Through customer donations at its stores, Southeastern Grocers donated $565,393 for the American Red Cross disaster relief fund to assist Louisiana residents impacted by flooding.
The money was raised through contributions made at Bi-Lo, Harveys and Winn-Dixie stores during checkout Aug. 17-23, as well as on each grocer’s website.
The contribution includes the dollar-for-dollar match donated through the Southeastern Grocers Foundation.
Funds will be used to provide food, shelter, counseling and other assistance to thousands of people in Louisiana.
Southeastern Grocers has a long history of partnership with the American Red Cross.
In the past 50 years, the partnership has raised nearly $10 million through community donation programs, foundation and corporate support.
Help charities by dining at Columbia Restaurant
The Northeast Florida community can support several area charities by dining at the Columbia Restaurant in St. Augustine.
As part of the 19th annual Community Harvest program, the restaurant will donate 5 percent of all lunch and dinner checks to nonprofits chosen by customers in September.
Customers can choose from 13 nonprofits:
• 2 Hearts Adoption Ministry
• Betty Griffin House
• Boy Scouts of America
• Children’s Dream Fund
• Community Hospice of Northeast Florida
• Dreams Come True
• Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind
• Friends of the Library
• Laundry Project
• Moffitt Cancer Center
• St. Augustine Humane Society
• St. Johns Council on Aging
• Take Stock in Children
During the past 18 years, the program has donated more than $1.8 million to nonprofits in Florida.
Shooting for SAYS Oct. 20
Davidson Cares, the corporate giving program of Davidson Realty, will host Shooting For SAYS on Oct. 20.
Proceeds will benefit St. Augustine Youth Services, which provides a safe, therapeutic environment for boys who have suffered severe abuse and neglect.
Shooters of all skill levels are invited to participate in the event at Jacksonville Clay Target Sports, 12125 New Berlin Road.
Check-in begins at 11 a.m., lunch will be served at noon and shooting will start at 1 p.m.
For a minimum donation of $125, participants may shoot 100 sporting clay targets or 50 skeet targets for a gift of at least $75.
New shooters can receive instruction while shooting 25 skeet targets for a minimum donation of $75.
Participants will receive a T-shirt, lunch, shotgun shells and refreshments during the awards ceremony.
Tickets may be purchased at DavidsonCares.com.
The event’s 12-gauge sponsors, which donated $2,500, include Providence Homes, Riverside Homes, Gate Foundation, Vallencourt Construction Co., Dream Finders Homes, Landon Homes, The Hutson Companies and SEDA Homes.
Sponsors in the 20-gauge category, which donated $1,000, include Landmark Title, Watson Civil Construction, Shearwater, Bank of England, PDQ, Matthews Design Group, Ellis & Associates, Gulfstream Design Group and MasterCraft Builder Group.
Sponsorships are available through Sept. 30 by emailing [email protected] or by calling (904) 940-5000.
21 local students earn Comcast scholarships
Comcast awarded $25,000 in scholarships for the 2016-17 school year to 21 high school seniors in Duval County as part of its annual Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program.
The students are among 186 Florida high school seniors who received $198,000 in scholarships this year.
The program, funded by the Comcast Foundation, is a $1,000 scholarship awarded to seniors for their community service, academic performance and leadership skills.
In addition, Ngoc-Anh Nguyen of Ed White High School received a $5,000 Comcast Founders Scholarship, established in honor of Ralph J. Roberts, founder and chairman emeritus of Comcast Corp.
These 20 Duval County high school seniors received $1,000 scholarships:
• Lucia Avila, Englewood High School
• Jasmine Core, William M. Raines High School
• Fadi Daboul, University Christian School
• Jamie De Nisco, Duval Virtual Instruction Academy
• Imani Greene, First Coast High School
• Matthew Herman, The Bolles School
• Taylor Holland, Samuel W. Wolfson High School
• Robert Inman, Trinity Christian Academy
• Esther Iya, Paxon School for Advanced Studies
• Dwight James, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts
• Dana Johnson, Darnell-Cookman School of the Medical Arts
• Jade King, Bishop Kenny High School
• Kristi McPherson, Stanton College Preparatory School
• Dianah Miller, Atlantic Coast High School
• Victor Mills, Westside High School
• Thomas Moses, Jean Ribault High School
• Jacob Newman, Mandarin High School
• Ilana Newman, Ponte Vedra High School
• Jacob Reichhardt, Providence School
• Destiny Scott, Seacoast Christian Academy
Since 2001, the program has awarded more than $25 million to nearly 25,000 high school seniors in the United States.
Child abuse survivor to speak at luncheon
Child safety initiatives will be the topic at a luncheon sponsored by the Monique Burr Foundation for Children on Sept. 28 at the University of North Florida.
Erin Merryn, a survivor of child sexual abuse, will be the keynote speaker.
Her advocacy has led to a version of Erin’s Law being passed in 28 states.
The law requires public schools to provide prevention-oriented child abuse education.
Also at the luncheon, state Sens. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, and Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, and 11 school facilitators who have implemented the Child Safety Matters program for the past five years will receive the Champions for Child Safety Award for work to prevent child abuse and bullying.
A limited number of tickets for $50 are available. Registration for the event is open at mbfchildsafetymatters.org.
Sponsorships also are available. Contact Tammy Long at [email protected] or (904) 562-1849 for more information.
San Marco Rotarians donate $20,000
The Rotary Club of San Marco awarded more than $20,000 to local and international charities:
• A $5,000 contribution will be used by the Sanctuary on 8th Street for home school programs.
• The First Tee of NE Florida received $4,300 for equipment to begin programming at the club’s adopted elementary school, Spring Park Elementary.
• A $2,500 contribution was made to Wolfson Children’s Center for Behavioral Health for artwork to be installed in the behavioral health unit.
• An $8,000 fund was established to create a microloan program to assist in global clean water efforts.
The club’s foundation committee will review loan requests submitted by world support organizations and fund loans ranging in duration from one to three years.
As the loans are repaid, the funds will be reinvested into the program.
A $1,000 contribution was sent to the Rotary Foundation in honor of its 100th anniversary and to support the eradication of polio in the world.
Free kidney cancer symposium Saturday
Judy Nicholson Kidney Cancer Foundation will host “Wings of Hope,” a free kidney cancer education symposium for patients and caregivers Saturday at the University of North Florida.
The 7 a.m.-3 p.m. event will provide an update on advances in the management of patients with kidney cancer, which is among the 10 most common cancers in men and women.
Of the 62,700 cases of kidney cancer diagnosed each year, about 14,240 people will die from the disease.
The symposium aims to provide a combination of clinical and basic research and an opportunity for interaction, communication and education.
To register, visit jnkidneycancer.org.