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Teen giving circle exceeds expectations at first meeting

Ashley Morales

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More than 130 teens showed up for the first 100 Teens Who Care meeting, exceeding organizers’ expectations for the newly formed youth giving circle. Photos: Ashley Morales.

More than 130 local teens gathered at the St. Petersburg Woman’s Club Thursday night for the inaugural meeting of 100 Teens Who Care St. Petersburg.

The newly formed organization, inspired by the 100 Women Who Care model, brought together high school students from across the city to engage in collaborative philanthropy. Each participant contributed $25 to the collective pool, which was then awarded to one of three local nonprofits that presented their causes to the group.

100 Teens Who Care President Kyra Galvin and Vice Present Simi Damani led the meeting, noting how encouraged they were to see the packed room, full of teens ready to engage and give back.

The first presenter was Kimmy Chandler, founder of FLUFF Animal Rescue. The rescue recently opened a new 2.5-acre facility in Pinellas Park, and Chandler said plans to continue growing include building out a vet clinic.

“We have been looking to start a medical fund for animals that are medically needy,” Chander added. “Right now, we have to pick and choose which animals we take based on the funds that we have donated.”

Arts Conservatory for Teens (ACT) also presented to the crowd, with founder (and singer) Alex Harris and Justice, one of the ACT participants, taking the stage.

“One of the things, if we are chosen tonight, we will be able to utilize the money for is expanding one of our programs that really allows our students to give back throughout the process,” Justice said. “One of my mentors, Alex [Harris], taught me that it’s great to achieve, but it’s also good to give back on the way. That’s one of the things that I’ve learned to do, and it has expanded my life.”

After their presentations, the nonprofit leaders answered questions from the crowd, then the teen participants voted for the organization they found most impactful, with the winning nonprofit receiving the pooled donations.

With the strong turnout and an individual donor match, the teens raised $5,000 at their first meeting.

100 Teens Who Care Vice Present Simi Damani (far left) and President Kyra Galvin (second from left) pose with the nonprofits that presented to the over 130 youth in attendance at their inaugural meeting.

The winning nonprofit, Charlie’s Champs, is a nonprofit in St. Pete that provides adaptive sports events and equipment for children with disabilities. Allie and John Benson founded the organization in 2018 in honor of Charlie, their daughter who was diagnosed with birth defects and died in utero.

“12 out of every 100 kids struggles to walk across the sand, so they can’t swim. They can’t ride a bike, and they can’t go for a run,” Allie said. “Charlie’s Champs gives kids a chance to participate and hang out with their siblings and friends. Our mission is to provide children with disabilities opportunities for joy, companionship and physical fitness.”

The Bensons said they will use the $4,500 grant from 100 Teens Who Care to create a “lending library” of adaptive bikes, giving families a chance to try out the often expensive equipment before investing in their own machine.

“The companies that we get bikes from usually work with us so we can get an extra good deal on it,” John said. “Especially if it’s going to be a demo that gets passed around.”

“This is huge for us,” Allie added. “We are run by family and friends; we don’t have any paid employees, and we all have full-time jobs and families, so fundraising is not the easiest for us. This is one of the biggest grants we’ve gotten so far, and it will be really, really helpful.”

The other two nonprofits received grants of $250, ensuring no one left the event empty-handed.

Beyond the financial contribution, the event served as a platform for community building among local youth. Attendees had the chance to network with peers from different schools and learn about various service opportunities in the area. The event can also be counted as volunteer hours for students working toward a Bright Futures scholarship, a statewide scholarship program funded by the Florida Lottery that requires a certain number of volunteer service hours for a student to be eligible.

All of the nonprofit leaders who presented also offered additional volunteer opportunities for the youth in attendance. 100 Teens Who Care St. Petersburg will continue holding quarterly meetings, and new participants can join any time online here.

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