SanMar (asi/84863), the industry’s top-ranked supplier for 2018, recently partnered with the Why Not You Foundation to donate $126,100 to Friends of the Children, a national youth organization with 13 locations across the country and in the UK committed to breaking the cycle of generational poverty through mentoring.

The Why Not You Foundation, which encourages and motivates the next generation of leaders, was founded in 2014 by Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

SanMar employees at the company’s headquarters in Issaquah, WA, and at its eight distribution centers across the country, donated to the cause with raffle tickets, food sales, wine tastings, sales of SanMar products and more, and the company matched the donation.

“I’ve been fortunate to have great mentors in my life, namely my parents, and I believe that Friends of the Children provides a much-needed resource for many children in our communities,” said President Jeremy Lott, in a statement. “Our SanMar Family Values are a huge part of what we do here and we take great pride in making a difference by giving back to such a worthy organization.”

For more information on the organizations, visit https://whynotyoufdn.org/ and https://friendsofthechildren.org.