- February 5, 2025
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When Port Orange resident Aaron Tucker heard that a friend of his was trying to get school supplies for her department where she taught at Silver Sands Middle School, an idea was sparked, and it would start with a puppy named Archer.
Tucker, the owner of Florida K9 Unleashed, decided he would see how he could help. He asked what the students needed and was told they were trying to buy fidget cubes for children in the exceptional student education program. Tucker was able to get enough cubes for each student, but when he arrived at the classroom to drop them off, he began wondering what else he could get for the students. So he asked, and the reply was technology.
"I still want to be able to give back to the community because I really do believe, what's the point of a business if it's not really building and improving the quality of life of the people around it?" Tucker said. "I just want to give kids opportunities that I didn't have when I was a kid."
Tucker then began going to stores and asking people what technology would benefit students the most. Soon, he concluded that the answer was tablets. He came up with a plan to raise enough money to buy at least eight tablets.
"I just want to give kids opportunities that I didn't have when I was a kid." Aaron Tucker
"I know the budget a lot of these teachers are on, and most of them have to buy a lot of stuff that they use in the classroom from their own salary," Tucker said.
And the inspiration for how he would buy those tablets was closer than he realized. One day, a friend who also owns a canine company gave him a morale patch for his dog. The morael patches can have a variety of designs and wording on them and are popular among first responders and military members.
Tucker began thinking what he would design if he had his own patch. His answer was right at home and had four legs and a tail — it was Archer, his new puppy. The patch was soon designed with Archer wearing his protective goggles and a suit.
Tucker began selling the patches, and, by the end of June, he had enough money for four tablets. Once he reaches his goal, Tucker plans to set another and would like to raise enough money to buy supplies for other schools. Tucker calls it the "Archer movement."
Tucker has also partnered with two other business owners — one from Ormond Beach and another from Port Orange — to grow the movement. One partner, Daniel Robins, a former police officer, said being a part of this initiative is centered around providing children with the tools they need to succeed.
"We need to give them all the help we can as a community," Robins said. "It's about taking care of these kids the best we can because that's our future."
