how many people he gets to help. Like I said before, the excitement of Chris Shee is contagious. He is a force of good in the world.
MCBG: How can people reading this help your organization?
KK: You can go over to rethreaded.com and start your holiday shopping! You can also give a donation that allows us to provide services to women who have experienced human trafficking.
HorsePlay Therapy Center
A nonprofit therapy organization located in the heart of St. Augustine, HorsePlay Therapy Center specializes in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy for children with special needs. They also provide therapy on horseback in a comprehensive medical treatment model known as Hippotherapy. HorsePlay Therapy Center has been a recipient of Clays for a Cause for the past two years. Vicky Carregal, Founder and President of HorsePlay Therapy Center, told us a bit more about what this event means to her.
MCBG: Why do you think the event has grown so much over the years?
VC: It’s for a great cause, and Chris graciously lets participants give suggestions for charities to be selected to receive a donation. That’s how we got involved – was by our name being thrown into the suggestion box of recipients. People like being a part of something special and something good that helps others, and I believe that this is the reason that this event will continue to grow . . . because SO MUCH GOOD comes from it.
MCBG: How has Clays for a Cause helped your organization financially and by exposing new people to your cause?
VC: Clays has allowed us to meet and be exposed to people we wouldn’t otherwise know. The ability to give our information to people who attend is great. They have shared it, and we have gained new donors and clients from our exposure at Clays for a Cause.
MCBG: What sets this fundraising event apart from others?
VC: Chris is a really nice person and has a heart for helping others. His generosity toward nonprofit organizations is unmatched in our community, and his impact reaches far beyond our county lines. It is a pleasure to know Chris and to watch the success of all that he does.
MCBG: How can people reading this help your organization?
VC: We are always looking for monthly sponsors to support a child or Veteran who can’t afford our services ($100/month), as well as volunteers! Please visit horseplaytherapy.org to learn more.
