As our community continues to face a tight economy and shrinking budgets, the Daily Record has established this feature that will each week chronicle the efforts of local nonprofit organizations.
Bailey Publishing & Communications invites all members of the local nonprofit community to email news, announcements and success stories to: [email protected].
We also encourage our readers to become more aware of the needs of these worthy organizations as they continue to provide valuable services with reduced resources.
Sneakers sold at Gate stores for diabetes research
Gate convenience store customers are encouraged to join The Gate Foundation and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in the quest to cure Type 1 diabetes.
Throughout March, all Gate convenience stores will sell the signature Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation paper sneakers for $1 each.
The sneakers will be displayed in the stores through March 31 and all proceeds will be donated directly to the research foundation. In the first two years of Gate’s support of the diabetes foundation, the campaign generated more than $99,000.
“Researchers are closer than ever to finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes,” said Hill Peyton, president and chairman of The Gate Foundation.
“We are proud to support JDRF and invite our customers to join us in this effort. Together, we can surpass last year’s campaign and help defeat this devastating disease,” he said.
Community Nutcracker donates ticket proceeds to charities
The Community Nutcracker distributed $38,000 in donations to seven local charities.
This year’s featured charity was Dreams Come True. Other donations were made to We Care Jacksonville, Community Hospice of Northeast Florida PedsCare, the Jacksonville Speech and Hearing Center, St. Mary’s Episcopal Outreach, The Sanctuary on 8th Street and Second Harvest Food Bank.
Proceeds were raised in December from the 20th annual production of The Community Nutcracker ballet performed at The Florida Theatre.
To date, nearly $400,000 has been raised for local charities to strengthen the community.
The Bridge receives grant from March of Dimes
The March of Dimes Florida Chapter awarded a $3,000 grant to The Bridge of Northeast Florida Inc. to support its Healthy Families program, aimed at underserved mother-and-child health needs in selected ZIP codes in Jacksonville.
Among its other services, the program increases health education and referral services to low-income pregnant women and newly delivered mothers who have a history of substance abuse during pregnancy.
Davy Parrish, CEO at The Bridge, said the grant will be used as seed money to provide education and referral services to mothers with histories of substance abuse.
The Bridge of Northeast Florida is a private, nonprofit agency that promotes the development of healthy, productive, self-sufficient youth and families by providing comprehensive educational, social, health and employment programs to 3,000 youth and families in critical need.
For more information, call 354-7799 or visit bridgejax.com.
Safari Club serves dinner at Salvation Army shelter
Residents of The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Lodge were served a meal featuring donated game meat as part of the Safari Club’s “Sportsmen Against Hunger” program that annually provides more than 275 million meals to the disadvantaged.
The North Florida Chapter donated more than 2,000 pounds of game meat to the shelter in 2011. Members served fried quail, venison barbecue and venison shepherd’s pie to residents of the shelter and guests of the night feeding program.
The Safari Club shares its resources with the community through school awareness programs, hunting opportunities for the disabled and “Safari Wish,” a program that seeks to fulfill hunting dreams for terminally ill children.
The Salvation Army’s various programs of emergency assistance in Northeast Florida provide more than 350,000 meals each year to the homeless, the working poor and those in crisis.
Concert and celebrity golf scheduled March 25-26
Jim and Tabitha Furyk announced their second annual concert and celebrity golf outing for March 25-26.
Celebrity players in the golf tournament include Furyk, Stuart Cink, Lynn Swann, Jack Ingram and others.
Country music artist Rodney Atkins is scheduled to perform March 25 at Whisky River at the St. Johns Town Center. Premier packages include the pre-concert party with cocktails, appetizers and mingling with celebrity guests.
Proceeds from the concert and golf tournament will benefit Blessings in a Backpack, Wolfson Children’s Hospital and Community Hospice of Northeast Florida PedsCare.
More information on tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available at jimandtabithafurykfoundation.com.
Golf tournament at Queen’s Harbour
Foundation Financial Group is a tournament sponsor for Seacoast Christian Academy’s third annual celebrity golf tournament March 16. Tee time is 1 p.m. at Queen’s Harbour Yacht & Country Club.
Seacoast Christian Academy will serve a light lunch and will award prizes. The cost is $125 per golfer or $480 per foursome.
Registration for the tournament is due today. Participants can register online at seacoastchristianacademy.com.
Donation to Lifework Leadership
Locally owned wealth management firm Caduceus Consulting donated $25,000 to become a Legacy Partner of Lifework Leadership Jacksonville.
Lifework Leadership is a nonprofit organization that provides a leadership development program with a Christian character for executives and senior management.
The organization, founded in 1992 in Orlando, has affiliates in five states and 11 cities. Lifework Leadership targets leaders in the business marketplace as well as public officials and directors of charitable organizations.