Meet SVP Tampa Bay Class of 2020: Little St. Nick Foundation

SVP Fast Pitch: Little St. Nick Foundation from St. Pete Catalyst on Vimeo.

Click the play button to hear from Raymond Mohler of Little St. Nick Foundation. 

In the coming weeks, the St. Pete Catalyst will introduce each of the organizations competing in the 2020 Social Venture Partner’s Fast Pitch. This two-month program has brought together the best and brightest of Tampa Bay’s nonprofit world for a training and mentoring program that culminates in an exciting pitch night.

Get your tickets 50% off for the Feb. 20 SVP Fast Pitch (tonight) with our special St. Pete Catalyst offer here. (code already applied!)

Meet Little St. Nick Foundation.

When Raymond Mohler was just 4 years old, he was diagnosed with a rare hip joint disorder, Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (LCPD). With pain in both hips and an inability to talk, Mohler was rushed to a children’s hospital. The experience, Mohler recalls, was traumatic. Luckily, at the end of the day, Mohler and his family were able to treat the disease from home. But the experience left him wondering what happens to all of the kids who stay in the hospital for days, weeks and months – the kids who aren’t lucky enough to go home like he was.

On Mohler’s 5th birthday, Christmas Eve, he asked his parents if he could give his Christmas gifts to those children. That was the beginning of the St. Nick Foundation. Officially founded when Mohler was just 6 years old, Little St. Nick Foundation has been helping sick children cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and activities. Through numerous programs and volunteer events, Little St. Nick Foundation has continued to grow through the last 16 years, expanding from Mohler’s hometown in New York to Tampa Bay, during Mohler’s time as a student at University of Tampa.