For Roderick MacKenzie, one of his proudest accomplishments began with a partnership close to home. The 64-year-old Fort Lauderdale resident co-founded FLoatarama with his husband, Scott Schramm, turning their shared commitment to LGBTQ youth into an all-volunteer nonprofit with a distinctly South Florida spirit.
Founded in 2021, FLoatarama raises awareness and money for organizations serving LGBTQ youth. In five years, it has awarded more than $400,000 in grants to local agencies providing critical services. Its work responds to a striking reality cited by the organization: More than one in five young people identify as LGBTQ+.
MacKenzie and his fellow volunteers have built FLoatarama around the idea that philanthropy does not have to feel formal or remote. The organization’s rallying cry is #HaveFunDoGood, and its events are designed to bring people together while supporting a serious mission.
Its signature summer event is billed as the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ Pride-on-Water fundraiser. The celebration also helps showcase greater Fort Lauderdale as a vibrant and safe LGBTQ destination. It is an approach that pairs community visibility with tangible investment in the young people who may need that visibility most.
MacKenzie’s definition of pride is similarly direct. Being out and proud, he said, means “Just being your honest authentic self”.
That emphasis on honesty sits at the center of both his personal life and his community work. FLoatarama began with MacKenzie and Schramm, and the organization’s growth reflects what can happen when a couple’s shared values become a public commitment. Their work has helped turn boating, celebration and fundraising into a platform for supporting the next generation.
His favorite quote comes from author Mark Manson: "Happiness comes from solving problems" - Mark Manson
Through FLoatarama, MacKenzie has found a characteristically buoyant way to put that philosophy into practice. The problems facing LGBTQ youth are not small, but his response is active, communal and joyful. By combining fun with fundraising, he is helping ensure that celebration produces something lasting: resources for young people and a stronger, more visible LGBTQ community in South Florida.
