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Pete’s Bar and Community First Cares Foundation Celebrate Renovation Grand Reopening with Charity Give-Back
Ticketed Matching Grant Fundraiser Planned for Sat., December 10
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Nov. 29, 2022 – The Community First Cares Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Community First Credit Union, and the ownership of the iconic Pete’s Bar in Neptune Beach, will celebrate the bar’s grand reopening with a matching grant and ticketed fundraising event to support beaches-area nonprofits. “Joys & Toys” will be held at “The Backyard at Pete’s” one of the newest features after renovation and improvements at the bar. The Backyard at Pete’s is a new outdoor patio added to the bar’s famed location.
Community First Cares Foundation and Pete’s Bar owners are making matching grants to the fundraiser with a goal of raising $30,000 for the three charities to split evenly. Additional donations and funds will be raised at the event which also features a toy drive. Attendees who donate toys to the drive will receive additional VIP benefits at the event. The beneficiary nonprofits are BEAM, The HEAL Foundation and Beaches Go Green.
“We’re excited to give back to the Beaches community for its strong and continued support of Pete’s for the last 90 years,” said Shahab Derazi, partner. “This giveback event will not only showcase the renovations at Pete's and the creation of "The Backyard" but it will also highlight BEAM, HEAL and Beaches Go Green which continue to have such a great impact on the beach’s communities.”
The “Joys & Toys” Event will be held Sat., December 10 from 1 to 5 p.m. and is $20 per ticket. Event tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite here. 100% of ticket proceeds, seed grants and other donations will benefit the three nonprofit organizations.
“The Community First Cares Foundation is proud to work with Pete’s on a commemoration of the newly refreshed bar while also giving back to our beaches,” said Missy Peters, executive director of the foundation. “BEAM, HEAL and Beaches Go Green do amazing work in our community and we’re looking forward to helping them fund projects to support their missions.”
Community First Credit Union is Pete’s Bar business banking and lending partner and provided the capital for the extensive indoor and outdoor improvements including new bathrooms in addition to “The Backyard at Pete’s.”
Pete’s Bar was the first bar to open in Duval County after Prohibition was repealed in 1933. It sits at its original location at the corner of First and Lemon Streets. The establishment precedes the founding of Neptune Beach as a city in 1931. In the 1920’s, what is now Pete’s Bar was known as Jensen’s Market. Since Peter Jensen started the business it has been passed down from generation to generation. Smoking and vaping are still allowed at “The Backyard at Pete’s.”
The Community First Cares Foundation, founded by Community First Credit Union, is a non-profit community foundation that grants funds to improve the quality of life in North Florida. The foundation supports activities to improve financial literacy, enhance the quality of our educational system, upgrade the health and welfare of our community and help underserved citizens. The Community First Cares Foundation makes contributions to nonprofit organizations that serve the communities on the First Coast. For more information, visit www.CommunityFirstCares.org or call 904-371-8090.
Poverty is a silent epidemic in our schools, and many issues with attendance and academics are directly related to students not having clean clothes, shoes that fit, or the supplies they need to be successful in school. Students want to feel good about themselves when they come to school, and we want to help them have everything they need to learn. We could not have opened our first on-site classroom-sized Giving Closet without this funding and volunteer support.
Jennifer Smith, DCPS teacher and Founder of The Giving Closet Project.