Student Answers the Call

CARROLLWOOD - Brandon Proctor, who will be a senior at Gaither High, lives in a suburban house with his mother and grandparents, where he navigates traffic on Dale Mabry, uploads photos from his digital camera and meets school club officers at Starbucks. READ MORE

Sports Illustrated

The Idea began in church for Ryan Nece, with pastor's sermon about the Good Samaritan, but you do not have to be religious to understand the message Nece is trying to share.

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RYAN NECE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2008-09
GOOD SAMARITAN AWARDS PROGRAM SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

Ryan Nece hosted the second annual Good Samaritan Awards Program Year-End Banquet and Scholarship Announcement on Thursday, June 4, 2009 at the Renaissance Tampa Hotel. Throughout the 2008-09 school year, high school students from Hillsborough and Pinellas County schools were selected as Good Samaritans of the Month based on their academic achievements and contributions to community service. All monthly winners were invited to the banquet where one student from each school district was honored with a college scholarship.

Buccaneers safety Will Allen was on hand to deliver the keynote address at the banquet. Will posed for photos and signed autographs for all the Good Samaritan winners at the conclusion of the banquet. 

Matthew Bloom (second from left) from Lakewood High School was this year's Pinellas County scholarship recipient. Matthew is significantly involved in SWAT, or Students Working Against Tobacco. For three years, he has been a core member of Pinellas Co. SWAT youth who have organized anti-tobacco meetings, events, presentations and commercials throughout Florida . The group has met with Florida legislators, attended leadership trainings at hospice and spoken to middle school students about the harmful effects of tobacco. Last year, Matthew started a SWAT club at his school that has now grown to over 35 members who meet once a month and organize one anti-tobacco related activity each month.

In addition to his work with SWAT, Matthew also volunteers for the Pinellas County Health Department and the American Lung Association. He also enjoys sharing his passion for music with residents at Menorah Manor Nursing Home and Toby Weinman Assisted Living Facility.

A member of the National Honor Society and a College Board AP Scholar with Honor, Matthew plans to attend the University of Florida as a biology or pre-med major.

Brandon Proctor (third from left), a junior at Gaither High School, was the scholarship recipient from Hillsborough County. Last summer, Brandon spent five weeks in West Africa  with the International Mission Board-Southern Baptist Convention. During those five weeks, he lived and worked among the Wala people, ministering, and helping the people plow, plant seeds and farm. Living with no electricity, no clean running water and no way of communicating with the native people, Brandon was left humbled and forever changed by the experience.

Back at home, Brandon served the past school year as president of the Student Advisory Committee, vice president of PTSA Student Ambassadors, and vice president of Humanitarian Outreach and Awareness Project. He also found time to organize two blood drives over the summer, as well as a blood drive at the beginning of this past school year.

A member of the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Hillsborough County School Board, Brandon is completing another mission trip to West Africa this summer.

The Ryan Nece Foundation would like to congratulate all of this year's Good Samaritans!

RYAN NECE FOUNDATION AWARDS ITS FIRST TWO SCHOLARSHIPS
AS PART OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN AWARDS PROGRAM

The Ryan Nece Foundation hosted the first annual Year-End Awards Banquet and Scholarship Announcement for the Good Samaritan Awards Program on Thursday, June 5, 2008. All students who won monthly Good Samaritan Awards throughout the school year were invited to the banquet where one student each from the Hillsborough and Pinellas County school districts were awarded with $5,000 scholarships.

From Hillsborough County, Alexandra Pitrowski (pictured above at left), a 2008 graduate of Bloomingdale Sr. High School, won the Good Samaritan of the Year scholarship award. Alexandra is founder and president of the Student Music Outreach Program which sends high school musicians to local nursing homes to perform for the residents. Alexandra has spent countless hours volunteering at the Colson Deaf and Hard of Hearing Preschool Program where she assists the teachers with decorating their classrooms, setting up computers and filing. Through her love of music, this student has spent the vast majority of her volunteer hours through her school’s orchestra. She has volunteered as a stage hand at over twenty concert performances between the Burns Middle School Orchestra and the Bloomingdale Orchestra Concerts. She’s also played for the Macy’s Shop For The Cause Benefit, as well as the Delaney Assisted Living Facility string orchestra. A member of the National Honors Society, she was also a member of the Math, Spanish and Social Studies Honors Societies at her school.

