SebastianStrong 2026

How employee creativity, community spirit, and one remarkable journey on the water helped raise more than $66,000

Giving back has a way of bringing people together. September, recognized nationally as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, offers a meaningful moment to reflect on the importance of supporting children and families affected by pediatric cancer. This year, U.S. Century Bank employees rallied once again behind the SebastianStrong Foundation, turning everyday moments at work into opportunities to support a cause that has become deeply meaningful across the Bank.

Together, employees raised a record $66,053.78, surpassing both the campaign goal and the previous year’s total. The milestone reflected much more than donations alone. It represented colleagues sharing ideas, preparing food, organizing events, contributing items, volunteering time and encouraging one another to take part.

The result was the Bank’s most successful SebastianStrong fundraising campaign yet, and a powerful example of what can happen when a workplace unites around a shared purpose.

Fundraising With Flavor, Fun and Teamwork

There is no rule that says supporting an important cause cannot also be fun. Throughout the campaign, employees created a lively lineup of activities that gave colleagues many ways to participate.

The office flea market invited employees to donate gently used books, home goods, electronics, accessories and other finds, then shop together with proceeds benefiting SebastianStrong. 

Other fundraisers brought favorite flavors to the office. Employees enjoyed a Sproutz lunch featuring a shrimp burger, wrap and poke bowl; David’s crème brûlée French toast; homemade arroz con leche; smoked pork sandwiches; and a Taste of Peru lunch featuring papa a la huancaína, maracuyá juice, and chicha peruana.

Each activity added something distinctive to the campaign. More importantly, each one gave employees a simple, welcoming way to contribute. A donated item, a reserved plate, a homemade dish or a helping hand became part of a much larger collective effort.

Why SebastianStrong Matters

The SebastianStrong Foundation was established in honor of Sebastian “Sebs” Ortiz, whose experience with childhood cancer inspired a mission to help create better options for children facing the disease.

The Foundation supports innovative research focused on more targeted, less toxic treatments for pediatric cancers, including promising early-stage work that can be difficult to fund through traditional channels. That mission gives every campaign activity, from a lunch sale to a long-distance paddle, a clear and urgent purpose.

For children and families confronting a cancer diagnosis, research can open the door to treatments that are more effective and less damaging to a child’s developing body. Community fundraising helps promising ideas move forward and reminds families that they are not facing the journey alone.

A Record Made One Contribution at a Time

One of the most meaningful lessons from this year’s campaign is that there is no single way to make a difference. A flea market donation. A homemade dessert. A shared lunch. A volunteer shift. A contribution. A 110-mile journey from Key Largo to Key West.

Together, those actions helped U.S. Century Bank raise over $66,000 for the SebastianStrong Foundation, more than in any previous year. The total is worth celebrating, but so is the spirit behind it: creativity, generosity and a willingness to turn individual efforts into shared impact.

U.S. Century Bank is grateful to every employee, organizer, volunteer, donor and supporter who helped make the campaign possible, and proud to continue standing with SebastianStrong in the effort to give children with cancer more hope and better options.

When a community comes together around a common purpose, even a plate of French toast, a flea market find or a paddle stroke can become part of something much bigger.

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