TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rise8 today announced that in support of Team Rubicon, a Veteran-led humanitarian organization, it has raised over $22,000 for hurricane relief to help communities around Florida and the Southeast after the unprecedented destruction caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Rise8 raised over $17,000 and, with a $5,000 matching donation, reached $22,487 – surpassing the original goal.
Rise8 originally started its campaign with a $5,000 goal, which the company matched dollar for dollar, to support getting a Team Rubicon Greyshirt volunteer team in the field to serve communities. The Greyshirt volunteers are on the ground working tirelessly to clear debris, restore infrastructure, and deliver essential relief to the hardest-hit communities. After Rise8 quickly surpassed its original goal and reached $22,487, their investment in Team Rubicon’s mission made it possible for volunteers to serve even more communities devastated by the unprecedented Atlantic hurricane season. In addition to Rise8’s campaign, Army Veteran and IT Lead at Rise8, Wayland Pearce, joined the effort as a Greyshirt, spending a weekend gutting homes and a carport in a neighborhood devastated by over four feet of floodwater.
Team Rubicon’s Ready Reserve Fund is mission-critical. It enables rapid deployment of route clearance and reconnaissance teams in the aftermath of storms like Hurricane Milton, while continuing essential recovery operations in areas hit by Hurricane Helene.
Rise8 believes in relentless progress and bold, outcomes-driven action. That’s why it joined forces with Team Rubicon, to ensure local Greyshirt volunteers can quickly respond to these disasters and help rebuild communities.
“As a Veteran and Tampa Bay-resident, it was incredibly empowering to join forces with a Veteran-led organization like Team Rubicon and help rebuild and restore hope in the communities impacted by this hurricane season,” said Bryon Kroger, CEO and founder of Rise8. “We‘re grateful for everyone who answered the call to support these communities, and extend our deepest gratitude to Team Rubicon and the Greyshirt volunteers. Together, we don’t just respond—we rebuild stronger, faster, and better.”
“We are grateful for the investment of Rise8 and their employees and partners,” said Jeff Byard, vice president of operations for Team Rubicon. “This support fuels our mission of assisting communities impacted by disasters, including those still recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton across the Southeast. We remain committed to these communities.”
To learn more about the fundraising efforts with Team Rubicon please visit https://fundraise.teamrubiconusa.org/team/613520.
For photos, please visit https://www.rise8.us/resources/Rise8-team-rubicon.
About Rise8
Rise8 enables large enterprises with critical missions to continuously deliver valuable software that users love. Rise8 is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) with headquarters in Tampa, FL, and a fully remote workforce. Learn more at https://www.rise8.us/ and on LinkedIn and X.
About Team Rubicon
Team Rubicon is a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises. Founded following the Haiti earthquake in 2010, the organization has grown to more than 180,000 volunteers across the United States and has launched over 1,200 operations domestically and internationally. To drive equity across disaster and humanitarian services, Team Rubicon focuses on three areas of impact: disaster services- from mitigation to immediate response to recovery; rebuild services — maintaining the fabric of communities through resilient building methods; and international services- providing emergent and surge medical services, WASH, and disaster risk reduction. The organization is featured in the Roku original series titled Team Rubicon, which highlights the work of Greyshirt volunteers assisting communities across the country. Visit http://www.teamrubiconusa.org for more information.
