Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC (“Coke Florida”) donated 13 laptops to I’m A Star Foundation on Feb. 14 in honor of Black History Month. I’m A Star students received the laptops during a ceremony and took a tour of Coca-Cola Beverages Florida.
Coke Florida chairman and CEO Troy Taylor said they chose I’m A Star Foundation among statewide community partners that “are developing the next generation of great leaders who will ultimately make a difference in the world.” Betty Seabrook Burney, I’m A Star executive director, said the students will use the laptops for research, including for an upcoming project with John Hopkins University.
“We’ll be working with the Southeastern United States in putting on a childhood obesity summit,” Burney said. Until now, students have used their cell phones to gather information supporting their initiatives to end childhood obesity (Let’s Move Jacksonville) and student homelessness (Jacksonville HELPS).
Coke Florida is a family-owned independent Coca-Cola bottler. The company is also one of America’s largest black-owned businesses. Coke Florida was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
I’m A Star Foundation is a volunteer program that transforms middle and high school students into the next generation of servant leaders. An acronym for “Smart, Talented And Resilient” students, the Foundation draws kids ages 13-18 from schools across Duval County. Students meet on weekends to creatively co-work on solutions to problems affecting their peers. For more information, please visit www.imastarfoundation.org.
