The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) has been awarded $8,910 by the Coverings Cares program in support of ceramic tile education programming. Coverings Cares is a new Coverings initiative to support the tile and stone industry, green initiatives, and the local community that hosts the show each year with $50,000.

For 2024, Coverings identified six non-profit charitable organizations recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as being tax-exempt by virtue of their charitable activities. In addition to CTEF, these included: 

• Atlanta Community Foodbank
• Atlanta Habitat for Humanity
• Earthday.org
• Gary Sinise Foundation
• Tile Heritage Foundation

To allocate the $50,000 donation, Coverings invited the first 5,000 participating registrants to the 2024 event to select which one of the six organizations to donate $10 to. Registrants were also invited to match or exceed the donated amount.

“An impressive 828 of the first 5,000 attendees selected CTEF,” says Brad Denny, executive director, CTEF. “In addition, we had 63 individuals donate their own dollars for an additional $630, bringing the final Coverings Cares donation amount to $8,910.”

CTEF will use the funding provided by Coverings Cares to cover shipping and printing costs for Certified Tile Installer (CTI) test participants for the next 112 registrants between now and Coverings 2025.

“From now until Coverings 2025, test registration fees for first-time CTI Registrations will be $450 instead of $529 for those not sponsored through other special sponsorship programs,” adds Denny. “CTEF deeply appreciates the Coverings Cares program’s partnership to help reach installers through skills and knowledge testing and giving them a designation to elevate their businesses. This is but one example of how the Coverings show has a 365-day influence on the industry.”

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