New 'Together We Shine' Tervis tumbler to benefit Florida Disaster Fund

NORTH VENICE – The newest product from Venice drinkware maker Tervis is all about Florida.

Tervis' latest tumbler design features artistic depictions of some of Florida's most storied assets, including palm trees, the ocean, beaches and wildlife like alligators, flamingos and manatees. The cups even have bright-orange lids, befitting a state known for citrus.

And all of the proceeds from this newly designed product will go to a statewide fund for victims of Hurricane Ian.

Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis visited Tervis headquarters on Friday to announce a partnership between the Sarasota company and the Florida Disaster Fund, the hurricane relief fund she has championed since the storm hit. All of the proceeds from Tervis' new "Together We Shine" product will go to the fund, DeSantis said, which was launched shortly after Ian tore through the state.

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The fund is for people who need more assistance than insurance or FEMA can provide, DeSantis said. It's for people whose insurance might not cover 100% of repairs, or who have extensive damage to their homes, she said. The money comes from individual and corporate donations, and the total pot reached $20 million within the first 48 hours. By Friday, the total was around $40 million, DeSantis said.

"What we're really looking for for these funds is to be able to do things on the long scale recovery process – that person whose home flooded that needs resources, we need to ensure that they have an avenue to get help," DeSantis said.

Since the fund launched, about $1 million has already been distributed, and Josie Tamayo, CEO of Volunteer Florida, said they are assessing where the next round will go. DeSantis mentioned small businesses specifically, including a surviving Fort Myers Beach Italian restaurant she visited that was dipping into its own pockets to feed first responders.

"We're trying to find folks who really are just doing God's work. They're doing good things, and just need a little bit of support, in addition to some of the bigger ones," she said.

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Floridians who have either lost their jobs or who can't work because of the hurricane can apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance, Department of Economic Opportunity Secretary Dane Eagle said. The department is also working with CareerSource to help people find jobs.

"There are jobs out there and we encourage people to keep looking, but in the meantime we, thanks to the Governor, have stood that up so that people that don't have a job to go back to can at least have something to help them get by," Eagle said.

The cups are available in two different sizes at Tervis retail stores or on the company's website, tervis.com. The 24-ounce tumbler is $21.99 and the water bottle sells for $26.99, according to the company's website. Anyone who wants to donate directly to the Florida Disaster Fund can go to www.FloridaDisasterFund.org or text DISASTER to 20222.

Tervis' manufacturing floor was busy with activity on Friday. The plant was able to open on Monday after suffering minor damage from the storm, president and CEO Rogan Donelly said. Many Tervis employees, however, were directly impacted by Ian, so Donelly said he wanted to find a way to support them and other Floridians.

The day after the storm, a team at Tervis immediately started contacting every employee. Then they set up servers on-site, let everyone know they could come in to get power, internet or even a hot shower if they needed it. Although people were not expected to show up on Monday morning, Donelly said he was surprised that about 70 people did. Hours at the plant were also adjusted to accommodate local curfews, he said.

"We all know being Floridians the devastation that happened, and to have them come back into work was just fantastic to see," Donelly said. "We wanted to make sure we could reward them with whatever, something as simple as hot lunch, running water, cable and internet."

Floridians who want to get involved with the recovery efforts can go to volunteerflorida.org.

DeSantis said she was in awe of the resilience of the Tervis workers who showed up to work after the storm. The First Lady, who is a cancer survivor, also had another message for those dealing with horrific situations after Ian: Take it one day at a time.

"Just know that as somebody who has been through some life challenges, and I've had to pick myself up and have the Governor pick me up a few times, take it a day at a time," she said. "Just take it one day at a time and know that this too shall pass."

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Casey DeSantis announces partnership between Tervis, Florida Disaster Fund