Staff members at Wolfson Children’s Hospital and Baptist Health are collecting new, unwrapped toys, art supplies and financial donations to purchase developmentally appropriate toys for children with special needs during the latest Christmas in July toy and donation drive.
It’s the fifth year the donation drive will help children in need. For those dropping off toys and donations, the sites are:
• Baptist Medical Center/Wolfson Children’s hospital rotunda
• Baptist Clay Medical Campus, medical office building entrance and emergency center
• Baptist Medical Center Beaches, Nassau and South, main entrances
• Baptist/Wolfson Children’s Emergency Center at the St. Johns Town Center
• Wolfson Children’s Rehabilitation, Aetna Building
• Eleven area locations of Jersey Mike’s Subs
The drive runs from July 1-25.
A gift list with price ranges, plus an option to donate online and information is available at christmasjuly.com.
North Florida Land Trust receives Cummer property
The North Florida Land Trust received a donation of 137 acres of conservation land from the Cummer family.
The legacy land has been held by the family for several generations and is part of the family’s original purchases when it moved its timber operations from Michigan to Florida at the end of the 19th century.
It will now be known as the Cummer Family Land Trust Preserve and is located along the Withlacoochee River in Citrus and Sumter counties.
The donation preserves several miles of river frontage between the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge and the Flying Eagle Ranch Wildlife Refuge.
Berlin joins Ronald McDonald House board
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Jacksonville has added Ross Berlin, senior vice president of player relations for the PGA Tour, to its board of directors.
The board comprises individuals from the medical, business, academic and volunteer communities of Northeast Florida who provide counsel and guidance for the charity.
Ronald McDonald House serves as a “home away from home“ to families who needs to be near a hospital for their child’s treatment. It supports five local hospitals and more than 1,100 families a year.
JaxPAL launches summer MobilePAL
The Police Athletic League of Jacksonville Inc., also known as JaxPAL, kicked off its 2016 summer MobilePAL initiative Saturday at Blodgett Villas, 1301 Davis St.
The initiative, in conjunction with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, allows police officers to foster positive relationships with youth in the community.
They do so by spending time with children, providing them with lunch or snacks, reading books and playing sports.
The idea was spearheaded by Lt. Lakesha Burton, JaxPAL executive director, as a way for children in distressed communities to see police officers in a different light.
There are six more programs this summer. They are:
• July 9, Monaco Arms, 10525 Monaco Drive
• July 16, Hilltop Village Apartments, 1645 W. 45th St.
• July 30, Canterbury Gardens, 1591 Lane Ave S.
• Aug. 6, Willamsburg Apartments, 3770 Toledo Road
• Aug. 13, Courtyard at Justina, 3272 Justina Road.
For more information, visit jaxpal.com.
Humane Society, Pet Paradise partnering
The Jacksonville Humane Society and Pet Paradise are again partnering to help save lives of area animals.
This time, there was a big need for space for cats because of a recent hoarding case.
Pet Paradise has made extra accommodations for Humane Society cats to help relieve overcrowding before the nonprofit’s next Mega Adoption weekend in July.
Denise Deisler, executive director of the society, said in a news release the agency is grateful for the help and Pet Paradise is supporting the citywide goal of maintaining no-kill status.
The adoption event is July 15-17 at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds and will have more than 1,000 adoptable pets from local shelters.
VyStar, Suns team up to help charities
Mondays at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville also serve as a fundraising opportunity for nonprofits at Jacksonville Suns games.
The team and VyStar Credit Union are taking part in the inaugural Charity Begins at Home program, which will showcase a different nonprofit each game.
Organizations purchase and sell discounted tickets for its designated game, then can give them away or sell them for face value.
Additionally, the nonprofit sells tickets during the game for the Suns’ “Launch-A-Ball” promotion and receives proceeds.
Organizations featured so far include Pit Sisters, MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation and Haven Hospice.
For information about the program, visit jaxsuns.com or contact Andrea Williams, Suns community relations director, at (904) 358-2846 ext. 106, or [email protected].
Blood drives this holiday weekend
The 4th of July weekend will mean a holiday for many people, but the need for blood doesn’t take a hiatus.
The Big Red Bus will be out and several area businesses will help save lives by hosting Independence Day weekend drives Friday-Monday.
Donors can give blood and receive a thank-you gift in addition to receiving a wellness checkup of blood pressure, pulse, temperature, iron count and cholesterol screening.
Information about locations, hours and appointments can be found at oneblood.org. Walk-ins welcome.