Tim Tebow talks to a child who attended the former Florida Gators quarterback’s annual Celebrity Golf Classic last weekend at TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach. The two-day event is a fundraiser for the Tim Tebow Foundation. Among the celebrity guests at the event were stars of the “Duck Dynasty” television show, shown at the red carpet event Friday and Rascal Flatts lead singer Gary LeVox, left, and Christian singer Chris Tomlin.
Salvation Army honors volunteers
The Salvation Army of Northeast Florida recognized its volunteers with lunch from Sonny’s BBQ in appreciation for thousands of hours they have collectively given to the organization.
In 2016, volunteers served more than 4,000 hours ringing bells during the organization’s Red Kettle campaign, sorted and helped distribute more than 1 million pounds of food and helped serve dinner every day through the Meal Ministry.
Several volunteers and groups received awards for their 2016 outstanding service:
• Food pantry volunteer: Victoria Heinzel, who volunteered more than 145 hours
• Food pantry group: Jointly given to two special education groups — Sandalwood High School community-based vocational education program and Terry Parker community-based instruction program.
• Meal ministry volunteer: Marva Nicholas, a frequent volunteer.
• Meal ministry volunteer group: Naval Air Station Jacksonville, which serves on Thursday evenings.
• Toy shop volunteer group: North Florida School of Special Education. The group contributed its time to the Angel Tree program and also volunteered in the food pantry and at Thanksgiving food distribution.
• Bell ringers: First place, The Rotary Club of Jacksonville raised $15,085 for the Red Kettle Campaign in December; second place, Fleet Landing volunteers rang the bells for a total of 159 hours, raising $9,902; and third place, Bethel Baptist Institutional Church covered two Red Kettle locations for a total of 219 hours, raising $7,766.
YMCA selects Beverley as outstanding employee
The YMCA of Florida’s First Coast selected Norman Beverley to receive the 2017 Carl and Rita Cannon Employee of the Year Award, acknowledging his dedication to youth development and commitment to the Y’s mission.
Beverley is the before- and after-school program director at the Y’s Tiger Academy and previously served as a summer day camp site director in Mandarin.
He accepted the award Feb. 28 at the seventh annual Y-Bash at the University of North Florida Fine Arts Center.
At the event, the Y announced funding priorities for 2017 and its goal to raise $1.55 million.
This year’s priorities include creating healthy families and communities, improving swimming skills among children, youth academic and life achievement and helping teens become leaders.
Women’s leadership forum Thursday
An estimated 200 women will gather Thursday for a day of nationally recognized speakers and local executive leaders at the Jacksonville Women’s Leadership Forum's sixth annual assembly at the US Assure Club at EverBank Field.
The forum’s theme is “Game On! The Power of Women – It’s Our Time to Lead!”
Susan Packard, a television network executive behind CNBC, HGTV, Food Network and other cable channels, will lead off the forum at 7:30 a.m. Thursday.
She will be followed by a panel discussion, “Leveling the Playing Field: Cultivating Gamesmanship to Achieve Leadership Diversity,” featuring John Hirabayashi, president and CEO of Community First Credit Union of Florida; Megha Parekh, senior vice president and chief legal officer, Jacksonville Jaguars; Darnell Smith, market president for Florida Blue, and JAX Chamber chair; and Katy Thompson, chief accounting officer, Fidelity National Information Services.
Go Red For Women was chosen as the charitable beneficiary of the event “to emphasize the importance of making sure we as women are prioritizing our health as much as we are our careers and families,” said Christina Schwing, forum board chair and Holland & Knight partner.
Mayo Clinic Jacksonville will host a networking event at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Kinne Auditorium on the clinic’s Southside campus.
Event sponsors include Acosta, The Adecco Group, Black Knight Financial Services, CSX Corp., Holland & Knight, the Jacksonville Jaguars, JEA, KPMG, Landstar, Mayo Clinic, Mercedes-Benz of Orange Park, Mercedes-Benz of Jacksonville, PRI Productions, Regency Centers, TD Bank and The Energy Authority.
A limited number of tickets are available. For information, visit jwlf.org.
Wheelchair art Saturday at RAM
The Riverside Arts Market will host from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday the Independent Living Resource Center’s third annual Abilities in Art.
Visitors will have the opportunity to create art using wheelchairs that will be available for purchase at The Mystery Trip Suitcase Party on April 29.
Funds raised help the organization implement programs to assist people with disabilities reach their goals in education, employment and independent living.
For more information, visit theilrc.org.
Land trust seeking national accreditation
North Florida Land Trust is applying for accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance.
A public comment period is open and the commission is asking anyone who wishes to send comments to do so by May 26.
Comments must relate to how North Florida Land Trust complies with national quality standards. For the list of standards, visit landtrustaccreditation.org/help-and-resources/indicator-practices.
The objectives of the accreditation program are to build and recognize strong land trusts, to foster public confidence in land conservation and to help ensure the protection of land.
Comments may be submitted at landtrustaccreditation.org or by email to [email protected].