Alexandra plans to attend the University of Florida in the Fall where she will major in biochemistry on her way to becoming an orthopedic surgeon. 

Jasmine Stafford, a 2008 graduate of Dunedin High School, was the Pinellas County Good Samaritan of the Year scholarship recipient. Jasmine is extensively involved in several organizations that focus on mentoring and education. These organizations include LifeForce Cultural Performing Arts Academy,Younglife, Precious Pearls, Delta Gems, Acteens, and the NAACP Youth Council. 

An honor roll student and winner of several academic awards throughout high school, Jasmine plans to attend Bethune Cookman College in the Fall where she will major in business and communications.

The Ryan Nece Foundation would like to wish all of the Good Samaritan Awards winners the best of luck in their future endeavors!

PARKE WRIGHT III LEADERSHIP AWARD RECIPIENT CHASE STOCKON
SELECTS RYAN NECE FOUNDATION AS BENEFICIARY

Chase Stockon, President/CEO of Panther International LLC, received the 2008 Parke Wright III Leadership Award from Leadership Tampa Alumni at the organization's annual meeting on January 16, 2008. Established in 2002, the award is presented annually to a member of Leadership Tampa Alumni who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and made a significant difference in the Tampa Bay community. Stockon currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Spring of Tampa Bay and is past Chairman and Aquarium Foundation Chairman for The Florida Aquarium, among many other civic and philanthropic endeavors.

As part of the award, Stockon received $2,000 for the charity of his choice from Lykes Bros. Inc., who presents an honorarium to each year's winner to commemorate Parke Wright's commitment to leadership in the community. Stockon graciously selected the Ryan Nece Foundation as the recipient of this year's honorarium. Stockon, along with Lykes Bros. Executive Vice President Fred Bennett (left) and Chief Executive Howell Ferguson (second from left) are pictured presenting Ryan Nece with the check.

The Ryan Nece Foundation would like to sincerely thank Chase Stockon for his contributions to the Tampa Bay community, as well as his support of the foundation.

GOOD SAMARITAN HOLIDAY CELEBRATION 2007

For the second consecutive year, the Ryan Nece Foundation celebrated the holiday season with the Good Samaritan Holiday Celebration. Over 60 children from Haven Poe Runaway Center, Safe Children Coalition and The Life Center were greeted at The Florida Aquarium on Thursday, December 20th, 2007 with caroling by the Tampa Bay Children's Chorus. After some welcome remarks by Nece, the children rotated among several stations, including arts and crafts where they decorated their own stockings. The children ate dinner on the Explore A Shore patio where a winter wonderland was created with the help of a synthetic snowfall. All the children were able to explore the Aquarium's exhibits before having their pictures taken with Nece, Santa and Mrs. Claus in front of the Coral Reef Panoramic Window. At the conclusion of the party, each child received gifts from their personal wish lists on behalf of the Ryan Nece Foundation.

"It's great to be able to celebrate the holidays with these kids," said Nece. "For me, the true spirit of the season is being able to provide the kids here with a great holiday memory."

The Ryan Nece Foundation would like to extend a special thanks to The Florida Aquarium for their help in making the Good Samaritan Holiday Celebration a success.

RYAN NECE FOUNDATION LAUNCHES THE GOOD SAMARITAN AWARDS PROGRAM

With the start of the 2007-08 school year, the Ryan Nece Foundation launched the Good Samaritan Awards Program. Designed to encourage leadership and community awareness, the program recognizes Hillsborough and Pinellas County high school students based on academic performance and contributions to community service.
 
Throughout the year, school representatives nominate students for the award on a monthly basis. One male student and one female student from each county are selected as Good Samaritans of the Month by representatives from their respective school districts. Those four students are invited to a recognition ceremony at One Buccaneer Place where they receive a personalized award from Nece, as well as a tour of the Buccaneers training facility.

