Rayonier grants help local nonprofit organizations meet community needs

Rayonier

November 5, 2019

Rayonier awarded more than $162,000 to 35 local nonprofit organizations to help address key community needs across Nassau County. Recipients of the company’s Community Fund grants were recently recognized at a special awards breakfast hosted by Rayonier on Friday, November 1, 2019.

Barnabas Center, Inc. Wes Hinton (Wildlight), Mark McHugh (Rayonier), Shelby Pyatt (Rayonier), Rhett Rogers (Rayonier), Tania Yount (Barnabas Center), Wanda Lanier (Barnabas Center), Mark Bridwell (Rayonier), J onathan Simpson (Rayonier)

The recipients will use the funds to help meet a range of needs in the Nassau County community, including civic and cultural, educational, environmental, natural resources and health and human services programs.

Nassau County Council on Aging: Wes Hinton (Wildlight), Mark Bridwell (Rayonier), Shelby Pyatt (Rayonier), Mark McHugh (Rayonier), Rhett Rogers (Rayonier), Wallace Bennett (Council on Aging)

“There are wonderful organizations in this room. Thank you for all the great work you do.” said Commissioner Justin Taylor (District 5), Nassau County Board of County Commissioners, speaking to the Rayonier 2019 grant recipients.

Traders Hill Farm Rachel Clark (Traders Hill Farm), Wes Hinton (Wildlight), Mark Bridwell (Rayonier), Mark McHugh (Rayonier), Shelby Pyatt (Rayonier), Rhett Rogers (Rayonier), Marcia Douglas (Traders Hill Farm).

Among the programs made possible thanks to the support of these grants are a robot lab program for 3rd through 6th graders, workforce development apprenticeships and environmental education and conservation programs.

West Nassau Historical Society: Wes Hinton (Wildlight), Mark Bridwell (Rayonier), John Hendricks (West Nassau Historical Society), Liz Mobley (West Nassau Historical Society), Mark McHugh (Rayonier), Shelby Pyatt (Rayonier), Rhett Rogers (Rayonier)

“Rayonier’s community involvement is a great source of pride for me personally, the company, as well as our employees” said Mark Bridwell, Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.

Among those present to congratulate recipients were Rayonier representatives; Nassau

County Board of County Commissioners: Commissioner Justin Taylor (District 5); Nassau

County Sheriff Bill Leeper; Nassau County School District: Superintendent Dr. Kathy Knight Burns, Donna Martin (District 1 Board Member), and Gail Gook (District 2 Board Member); and, Ocean, Highway & Port Authority: Commissioner Michael Cole (District 5).

Altogether, in 2019 Rayonier plans to grant close to $300,000 across the United States. More than 55% of those funds will be distributed in Nassau County to the following organizations:

Amelia Island Book Festival

Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival

Arts Alive Nassau

Baptist Health Foundation Barnabas Center, Inc.

Big Brothers Big Sisters NEFL

Boys & Girls Clubs of Nassau County

Camp Kesem at FSU Community Hospice & Palliative Care

Family Support Services of North Florida

Fernandina Beach High School Foundation

Ferst Readers of Nassau County

First Coast Healing Hands Inc Florida Forestry Foundation Institute for Enterprise, Inc.

Keep Nassau Beautiful

McArthur YMCA

Nassau County Alliance for the Mentally Ill

About Rayonier

Nassau County Council on Aging

Nassau County Extension - 4H

Nassau County School District - Career

Education

Nassau County Sheriff's Office Charities

Nassau Education Foundation

Nassau Habitat for Humanity St. Marys Riverkeeper

Take Stock in Children of Nassau County The Ark of Nassau

The Salvation Army - Hope House

The US Constitution Scholarship Foundation

Traders Hill Farm

Trinity Love Hoblit Foundation United Way of Northeast Florida

University of Florida Foundation Inc

West Nassau Historical Society

White Oak Conservation Foundation

Rayonier (NYSE:RYN) is a leading timberland real estate investment trust with assets located in some of the most productive softwood timber growing regions in the United States and New Zealand. We own, lease or manage approximately 2.6 million acres of timberlands. We are More than treesTM because we recognize that our 90+ years of success in the timberland industry come from our people, an empowering culture and the courage to constantly challenge “the way it’s always been done.” Get to know us at www.rayonier.com.