CLAY COUNTY – Jacksonville Marine through a partnership with the Bill & Kristin Fenech Foundation and Barletta Pontoon Boats has donated $25,000 to the Safe Animal Shelter of Clay County. Jacksonville Marine owners Rusty Gardner and Daniel Smith chose the shelter as their charity of choice for the donation and presented the check to Safe Animal Shelter Executive Director Sherry Mansfield.

The Bill & Kristin Fenech Foundation, established by Barletta Pontoon Boat owner Bill Fenech, offered to donate 1% of Jacksonville Marine’s model year 2021 wholesale shipments with Jacksonville Marine matching at least 10% of the pledged amount. The Foundation provided $22,350 and Jacksonville Marine donated $2,650 to bring the total donation to $25,000.

“We are grateful to partner with the Fenech Foundation and Barletta Pontoons to give back to our community,” Gardner said. “I have always been blown away by Bill Fenech’s generosity to his employees and business partners and this charitable giving offer is just another example of that generosity. We are thankful to them for helping us support our local shelter.”

Gardner and Smith chose the no-kill animal shelter because of their and Barletta’s mutual love of animals. They all believe animals are a part of the family and every customer who buys a Barletta Pontoon Boat also receives a dog dish with their purchase.

The Bill & Kristin Fenech Foundation was established to provide charitable funding on behalf of Barletta Pontoon Boats, a provider of boats sold by Jacksonville Marine. The Foundation offered to partner on charitable donations to help its dealerships around the country give back to their communities. Its total impact in communities across the country in 2021 is expected to exceed $2 million.

Jacksonville Marine, a marine sales and service dealership located at Doctors Lake Marina in Fleming Island serves the Northeast Florida region. It offers a variety of boats including Chris-Craft, Barletta Pontoons, Bennington Pontoons, Stingray and Cobalt. The service staff has more than 40 years of experience in the marine industry and is industry and manufacturer trained in Yamaha, Mercury, Volvo and Suzuki motors. For more, visit jaxmarine.com.