At the conclusion of the school year, all monthly student winners will be invited to a year-end banquet where one Good Samaritan of the Year from each county will be honored with a college scholarship.

The first Good Samaritans of the Month were honored for the month of October 2007. Those winners are pictured with Ryan Nece. Left to right: Taylor Shimberg, Plant High School; Daniel Hernandez, Spoto High School; Liz Apple, Shorecrest Prep; and Andrew Scavelli, Palm Harbor University.

GIVING THANKS

For Thanksgiving 2007, Ryan Nece, along with friend and teammate Jermaine Phillips, visited the almost 100 cadets at Falkenburg Academy. With the help of Publix Super Markets, Nece and Phillips delivered a feast to the young men complete with turkeys, hams, pies, cookies, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and much more.

Upon the arrival of the two Buccaneers, the cadets were all assembled on the basketball court in the facility’s courtyard to hear a very special message. Nece and Phillips both gave their testimonies and described how their lives changed once they became Christians. Nece urged the young men in the audience to think about each choice they make in life, even though they may have already made a few wrong ones. Nece and Phillips closed by wishing the cadets Happy Thanksgiving and by reminding them that they are never forgotten about.

Falkenburg Academy is a program designed to teach accountability to adjudicated male youth ages 14-18 through a restorative justice approach. The program offers physical education, substance abuse treatment, life skills courses, anger management, and academics designed to culminate in the receipt of either a GED or a high school diploma. The minimum length of stay for a cadet at Falkenburg Academy is seven months, and the program capacity remains steadily just under 100 cadets.

The Ryan Nece Foundation would like to give a special thanks to Publix Super Markets for their help, in the true spirit of giving, towards making this Thanksgiving special for the cadets of Falkenburg Academy.

RYAN NECE FOUNDATION TEAMS UP WITH
REBUILDING TOGETHER FOR GOOD SAMARITAN PROJECT

Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay Executive Director Jose Garcia is pictured with children from Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Migrant Mission.
During the week of August 20th, 2007, over 100 volunteers from Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay and HSBC joined forces to rebuild and expand the playground for Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Migrant Mission in Wimauma.  The project goal was to provide the 400 children served by the Mission with a safer, cleaner and bigger playground.  As part of the project, the Ryan Nece Foundation provided 150 backpacks and school supplies for the Mission’s school. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Migrant Mission provides educational and nutritional services to over 4,000 low income persons, many of whom are children.  The Mission was built in 1991 in response to a growing population and needs of migrant farm workers and their children.  The church serves to fill many voids in the lives of the local residents.  They operate a food pantry to feed its neediest families and currently serve 139 families.  The Church also operates a thrift shop where families can find clothing and other items.

Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay is a nonprofit organization which provides free home repair services to low income elderly and/or disabled Tampa Bay Area homeowners. So far in 2007, Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay has rehabilitated 12 homes with the aid of local contributions and the donated labor of over 700 volunteers. The Ryan Nece Foundation and Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay plan to partner more extensively in the future to rehab homes and community buildings in the Tampa Bay area.

RYAN NECE FOUNDATION AND GERDAU AMERISTEEL
DONATE COMPUTERS AND WEB CAMS TO BAY PINES VA HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

From left: Gerdau Ameristeel CEO Mario Longhi, Bay Pines Director Wallace Hopkins, Nece, Wayne Baroni, Gerdau Ameristeel Chairman of the Board Phil Casey, James Myers, and Gerdau Ameristeel VP of Human Resources Jim Rogers

The Ryan Nece Foundation teamed up with steel manufacturer Gerdau Ameristeel to donate 17 computers and 44 Web cams with headsets to the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System for use in connecting patients with family members located around the country. The donation serves as the first Good Samaritan Project of 2007 for Nece’s Foundation.

Of the donated computers, 15 are desktop units that will be placed in central locations around the hospital for general patient use. Two of the donated computers are laptops that will travel to rooms of patients who are unable to leave their beds to visit a computer terminal. Selected families of veterans will receive Web cams and headsets so that family members who are unable to travel to Bay Pines to visit their loved ones can communicate with them regularly.

