We are the Anna Maria Island Privateers, and we are a 501(c)(3) Not-For-Profit organization.  Our mission statement is “Pirates for Kids and Community.”  Every year we put on events and collect donations in order help support our mission.  Our most visible contribution is our Scholarship fund.  We strive to give away $20,000 or more to 12 Manatee County kids.  4 graduating high school seniors and 8 college kids that received the scholarship the year before.  A little-known fact about our scholarship program is that if you receive a scholarship from us as a graduating high school senior, you may be eligible to receive one from us all 4 years you are in college.

Our second most visible contribution to Kids and Community is our annual adopt a family at Christmas.  We used to only be able to adopt one or two families a year, but recently with the help from Tommyknockers and the Drift Inn on Anna Maria Island we have been able to help 3 or 4 families.  We are looking to expand even further this year because we know families have been struggling because of COVID-19.  This year we have partnered with Guardian Ad Litem to try and provide help for foster kids that may not have a Christmas without our help.  Along with the Guardian Ad Litem we will be working with Girls Inc. to help provide a Christmas for more kids that need Christmas help.

To make the process as easy and COVID friendly as possible we have created an Amazon wish list that contains the gifts that have been asked for, as well as some generic kid’s gifts.  If you would like to help is meet our goal of helping 50 kids this Christmas please click this link or the Amazon logo below, https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2DUU3JQ2L9IL3?&sort=default.  This will take you to the list called A COVID Christmas.  You can purchase something off that list, most of the items are off the lists that we have received from the kids.  We ask that if you do, that you consider spending around $150.  We feel that we can give each child a decent Christmas for that $150.  The list has been built to have the KW Suncoast office as one of the shipping options when you purchase.  To stay as safe as possible and make it easy for you, you can have all gifts shipped there.

The gifts will be distributed to the families at a COVID friendly event at the KW Suncoast office.  It is located at 4152 Lakewood Ranch Blvd, Bradenton, FL 34211.  The Privateers will be there with our 63’ pirate ship the Skullywag, as well as our sleigh carrying Santa.  There will be COVID friendly games and crafts for the kids as well as food, cookies, and hot chocolate.  In order to keep the event safe, the families will be given a time that they need to be there to see Santa and receive their gifts.  Any family that cannot make it will have their gifts delivered at a later date.

 We would like to thank you for your time and hope you can help us bring Christmas to lots of kids this year.