The 10th Annual Halloween Doors & More event, hosted by Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, raised more than $415,000 for the Community PedsCare program.
More than 2,300 people attended the “weekend of a different sort” Oct. 17-18 at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds Exhibition Hall.
“The majority of services provided by Community PedsCare are not reimbursed expenses,” said Community Hospice Foundation Executive Director Kim Namey. “Therefore, the funds raised by the Halloween Doors & More event are vital to the operation of the Community PedsCare program.”
Since its inception, the Halloween Doors & More event has raised more than $3.5 million for Community PedsCare.
Sponsors of this year’s Monster Mash Dash and Halloween Doors & More include Jill and Charlie Arnold, the Chartrand and Frisch families, Karim and John Crowley, Daily’s, DuBow Family Foundation, EverBank, Jacksonville Jaguars, Lazzara Family Foundation, Mezza Restaurant & Bar, The Miller Bower family, Nemours Children’s Clinic, The Petway Family Foundation, PGA Tour, PGA Tour Wives Association, The Players, PRI Productions, Fred and Sally Robbins, Linda and David Stein, Stellar Foundation, University of Florida Department of Pediatrics and The Wise Family Foundation.
If you are interested in being a part of next year’s event, contact Amy Davis at (904) 886-3883.
Scholarships for UNF construction students
Stellar, a firm focused on design, engineering, construction and mechanical services, awarded its 2014 endowed scholarship for the University of North Florida’s Building Construction Management program to Michael Godoy and Jeffrey Pratt.
The annual scholarship provides financial assistance to junior and senior undergraduate degree candidates. The two recipients received $1,000 each based on criteria including a minimum 3.0 GPA and participation in construction management activities, student clubs or other special projects.
“As the construction sector recovers and grows, so does the need for educated building professionals,” said Allison Korman Shelton, Stellar’s vice president of government and public affairs. “By providing these scholarships, we’re able to help meet this rising demand while also assisting two very deserving students.”
Godoy, a native of Belize, graduated with an associate’s degree in architecture and civil engineering from the University of Belize in 2011. In 2013, he was accepted into UNF’s Building Construction Management program. He is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in construction management with plans to obtain his general contractor license and an MBA in finance.
Raised in Indiana, Pratt joined the Navy in 2005 and served as a machinist’s mate for seven years. Pratt returned to school to pursue a career in construction. While in school, Pratt also works with a commercial construction general contractor primarily involved in large tilt-wall projects. After graduation, Pratt plans to take a project management path in commercial construction.
24 groups benefit from Bi-Lo grants
The Bi-Lo Holdings Foundation is giving more than $356,300 to benefit 24 local nonprofits in North Florida in partnership with its Winn-Dixie stores.
This is in addition to the more than $290,000 and 3.5 million pounds of food Winn-Dixie is working to distribute in the Jacksonville community by the end of the year.
The foundation reviewed applications from several hundred nonprofit groups. Jacksonville area recipients are:
• Fire Rescue Support
• Nassau County Council on Aging
• Bread of the Mighty Food Bank
• Magnolia Point Women’s Club
• City Rescue Mission
• Sulzbacher Center
• Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida
• American Cancer Society
• Friends of Jacksonville Animals
• Community Connections of Jacksonville
• Urban Jacksonville
• North Florida School of Special Education
• Clara White Mission
• Wayman Community Development Corp.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida
• The Salvation Army of Northeast Florida
• Full Gospel Christian Center
• First Step Food Bank
• Mission in Citrus
• Jewish Family & Community Services
• Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry
• The Jewish Federation of Volusia & Flagler Counties
• St. Augustine Society (St. Francis House)
• We Care Food Pantry
Salvation Army asking for turkeys
The Salvation Army of Northeast Florida has issued a call to residents to remember the needs of the less fortunate this Thanksgiving.
The group is seeking cash or donations of turkeys purchased from local supermarkets to supplement Thanksgiving food boxes for an increasing number of area families in need.
“Due to reductions in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs, we are seeing an increase in hungry families at our doorstep,” said Maj. Thomas McWilliams, area commander for The Salvation Army. “We hope our friends in the community will pull together and lend a helping hand for hungry families in great need this Thanksgiving.”
Deliver your turkey to The Salvation Army Towers Social Services Center (open 24 hours) at 900 W. Adams St. The entrance gate is on Lee Street, just south of Adams Street. To make a cash donation, call (904) 301-4839.
Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through social services that includes providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. Almost 83 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in nearly 5,000 communities nationwide.
For more information, go to salvationarmynefl.org.
Iron Mountain helping children of fallen patriots
Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation will be the recipient of a $50,000 donation from storage and information management company Iron Mountain Inc.
Iron Mountain will present the check Dec. 13 during the Army vs. Navy football game in Baltimore, where several families of fallen patriots will be attending the game.
“At Iron Mountain, we know firsthand that members of our armed forces bring valuable skills to the workplace and we actively seek to employ veterans, active duty guard members and reservists. We believe we have a responsibility to give back to the communities we work and live in, and contributing to this cause gives us the opportunity to support veterans and their families,” said Ray Aschenbach, senior vice president and general manager at Iron Mountain.
Headquartered in Jacksonville Beach, Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation’s mission is to provide college scholarships and educational counseling to military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.
If you are a child who has lost a parent in the line of duty or if you have a child and have lost a spouse in the line of duty, contact the foundation at (866) 917-2373 for information about enrolling in the program.