Doc Ford’s St. Petersburg Pier restaurant donates backpacks, school supplies

Fairmount Park Elementary children recently returned to the classroom with all the necessities for a great school year, courtesy of employees at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille on the St. Petersburg Pier. The team conducted a back-to-school drive to donate 25 stylish backpacks featuring Spidey and Friends, Bluey, Paw Patrol and superheroes while also fulfilling the Amazon wish list for essential supplies and the school’s dojo store, featuring an assortment of rewards for positive behavior and participation.
Doc Ford’s employees raised over $400 to purchase the backpacks and fund the Amazon purchases, which included crayons, markers, fidget toys, party favors, bubble wands, neon sunglasses, reuseable water bottles, snacks and pencil cases.
“Our team really embraced the idea of supporting a local school,” said Meredith Rickards, general manager of the St. Petersburg Pier Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille. “This was the first time we participated in sponsoring a school and the team is already talking about doing it again.”
“Thanks to our community partner Doc Ford’s, you can make a difference in just a few clicks,” said Andrew M. Akapnitis, Fairmount Park Elementary principal. “Your generosity supports real classrooms, real kids and real learning. All items are shipped directly to our school and once they arrive, we turn them into smiles, success and stronger scholars.”
A Title 1 transformation school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, Fairmount Park Elementary believes in the power of love, learning and leadership and is proud of the daily literacy breakthroughs and STEM innovations illustrating students’ promise, talent and potential. It created the back-to-school Amazon wish list as a way for the community to help it stock up on much-needed supplies.
“These items may seem small, but they make a huge impact in ensuring that every child starts the year with confidence and dignity,” said Akapnitis. “Behind every great student is a classroom filled with tools that make learning possible.”