On a special day this holiday season, Tim Higgins began his day at 5:00am, checking on the brisket, pulled pork, and slabs of ribs that have been marinating all night. He loads up the smoker and BBQ supplies and heads to Riverview to set up for the annual Big Shiny Toys event; a charity event to support Toys for Tots.
Even though the event isn’t set to start until 10:00am, Tim takes his BBQ responsibilities seriously, so he starts smoking the meat immediately upon his arrival. By 9:30am the entire area in front of the Cardel Homes headquarters smells of delicious BBQ as visitors begin to arrive.
Tim Higgins: Network Engineer by Day, BBQ Master Around the Clock
If you’ve ever tried some of Tim’s BBQ, you’re probably convinced that this is his full-time job. Not only is his food perfectly smoked and packed with mouth-watering flavor, but he also has all of the top-of-the-line BBQ equipment you would expect from someone that does this for a living!
In reality, though, Tim is a Senior Network Engineer at Alltek and is the architect behind many complicated and large computer networks. BBQ is just a hobby that he happens to be very good at – and those lucky enough to have tasted his BBQ’d selections know exactly what we’re talking about!
When Tim’s good friend Rob Revoy from Cardel Homes invited him to put his BBQ skills to work for a holiday charity event in support of local children, Tim was more than happy to oblige. Tim’s generosity and talent were an inspiration to our entire team, and Alltek was happy to come on board and sponsor all the meat for the event. The meat provided by Alltek (and perfected by Tim), helped to feed over 100 visitors and raise hundreds of dollars to support local children this holiday season!
Overall, the event was a huge success. Our BBQ master Tim got to do what he loves, Alltek was able to give back to the community, and Alltek team members got in the spirit by showing up to help. Of course, and most importantly, visitors at the event got their hands on some really good eats, all while supporting the children in our community who need it most this season.
Fun for Kids of All Sizes: Alltek Brings Lunch & Cardel Homes Hosts a Car Show
In addition to the wonderful BBQ fundraiser that Tim spearheaded, the Big Shiny Toys event also featured a big shiny car show! The participation at the event doubled from last year, which means even more support for Toys for Tots! Not to mention, the car show put a bunch of ‘grown-up toys’ on display to bring out the child in all event participants. Check out some of the slickest cars that were entered in this year’s charity show:
Alltek’s Commitment to Community Involvement: Why We Believe in Community Sponsorship
When Tim approached the rest of the Alltek team to request support for the Toys for Tots event, he didn’t need to say anymore. We were immediately on board and excited to learn how the Alltek team could best support this important organization. Toys for Tots is an incredible program that brightens the holidays for underprivileged families and gifts toys to hundreds of millions of children every year.
Alltek may just be a computer network support company, but we’re committed to offering much more than these network services to our community. We know there are so many ways for us to give back, and so much more than we can offer to enrich the lives of those around us. So, an opportunity to provide great food and charitable support for a holiday event benefiting local children – what more could our team ask for?
Whether it’s providing meat for a BBQ because Tim loves to share his cooking creations with those in need, or donating money for a golf tournament because our owner loves to put in some strokes for a good cause, Alltek is continually engaged with our community and does not plan on slowing down anytime soon. Check out Tim and our team in action at the Big Shiny Toys charity event in the video below. Warning, some images in this video may induce serious BBQ cravings!
Our support of Toys for Tots isn’t the extent of our commitment to community engagement, either. This year alone, Alltek has had the opportunity to provide support to a variety of local organizations and important causes including:
- Leading Edge Take Heart Walk
- Kids Pack in Lakeland
- Boys and Girls Club of Lakeland and Mulberry
- Strings in Need
- Young Life
- Explorations 5
These are just some of the organizations we’ve had the opportunity to support. The Alltek team knows just how important support from local businesses can be for charitable groups of all shapes and sizes. The reality is, it would be downright selfish not to give back to a community that has given our business so much.
In addition to the direct charity and sponsorship work that we do, Alltek also provides a significant discount to the nonprofit and government clients that we have serviced for years. We understand that nonprofit organizations will not have the same technology budget as a private business in most cases, but they need support just as much to facilitate the amazing work they do all year long.
The goal of this post is not to humblebrag on how much we contribute. Its purpose is simply to highlight the importance – and fun – of giving back to one’s community. We’re just doing our part, in support of the community that we love, and we encourage all other growing businesses to give back as well – in whatever way they see fit!
To learn more about Alltek and our commitment to community engagement and charitable support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team any time at 863-709-0709. We look forward to hearing from you!