The computers and Web cam equipment were presented to Bay Pines Director Wallace

"I’ve sat in a hospital bed and been away from my family and it’s difficult,” Nece said during the presentation. “It’s amazing how seeing your family and communicating with them can get you over the hump in your recovery process.”

Longhi echoed those sentiments, saying, “Our organization is always dedicated to trying to help others. Being able to be with my family makes a big difference in knowing what people go through without theirs.” 

After the presentation, a live demonstration of the Web cam’s capabilities connected two veterans at the hospital with their families back home. Wayne Baroni, Army artillery, spoke with his wife, Nicole, and two young children, Wayne and Alexia, whom he hasn’t seen in almost a year. Originally from Philadelphia, Baroni’s family resides there while he’s being treated at Bay Pines. Being able to see them over the Web cam brought an instant smile to Baroni’s face, as he told his wife she looked beautiful and asked his children if they were behaving themselves.

James Myers, Army MP, spoke with his two daughters, Theresa and Christina, in Brooklyn. Myers also hasn’t seen his children in at least a year, and he relished the opportunity to see them on the computer and tell them he loved them. Both Baroni and Myers promised their families that they would be able to communicate via Web cam more regularly now that the hospital has the necessary equipment.

Bay Pines Director Wallace Hopkins expressed thanks for the donation on behalf of the patients at the hospital who can now come closer to experiencing the comforts of home.

“I’m overcome by the generosity of this gift,” Hopkins said.

Gerdau Ameristeel is the second largest mini-mill steel producer in North America with annual manufacturing capacity of more than nine million tons of mill finished steel products. Through its vertically integrated network of 17 mini-mills, 17 scrap recycling facilities and 51 downstream operations, Gerdau Ameristeel serves customers throughout the United States and Canada. The company's products are generally sold to steel service centers, steel fabricators, or directly to original equipment manufacturers for use in a variety of industries, including construction, automotive, mining and cellular and electrical transmission. It is found in bridges, highways, stadiums, and commercial and apartment buildings. The common shares of Gerdau Ameristeel are traded on the New York Exchange under the symbol GNA and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol GNA.TO. For additional company information and investor information, visit www.gerdauameristeel.com.

TAMPA BAY ILLUSTRATED NAMES NECE TO THE PERFECT 10

Tampa Bay Illustrated, one of the area's leading lifestyle magazines, has named Nece to The Perfect 10 in its April 2007 publication. An annual edition, The Perfect 10 features the Bay area's most fashionable and charitable men. The 10 subjects were selected from nominations submitted by Tampa Bay Illustrated readers and Saks Fifth Avenue visitors during October and November. Criteria considered for the nominees included community involvement and personal style. A fundraising fashion show featuring The Perfect 10 will be held April 18, 2007 at the West Shore Plaza Saks Fifth Avenue.

www.tampabayillustrated.com

NECE TO RECEIVE JB AWARD AT THE NFL PLAYERS GRIDIRON GALA

Congratulations to Ryan Nece who has been selected as a recipient of a JB Award, an honor bestowed upon a handful of active NFL players! As a winner of this prestigious award, Nece is automatically a finalist for the Byron "Whizzer" White Award, presented annually at the NFL Players Gridiron Gala in Washington, DC.

The Gala, a partnership between the NFLPA, Players Inc and James Brown of CBS Sports' "The NFL Today," recognizes NFL players who exemplify leadership, dedication and commitment to team and community. Nece will be honored for his achievements at this year's Gala on April 12, 2007, at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC.

JB Award recipients are nominated by their teammates at the end of the season for their commitment to achieve excellence off the field through building better communities and stronger families. Of the 32 players nominated, Brown reviews submissions and personally selects 10 players to receive a JB Award, all of whom are automatic finalists for the Byron "Whizzer" White Award, the NFLPA's highest honor. The winner of this award is not announced until the Gala and is selected by an independent panel of judges. The award was established by the professional football players of America to acknowledge a debt of gratitude to one of their own, Byron "Whizzer" White, a scholar, athlete, patriot, humanitarian and public servant, who is the personification of the ideal to which professional football players aspire. His service to the nation as Justice of the Supreme Court brings honor upon every man in professional football.