The Magic Behind 25 Years of Giving Back

For the past 25 years, Bit-Wizards has done so much more than build technology solutions for businesses. Well before they considered the idea of starting their own company, co-founders Vince Mayfield and Louis Erickson strove to create connections, opportunities, and meaningful change in their community. Success meant little if it wasn’t shared, so giving back was always a cornerstone in their minds, not an afterthought.

Since 2000, Bit-Wizards has contributed over $3 million in time, money, and material donations to over 50 non-profit organizations throughout northwest Florida. With philanthropy at the heart of the company’s mission, the past 25 years are just the beginning. Learn more about our co-founders’ passion for giving back and why that value will continue to be part of the team’s mission for years to come.

Upbringings rooted in kindness

Mayfield and Erickson always recognized the importance of uplifting others in their community. Both men spent most of their childhood in Okaloosa County, attending local schools and being raised by family members who instilled a passion for service in them. Mayfield attributes much of his drive to serve his community to his mother, who set an example for him to strive for from an early age.

”My mother was the director of a Catholic Charities member agency and had me volunteering early, from helping Vietnamese refugees at Eglin in 1975 to providing shelter for those in need using our own home,” Mayfield recalls. “Louis and I both came from modest beginnings, but we were given what matters most—faith, values, and a sense of purpose. We naturally felt the responsibility to give back as our company grew.”

Giving back through Bit-Wizards

While their career paths initially took them to other states, Mayfield and Erickson couldn’t ignore the call to come home and returned in 2001 with Bit-Wizards in tow. As their client base and company grew, the co-founders reached a position where they wanted to do more for local non-profits. Mayfield says one of the first noteworthy shifts toward giving back was the company swapping client holiday gift baskets for donations.

”We used to send Harry & David baskets and Christmas cards to our clients, and we decided one year that we would change direction by donating that money to non-profits instead,” he explains. “We created a clear transition point where we let our clients know that we made the switch, and we emphasized that they contributed to our ability to make an impact on others.”

Establishing the Be the Magic Foundation

As Mayfield and Erickson continued to grow their business and boost their charitable efforts, they increasingly felt compelled to channel their efforts through a dedicated non-profit. In 2021, the co-founders established the Be the Magic Foundation. Named after one of the company’s core values, Erickson says the name is another reminder of how Wizards strive to support the northwest Florida community.

”The idea that you should be the change you want to see in the world is exactly what we mean when we tell each other to be the magic,” he states. “We named the Foundation after our ‘Be the Magic’ core value because we want to be the people who go above and beyond for those in need within our community.”

The Foundation was created with four main initiatives: youth development, adults and children with special needs, animal welfare, and community development. Using a mix of monetary contributions, skills-based donations, and volunteering, our Wizards support various causes that ultimately uplift the community. Here are four examples of non-profits that Be the Magic’s efforts have enhanced.

1. Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce

Mayfield and Erickson elevated their personal and professional involvement with the Fort Walton Beach Chamber in 2016. Since then, Mayfield and other Wizards have served as members and chairs of the board of directors. Some of the major Chamber initiatives supported by Bit-Wizards include the Brooks Bridge replacement initiative, the Half-Cent Tax for infrastructure improvements, and the School Cents Makes Sense campaign for the Okaloosa County School District.

2. Scouting America Gulf Coast Council

Bit-Wizards has been a longtime supporter of the Gulf Coast Council of Scouting America, with Mayfield involved as an Eagle Scout in his childhood and as a board member in the present. The Be the Magic Foundation supports the Gulf Coast Council’s recruitment initiatives, fundraising events, and overall marketing efforts to support youth development in the Florida panhandle and southern Alabama. Additionally, Wizards have served in leadership positions at the council and district levels.

3. Panhandle Animal Welfare Society

One of the organizations that benefited from the first official donation from Be the Magic was the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), and that partnership is still going strong. The Foundation has made regular monthly donations to PAWS and held volunteer days for Wizards to help the animal shelter. The team at Bit-Wizards also supported PAWS by bringing adoptable dogs to the office and posting videos of their visits that highlighted their stories in hopes of finding their fur-ever homes.

4. Fresh Start for Children and Families

Another meaningful partnership with the Foundation involves Fresh Start for Children and Families, a non-profit that helps families transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency. The most notable way that Be the Magic gives back to Fresh Start is through its annual Christmas donations, a tradition that reaches its fifth consecutive year in 2025. Each year, Wizards purchase, wrap, and deliver every gift on each child’s list at Fresh Start, creating magical holiday memories for families in need.

Being the magic for years to come

Bit-Wizards has spent the past 25 years making magic for non-profit organizations throughout northwest Florida, and our efforts are far from finished. With a well-established track record of giving back to those in need, our Wizards strive to continue the Foundation’s mission. Caroline McCoy, COO at Bit-Wizards and board member of the Be the Magic Foundation, stresses the importance of always going above and beyond.

”Bit-Wizards and Be the Magic have always been about more than signing a check or having our logos at a sponsored event–we want to play an active role in creating positive change for those in our community,” says McCoy. “We support causes that our people can support with intention, and we’ll continue the Foundation’s legacy of contributing to initiatives where we can truly make an impact.”

Do you know a local charity organization that could use some extra magic? Click here to request a donation from the Foundation.