Pepin Academies Named 2025 Yass Prize Contender for Innovation in Learning for Students with Disabilities

October 20, 2025

The Tampa Bay schools are among just 23 organizations nationwide competing for $1 million award Pepin Academies, a network of public charter schools dedicated to serving students with learning disabilities, has been named a 2025 Yass Prize Contender—one of only…

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Protecting Those Who Protect Us: St. Pete Police Officers Receive Mental Health Challenge Coins

October 10, 2025

As Officer Suicides Climb, Graduates Take Steps to Save Lives and Change the Future of Policing On World Mental Health Day, a new kind of badge of honor was handed out to St. Petersburg Police officers at this morning’s briefing—custom…

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Hundreds Celebrate the Community and First Responders at the 3rd Annual Family Fun Day

October 4, 2025

Hillsborough County’s firefighters and deputies spent Saturday giving back to the community they serve at the 3rd Annual Family Fun Day at Raymond James Stadium. Children climbed aboard fire trucks, explored sheriff’s vehicles, and watched the bomb squad robot in…

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Tampa’s Next Generation of Leaders

September 24, 2025

Excerpt from Tampa Magazine: As a child, Tina Pepin wanted to be part of her family’s legacy and business. Her grandfather founded Pepin Distributing, and her father purchased the business in 1981 — but they did far more than distribute beer.…

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Former Senate President Tom Lee Inducted into the Florida Housing Hall of Fame

September 23, 2025

The Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA) proudly announces the induction of Tom Lee into the prestigious Florida Housing Hall of Fame, honoring his decades of leadership, vision, and service to the home building industry and the people of Florida. The…

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Tina Pepin Awarded the Champion of Opportunity Award by The Able Trust

August 27, 2025

The Able Trust awarded the Champion of Opportunity Award to Tina Pepin, Executive Director of the Pepin Family Foundation. The award, presented during a celebration luncheon at Saddlebrook Resort, recognizes an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, compassion, and commitment to expanding…

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Students with Disabilities Build Life Skills in an Unexpected Place: The Public Defender’s Office

August 18, 2025

Young Adults with Learning Disabilities Are Back to School at this Unique Training Ground in Downtown Tampa Among the legal files, busy attorneys, and bustling court preparations at the Hillsborough County Public Defender’s Office, there’s something else happening—something you wouldn’t…

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Protecting Those Who Protect Us: Officers Graduate from Groundbreaking Mental Health Program

July 28, 2025

As Officer Suicides Climb, Graduates Take Steps to Save Lives and Change the Future of Policing More police officers die by suicide than in the line of duty. Behind the badge, many carry invisible wounds—and far too often, they suffer…

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Inspiring the Next Generation of Nurses to Help Ease the Sustained Shortage

June 26, 2025

Local High School Students Scrub In for Real-World Experience Through USF & Pepin Family Foundation While many teens spent the start of summer break relaxing, 50 local students suited up in scrubs to explore one of the most in-demand and…

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Pepin Heart Institute at AdventHealth Tampa becomes first in Tampa Bay to complete 1,000th WATCHMAN™ heart procedure

June 4, 2025

The heart care experts at the Pepin Heart Institute, a part of AdventHealth Tampa, are now the first in the Tampa Bay area to complete 1,000 WATCHMAN ™ procedures, a minimally invasive surgery that helps prevent stroke and cardiovascular death…

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Pepin Academies Transition Program at The Florida Aquarium

Students with disabilities embrace work opportunities at The Florida Aquarium

October 28, 2025

Excerpt from Spectrum News: October is Disability Employment Awareness Month. It is a time to recognize the positive impact people with disabilities have on the American workforce.  At The Florida Aquarium in downtown Tampa, there are all kinds of jobs, from scuba-diving…

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Pepin Academies Named 2025 Yass Prize Contender for Innovation in Learning for Students with Disabilities

Pepin Academies Named 2025 Yass Prize Contender for Innovation in Learning for Students with Disabilities

October 20, 2025

The Tampa Bay schools are among just 23 organizations nationwide competing for $1 million award Pepin Academies, a network of public charter schools dedicated to serving students with learning disabilities, has been named a 2025 Yass Prize Contender—one of only…

Read More
Graduates designed a custom challenge coin that reads First to Respond, Last to Ask for Help (Front) & We Fight as a Family, You Are Never Alone (Back). Each coin includes a QR code linking to a current list of vetted mental health resources.

Protecting Those Who Protect Us: St. Pete Police Officers Receive Mental Health Challenge Coins

October 10, 2025

As Officer Suicides Climb, Graduates Take Steps to Save Lives and Change the Future of Policing On World Mental Health Day, a new kind of badge of honor was handed out to St. Petersburg Police officers at this morning’s briefing—custom…

Read More
Hillsborough County’s firefighters and deputies spent Saturday giving back to the community they serve at the 3rd Annual Family Fun Day

Hundreds Celebrate the Community and First Responders at the 3rd Annual Family Fun Day

October 4, 2025

Hillsborough County’s firefighters and deputies spent Saturday giving back to the community they serve at the 3rd Annual Family Fun Day at Raymond James Stadium. Children climbed aboard fire trucks, explored sheriff’s vehicles, and watched the bomb squad robot in…

Read More
Top five from left: Gabriella Accardi Wichman, Garrett Greco, Gianna Accardi Griffith, Maximilian Chillura, Andrea Gonzmart Williams. Bottom center: Drew Newman, Tina Pepin

Tampa’s Next Generation of Leaders

September 24, 2025

Excerpt from Tampa Magazine: As a child, Tina Pepin wanted to be part of her family’s legacy and business. Her grandfather founded Pepin Distributing, and her father purchased the business in 1981 — but they did far more than distribute beer.…

Read More

Former Senate President Tom Lee Inducted into the Florida Housing Hall of Fame

September 23, 2025

The Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA) proudly announces the induction of Tom Lee into the prestigious Florida Housing Hall of Fame, honoring his decades of leadership, vision, and service to the home building industry and the people of Florida. The…

Read More
Group from left to right: Donna Wright, The Able Trust; Tina Pepin, Pepin Family Foundation; Alexis Dempsey Doyle, Saddlebrook Resort; Allison Chase, The Able Trust

Tina Pepin Awarded the Champion of Opportunity Award by The Able Trust

August 27, 2025

The Able Trust awarded the Champion of Opportunity Award to Tina Pepin, Executive Director of the Pepin Family Foundation. The award, presented during a celebration luncheon at Saddlebrook Resort, recognizes an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, compassion, and commitment to expanding…

Read More
Pepin Academies Transition Program at the Hillsborough County Public Defender's Office

Students with Disabilities Build Life Skills in an Unexpected Place: The Public Defender’s Office

August 18, 2025

Young Adults with Learning Disabilities Are Back to School at this Unique Training Ground in Downtown Tampa Among the legal files, busy attorneys, and bustling court preparations at the Hillsborough County Public Defender’s Office, there’s something else happening—something you wouldn’t…

Read More
Officers Graduate from Groundbreaking Mental Health Program

Protecting Those Who Protect Us: Officers Graduate from Groundbreaking Mental Health Program

July 28, 2025

As Officer Suicides Climb, Graduates Take Steps to Save Lives and Change the Future of Policing More police officers die by suicide than in the line of duty. Behind the badge, many carry invisible wounds—and far too often, they suffer…

Read More