13 Ugly Men Raises $52,000 For Charities At 1st Invitational

TAMPA, FL — Following a successful charity golf tournament, The 13 Ugly Men Foundation, Bern’s Steak House and the Laxer Family Foundation will present $52,000 to two Tampa Bay area charities.

The organizers of The Invitational annual charity golf tournament were able to exceed their initial donation goal for the chosen charities, resulting in donations of $26,000 each to Pepin Academies Foundation and Southeastern Guide Dogs.

13 Ugly Men, along with Bern’s Steak House and the Laxer Family Foundation, designed and developed the one-of-a-kind golf tournament to raise funds for Pepin Academies Foundation and Southeastern Guide Dogs.

“The Invitational was an excellent way to raise money for charity and have some fun. From the helicopter drop raffle to the golf competition, it was a must-attend event,” said John Teixeira, vice president of 13 Ugly Men.

“During this significant time, The Invitational offered the perfect outdoor backdrop for raising funds for two life-changing organizations, Pepin Academies Foundation and Southeastern Guide Dogs. The Laxer Family Foundation and Bern’s Steak House are proud to partner with this great event,” said Christina Laxer, founder of the Laxer Family Foundation.

“We are honored to be able to help out these amazing charities, and we are thrilled at the success of this event after nearly a year and a half of challenges related to COVID-19,” said Niven Patel, chair of The Invitational. “The pandemic prevented us from doing what we do best, throwing parties for charity. So we are beyond ecstatic to resume our mission and help charities while having a good time.”

“I am so proud to be a part of the philanthropic work Bern’s Steak House and the Laxer Family Foundation does," said Nate Wilson, director of spirits at Bern’s Steak House and board member of the Laxer Family Foundation. "Teaming up with the 13 Ugly Men organization to raise funds for two amazing nonprofit organizations was truly fulfilling, especially from beginning to end working alongside a great friend who has become like a brother. We are all incredibly thankful for the collaboration and generosity that made this event possible. Special thanks goes to TPC Tampa Bay for allowing us to use their beautiful golf course and facilities, our awesome contributing sponsors as well as our presenting sponsor, Jim Beam Black. Without all of you, we could not have made it the success it was."

The Pepin Academies Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created in 2008 to support the Pepin Academies schools. Established in 1999, Pepin Academies are a tuition-free, independent public charter schools serving more than 1,100 students with learning and learning-related disabilities in third through 12th grades in Hillsborough and Pasco counties. It also provides a transitional job training program for young adults ages 18 to 22 years old. Pepin Academies' three campuses are located in Tampa, Riverview, and New Port Richey.

Southeastern Guide Dogs provides life-changing guide and service dogs to people with vision loss, veterans with disabilities and children with significant challenges such as vision loss or the loss of a parent in the military.

The Laxer Family Foundation was established in 2018 to advocate for causes that promote culinary education, hunger awareness, pediatric charitable causes and more on both a local and national level by hosting a number of fundraising events. For the last few years, the foundation has maintained culinary scholarships through the James Beard Foundation.

13 Ugly Men Foundation Inc is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that delights in throwing parties and large-scale events that generate funds and publicity for benefitting local charities, making a positive difference in people’s lives while having a good time. Since its inception, 13 Ugly Men has raised nearly $2 million to support charities.