Pine Castle

11/02/2026

👻🎃 THE SPOOKY FUN CONTINUES AT PINE CASTLE! 🦇

We've got MORE Halloween fun to share from our recent Trunk & Treat celebration! From festive decorations and creative costumes to sweet treats and plenty of smiles, our participants had a frightfully good time!

And what's Halloween without a little dancing? Our celebration included a rockin' MONSTER MASH DANCE PARTY that brought out everyone's spooky moves! 🕺💃

Take a peek at the fun, laughter, and memories made around the Castle. Halloween at Pine Castle is always a BOO-tiful time! 🎶🕸️

11/01/2026

🐢🐸 The Zoo Came to Pine Castle! 🦎🌿

We were excited to welcome the Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens to Pine Castle for an educational outreach experience filled with discovery, learning, and a little wildlife fun!

Our participants explored Amazing Adaptations and discovered how animals survive in their environments. Through an interactive presentation featuring live animal ambassadors, artifacts, and visual aids, they learned about the unique skills, senses, and adaptations that help wild animals thrive.

From a southern toad to a monkey-tailed skink and a gopher tortoise, this special visit brought the wonders of the animal kingdom right to our campus!
We are grateful to the Jacksonville Zoo & Botanical Gardens Education team for bringing this engaging experience to our community and making animal education accessible to more of the individuals we serve. 💚

At Pine Castle, opportunities to learn, explore, and connect make every day a chance to grow!

10/31/2026

🎃👻 HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM PINE CASTLE! 🦇

We're sharing a little sneak peek of the Halloween activities, festive fun, and spooky surprises happening around the Castle! From creative costumes to smiles, laughter, and plenty of Halloween spirit, there's been no shortage of fun!

Special thanks to our friends from GW Trucks and University Christian School for their incredible support to make the activities exciting for our participants.

Enjoy a little glimpse of the celebrations… and stay tuned because there's MORE to come! 🎃🕸️

10/30/2026

🛠️💚 Building Opportunities, One Tool at a Time! 💚🛠️

A HUGE thank-you to our dedicated advocates, Betsy and Ashley Glassick, for championing Pine Castle’s Woodshop and helping make a wonderful donation of RYOBI tools from Milwaukee Tool possible!

Because of their advocacy and commitment to Pine Castle, our Woodshop has new tools to help our participants continue building skills, exploring their creativity, gaining hands-on experience, and developing greater independence through meaningful work. 🔨🪚

At Pine Castle, every opportunity to learn a new skill and take pride in a finished project helps build confidence and opens doors to future possibilities.

We are incredibly grateful to Betsy and Ashley for speaking up for our participants and helping connect us with generous community partners who believe in what they can accomplish. Your support helps us build more than projects—it helps build confidence, skills, and brighter futures! ❤️

Thank you for helping Pine Castle continue our mission to empower adults with intellectual and developmental differences with opportunities to learn, work, and connect!

10/29/2026

Pine Castle proudly hosted our one and only annual fundraiser — the Inspirations Luncheon! With more than 220 guests in attendance, the event was a wonderful celebration of inclusion, generosity, and community spirit. Guests were invited by our incredible Ambassadors — dedicated supporters who lead campus tours throughout the year and serve as true champions of our mission.

We extend a HUGE thank-you to our Table Captains, Sponsors, and Donors for making this year’s luncheon a tremendous success in support of Pine Castle's mission! Your generosity and enthusiasm continue to create life-changing opportunities for the individuals we serve each day. A special note of gratitude goes to our event sponsors, whose support ensured that every dollar raised directly benefited our programs and services:

Event Sponsors:
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Lifestyles Realty
RailPros, Inc.
Hylant
Publix Super Markets Charities
North Florida Frozen & Refrigerated Food Association
Pinnacle Financial Partners
Chase Bank
Deercreek Women’s Alliance
3Bs
Paul Davis Restoration – Corporate Headquarters
Paul Davis Restoration of North Florida
In-Kind Sponsors
Sight & Sound Productions
Cantwell Creative
TC Delivers

If you’re inspired by our mission and would like to get involved next year by hosting a Pine Castle Experience Tour, please contact Wendy Mayle at [email protected].

