- The Barkett family will be the 2021 recipient of the Captain James McKay Port Achievement award, which will be presented at the upcoming Anchor Ball on December 11, 2021. The award is given annually to an individual or group in recognition of their contribution over many years to Port Tampa Bay and the maritime community. Prior year recipients have included such prominent leaders who helped support the port’s development as Stephen Swindal, Shirley McKay Savage Knight, Captain Allen Thompson, Terry Fluke, George Steinbrenner, Joseph Garcia and Sam Gibbons. As one of Port Tampa Bay’s longest-standing tenants, Amalie Oil, led by the Barkett family, has been a major contributor to the Port’s growth and economic development for almost 50 years.

Building on the success of Amalie Oil, which was founded by their father Harry Barkett Sr., brothers Harry, Rick, Anthony and Ken have helped Amalie Oil become North America’s largest privately held independent producer of motor oils and industrial lubricants. Since its humble beginnings stemming from the acquisition of the former Petroleum Packers facility at Port Tampa Bay in the late 1970s, Amalie Oil now ships to all 50 states and exports to over 100 countries around the world. The Barkett family is very active in the community and the company has become even more visible in recent years since they acquired the naming rights to Amalie Arena, home of the back-to-back Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

This year's Anchor Ball will be held on Saturday, December 11, 2021 at the Bryan Glazer Family JCC and is the annual gala event for the Port Tampa Bay maritime industry and a fun evening attended by the who's-who of the Port community. Proceeds go to benefit two great causes: Tampa Port Ministries, which operates the Seafarers' Center, and the Tampa Bay Maritime Scholarship Foundation. The Seafarers’ Center, staffed by dedicated volunteers, serves the crews of visiting cargo and cruise ships by meeting the physical, social and spiritual needs of seafarers, who are often of modest means and spend months at sea away from their home and families. This past year, the Seafarers’ Center has risen to the challenges brought by the pandemic and been instrumental in getting over 1,000 visiting seafarers vaccinated against Covid-19. The Tampa Bay Maritime Scholarships are awarded to graduates of the Hillsborough County high school maritime studies program pursuing careers in this industry.

For more information on the Anchor Ball, please visit: https://tampaportministries.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/PortTampaBayAnchorBall2021/tabid/1234247/Default.aspx