On Saturday, September 26, more than 350 supporters, students, educators, and friends huddled up at T. Pepin’s Hospitality Centre for the Ryan Nece Foundation’s 20th Anniversary Power of Giving Gala. It was a night to celebrate two decades of developing servant leaders across Greater Tampa Bay, and to look ahead to everything still left to do.
An opening that set the tone
Before the first welcome, the room heard from two of the young people at the heart of our mission. Student Service Program alumna Amaris Baez and current senior Nishant Shah opened the evening with a duet of “Found Tonight.” It wouldn’t be the last time they took the stage. During dinner, Amaris returned with “Rise Up” and Nishant followed with “Make Them Hear You” from Ragtime.
Our emcee, Tony Castricone, the new voice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, guided the evening and reminded guests of what 20 years has built. Today, through our Student Service Program and 10 Student Service Clubs across Greater Tampa Bay, plus a growing presence in California, the foundation reaches more than 2,000 young people who are passionate about making a difference.
Students in their own words
The heart of the night belonged to our students.
Mariana Caraballo, a senior at Bloomingdale High School, admitted she applied expecting service hours and a few new friends. Instead, she said, she got a life lesson too. Volunteering with Tampa Bay nonprofits taught her to see people beyond the surface and to reflect on her own privilege. Borrowing from Atomic Habits, she described the power of giving as “atomic”: Small acts that carry great power, even when we never see how far they reach.
Victor Bolivar, a senior at Northeast High School in St. Petersburg, won the room with the story of watching his older siblings apply before him. As a 13-year-old, all he heard was “work, work, work.” But when his brother kept coming home with stories of service while Victor sat on the same spot on the couch, he decided working for free might not be so bad after all. Now in his senior year, he told the audience he no longer sees volunteering as a chore, but as a way to give back to others the way so many have given to him.
Mikalah James, a Class of 2025 graduate of the Student Service Program and East Bay High School now attending Florida Southern College, closed the program by sharing who she’s become through the Foundation, and by inviting everyone in the room to invest in the students coming next.
A partner’s perspective
We were also honored to hear from Constance Mitchell, AVID teacher at Durant High School, where our Student Service Club model brings programming directly into the classroom during the school day. Ms. Mitchell shared how lessons on goal setting, communication, emotional intelligence, and financial management have taken root with her scholars. The clearest sign of impact, she said, is when students reference lessons from our coordinator, Ms. Daphne Miles, in everyday conversations with their peers. It’s proof, in her words, that the message “has resonated and become part of how they think and make decisions.”
A new chapter for Learn & Serve Tampa
The evening also brought an exciting announcement. Dr. Kristy Verdi, who has poured herself into Learn & Serve Tampa since 2020, has entrusted the Ryan Nece Foundation to carry its mission forward. This school year, we’ll expand into middle schools for the first time, starting with Mulrennan Middle School in partnership with Hillsborough County Public Schools. Thank you, Dr. Verdi, for trusting us with your life’s work! A more official announcement will come soon.
A conversation with Cedric “The Entertainer”
The highlight many guests had been waiting for was a fireside chat between Ryan Nece and Cedric “The Entertainer” Kyles. Beyond a career spanning The Original Kings of Comedy, Barbershop, and The Neighborhood, Cedric and his family invest in young people through the Kyles Family Foundation. Together, he and Ryan talked about community, purpose, and what it means to use a platform for good.
Following the chat, Ryan returned to the podium, and in a fitting twist on our Paragon Award, every guest in the room received one, a reminder that everyone who gives their time, talent, treasure, and ties is part of this work. We would not be celebrating 20 years without you!
Thank you
Thanks to your generosity, we raised more than $160,000 for students across Greater Tampa Bay!
We’re deeply grateful to our legacy sponsors, the DeBartolo Family Foundation, Mandy and Ryan Nece, and Next Legacy; our visionary sponsors, Brick Media and Suncoast Credit Union; our champion sponsors, BICSI, McKibbon Hospitality, Melissa and Joey Neeley, Pinellas Community Foundation, Power Design, ReliaQuest, Speer Dream Foundation, ShowTech Solutions, Tampa Electric, the Thomas and Jane van der Meulen Family Foundation, and United Way Suncoast; and all of our impact sponsors.
Thank you also to Tony Castricone, DJ Ekin, our educator partners, and the current and former board members and staff who have carried this mission for 20 years.
Here’s to the next 20. It’s not too late to be part of it: How to Help – Ryan Nece Foundation
