BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY BRIGHTENS FIRST RESPONDERS’ DAYS WITH GIFT CARDS & PIES

a woman lifting a barbell in a gym
Stops in Marathon for the Berkshire Hathaway team on BHHS Cares Day included Stanley Switlik Elementary School (1), the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Marathon Substation (2) and the Trauma Star hangar (3). Photos by Alex Rickert and contributed images

First responders across the Florida Keys’ chain of islands received a welcome visit from the team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Keys Real Estate Knight & Gardner Realty on Nov. 19. Stopping at every police, fire and EMS station and each school resource officer serving Keys schools, BHHS representatives hand-delivered Publix gift cards and pumpkin pies for the second annual BHHS Cares Day.

The annual tradition is made possible by a partnership with the Edward B. and Joan T. Knight Foundation, established in 2018 to honor the late couple’s legacy by supporting charitable, religious, educational and medical facilities that encourage the development of strong, moral, educated youth.

“This annual tradition is one of the most meaningful days of the year for us,” the company wrote in a press release. “It’s our way of saying thank you to the incredible men and women who protect and serve our Florida Keys community every single day. … We’re proud to stand alongside our local first responders, our Florida Keys neighbors and the amazing community that calls these islands home.”

a group of people standing around a red car
a woman lifting a barbell in a gym
Alex Rickert
Alex Rickert made the perfectly natural career progression from dolphin trainer to newspaper editor in 2021 after freelancing for Keys Weekly while working full time at Dolphin Research Center. A resident of Marathon since 2015, he fell in love with the Florida Keys community by helping multiple organizations and friends rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Irma. An avid runner, actor, and spearfisherman, he spends as much of his time outside of work on or under the sea having civil disagreements with sharks.