Customer Spotlight: Tampa Rough Riders

At TJM, we sell to many different organizations, businesses, schools, military units and others. We’re always happy to showcase our nonprofit customers. This month’s Spotlight shines on the Tampa Rough Riders

Also known as the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, the Tampa Rough Riders organization was established in 1978. Its purpose is to commemorate and recognize the contributions made by Theodore Roosevelt and his regiment of Rough Riders during the Spanish American War of 1898.

T.R. in Tampa

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt and his regiment came to Tampa, Florida, in June of 1898, before embarking for Cuba and the battle of San Juan Hill. The regiment shipped out from Port Tampa, near present day MacDill Air Force Base.

Today’s Rough Riders

Today’s Rough Riders have a membership of over 550 and includes business executives, lawyers, accountants, law enforcement professionals, armed forces members and retirees from these and many other professions.

The group is heavily involved in community, humanitarian, and preservation work, supporting more than 80 local charities including Florida Special Olympics, Metropolitan Ministries, Toys for Tots, March of Dimes, cancer research and many others. The group also provides financial assistance to social and educational organizations in the Tampa area.

The Rough Riders’ most well-known community service work is the very popular Teddy Bear Runs. During the year, the group collects donated teddy bears of all kinds. Rough Riders then deliver the bears to children’s wards at local hospitals, day care centers, nursing homes and assisted living facilities, veterans’ facilities or anywhere the teddy bears can bring comfort and solace to persons having such needs.

Our Service to the Rough Riders

The organization has a longstanding relationship with TJM and has purchased many products from us.

“Members of the Rough Riders are proud to support a local Florida business. We have had challenge coins, lanyards, lapel pins, shirts, patches and other items produced that are the best quality in the business,” said member Chris Herman. “Working with the staff at TJM is always a pleasure.  They communicate well and make sure all our questions are answered.”

A Coin for St. Patrick’s Day

The Rough Riders march in many local parades and are the host of Tampa’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade each March. Their most recent order from TJM was for custom coins for the 2024 St. Patrick’s parade.

“The challenge coins produced for the 2024 St Patrick’s Day Parade were designed to look like gold coins in a leprechaun’s pot of gold. They tied in the Teddy Roosevelt image dressed as a leprechaun, and added the Tampa skyline along with lots of shamrocks and Celtic symbols,” Herman said.

“The design team made sure all the elements of the logo worked and represented the event perfectly. The coins were a great hit and everyone was amazed at the detail and quality.”

The Rough Riders found TJM through a web search, and have been happy with our products, prices and customer service ever since.

“We support local business owners and vendors who have excellent customer service.  We enjoy working with the staff of TJM and they are our preferred vendor for always going above and beyond,” Herman said. “We have a choice of vendors, and have used many since 1978. We are very happy to have found TJM and they have always exceeded our expectation and offer us a great price for high quality items.”

Upcoming Events

The group holds multiple fundraisers to support its charity events throughout the year. The fundraisers include a fishing tournament, golf tournament and the Sporting Clays Tournament and Cop Cup. That event invites 100 local law enforcement agencies to compete for the Cop Cup Trophy. The next Sporting Clays Tournament will be held next January 25th.

Herman, the chairman of the 2025 Sporting Clays Tournament singled out our customer service for praise.

“The design team and support staff at TJM is exceptional.  They provide timely communication and are very helpful,” he said. “Keep up the great work. TJM is a one-stop shop for so many of our merchandising and promotional items. We are very happy to have a local Florida business that supports us and who we can go to first for all our promotional needs!”

Thank you for the vote of confidence, Chris. We look forward to continuing to serve the Tampa Rough Riders for many years to come.

For More Information:

www.tamparoughriders.org

https://tamparoughriders.org/clays/