10/28/2026

🏅❤️ Celebrating Ability, Determination & Community! ❤️🏅

Pine Castle is proud to share a longstanding partnership with Special Olympics Florida, an incredible organization that creates opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental differences (IDDs) to discover their strengths, build confidence, and reach their full potential.

We were honored to be part of the recent Race for Champions and cheer on the athletes as they demonstrated determination, perseverance, and the true spirit of sportsmanship! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

And we have an extra special reason to celebrate—one of our very own Pine Castle participants earned FIRST PLACE! 🥇🎉 We couldn’t be prouder!

Partnerships like this remind us that when we create opportunities, encourage one another, and celebrate every achievement, amazing things happen. We are incredibly thankful to Special Olympics for the meaningful work they do and for a partnership that continues to inspire our community.

Here’s to celebrating abilities, breaking barriers, and creating opportunities for everyone to shine!

10/27/2026

🎃🍂 Pumpkin Decorating Contest: Creativity at Its BEST! 🍂🎃

Fall fun was in full swing at Pine Castle as our participants, volunteers, and staff came together for a pumpkin decorating contest filled with creativity, teamwork, laughter, and plenty of seasonal spirit! 🧡

From adorable to spooky, silly to downright creative, each pumpkin reflected the imagination, personality, and pride of the people who brought it to life. Seeing everyone share their creations and celebrate one another made this activity extra special!

🏆 Congratulations to our Pumpkin Decorating Contest Winners!

🎃 Most Adorable Pumpkin: Shop 3
🎨 Most Creative Pumpkin: Shop 6
🍂 Best Pumpkin: Shop 14 (Seniors)
😂 Silliest Pumpkin: Shop 5
👻 Scariest Pumpkin: Shop 12
🤣 Funniest Pumpkin: Shop 12B

🌟 Honorable Mention: PSR’s Cozy Corner Pumpkin! Its adorable design captured the spirit of comfort, relaxation, and self-care perfectly. 🧡

A HUGE shoutout to everyone who participated, helped decorate, cheered on their fellow creators, and made this fall activity such a memorable experience! We’re so proud of the creativity and teamwork on display. You all made this contest a real pumpkin-palooza! 🎃🍁

10/26/2026

October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, a time to celebrate the abilities, achievements, and contributions of individuals with Down syndrome while promoting greater awareness, understanding, and inclusion within our communities.

At Pine Castle, we believe every individual has unique strengths, talents, and potential worth celebrating. Through our programs, employment opportunities, residential services, and community partnerships, we work every day to strengthen lives and empower individuals to reach their fullest potential.

To show our support for this special initiative, Pine Castle participants and staff sported colorful, unique socks—a fun way to celebrate individuality, spark conversations, and recognize the beauty of our differences!

This October, and every month, we celebrate abilities, honor possibilities, and champion a community where everyone has the opportunity to belong, contribute, and thrive.

10/25/2026

Pine Castle is a proud partner with Down Syndrome Association of Jacksonville.

You are invited to join us for this special event. Sign up below.

Navigating the holidays can bring up a lot of complicated feelings, especially as routines shift and expectations change. You don't have to carry it all alone. 💙

Join us for a FREE supportive parent workshop hosted in partnership with Breakthroughs Counseling! Together, we’ll talk about navigating stress and grief during the holiday season and share practical ways to care for yourself and your family. Let’s explore ways to make the season feel a little more manageable, meaningful, and supported.

When: Tuesday, November 10th from 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Where: North Florida School of Special Education with sponsorship of The Arc Jacksonville and Pine Castle.

Spaces are filling up—RSVP today at https://bit.ly/4z1hhxf!

10/24/2026

🎸🎶 DON’T MISS IT! THE FLASHBACKS ARE TAKING THE STAGE TODAY! 🎶🎸

Join us TODAY at 10:30 a.m. at the Riverside Arts Market as Pine Castle’s amazing band, The Flashbacks, brings the music and energy to the stage! 💚

Come cheer them on, sing along to your favorite tunes, and celebrate the incredible talent of our Pine Castle participants!

📍 Riverside Arts Market
⏰ TODAY at 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Bring your friends, bring your smiles, and help us make some noise for The Flashbacks! We can’t wait to see you there! 🎤👏