The Players volunteer leadership — the Red Coats — accompanied by PGA Tour player Jim Furyk, hosted a surprise “Dream Party” for Dreams Come True.
The dreamer, Brad Ratzlaff, is a 19-year-old graduate of Orange Park High School who is battling acute lymphoblastic lymphoma. Ratzlaff was joined at the party by his father, Guy; mother, Laura; and brother, Tyler.
The family will travel to Maui for the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in January. Ratzlaff also received a set of golf clubs and spending money for the week. He will have the opportunity to walk with Furyk inside the ropes during the tournament’s pro-am.
The tournament also made a $10,000 donation to Dreams Come True.
The money generated by The Players each year benefits more than 300 charities in Northeast Florida, totaling about $67.5 million since the event moved to Ponte Vedra Beach in 1977.
Empty Bowls Luncheon is Nov. 17
The 31st annual Empty Bowls Luncheon is 11 a.m. Nov. 17 at the Prime Osborn Convention Center.
Attendees will be served a light lunch by local celebrities before a short program. Each attendee may select a ceramic bowl from hundreds that have been handcrafted by students to take home as a keepsake.
Specialty bowls created by professional artists will be available for sale.
The event is the largest annual fundraiser for Lutheran Social Services of Northeast Florida, which administers local Nourishment Network programs that help feed hungry people.
Tickets are $30 per person and may be purchased at the door. For more information, visit lssjax.org.
Agencies providing mental health services receive grants
The Women’s Giving Alliance awarded grants to five Northeast Florida organizations that provide mental health services to women and girls.
The grants are part of the alliance’s five-year, research-based focus on funding mental health services for women and girls and a recognition that community mental health support can create a foundation for females to succeed.
The grantees, whose funding will span two years and include consultation and impact assessment opportunities with the alliance, are:
• Barnabas Center, $110,000 for its Women’s Health Initiative in Nassau County
• Gateway Community Services, $39,300 for a gender responsive, trauma-informed professional development program
• Mental Health America in Northeast Florida, $84,000 for its Women and Girls Training Institute
• Rethreaded, $74,680 for a survivor advocate program
• Sulzbacher Center, $97,020 for its Therapy for Homeless Females program.
The Women’s Giving Alliance, an initiative of The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, is a group of women who pool their philanthropic giving.
Since 2001, hundreds of women have become members, making an annual contribution of $1,500 each.
Through their contributions, the alliance has made grants totaling more than $4.5 million to more than 30 nonprofits to support community services for women and girls.
It also has built an endowment exceeding $2 million to ensure the future of its philanthropic work.
For more information, visit womensgivingalliance.org
Fundraiser for humane society in St. Augustine
The St. Augustine Humane Society will host a fundraiser Nov. 12 to help provide services and programs to St. Johns County pets and their owners, such as low-cost spay/neuter and wellness clinic, pet food pantry, dog training, pet grooming and emergency sheltering.
The event is 5:30 p.m. at Creekside Dinery in St. Augustine. Donation to attend is $25 per person and includes a buffet dinner and live music by The Falling Bones.
The society’s annual pet photo calendar, Pin Up Paws, will be available for $10 each.
The theme of the event is Sit, Stay and Relax, which ties in with the calendar fundraiser and photos featuring local pets on their favorite forbidden chairs and accessorized according to the breed or type and period of furniture. The calendar campaign raised more than $15,000.
For more information, call (904) 829-2737 or visit staughumane.org.
$10,000 contribution for City Rescue Mission
C2C Innovation Solutions contributed $10,000 to support City Rescue Mission programs for the homeless and needy in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida.
The nonprofit provides meals, emergency shelter, life-building recovery programs and workforce training for men, women and women with children. It does not accept government funding.
City Rescue Mission provides more than 300,000 meals annually to the needy.
Its emergency shelter provides a hot meal, clean bed and clothing for those in need.
It also offers the LifeBuilders Addiction Recovery Program and the New Day Workforce Program, which increases employment opportunities by identifying people’s skills and talents and providing training and job placement.
C2C Solutions specializes in providing health care sector support and administrative services in the processing of Medicare second-level appeals and payment resolution disputes between health care providers and insurance companies.
Michael Ward receiving Champions for Justice award
The Justice Coalition will give Michael Ward, chairman and CEO of CSX Corp., its 2015 Champions for Justice Extraordinary Business Leader Award.
The honor will be presented 6:30 p.m. Thursday at The Potter’s House, 5119 Normandy Blvd., during the annual awards dinner.
Ward has been a Justice Coalition supporter for years. In 2010, he gave $2 for every $1 contributed to the Justice Coalition, up to $100,000. CSX has been a presenting sponsor for the group’s annual Together We Can breakfast for many years.
Ward also supports other nonprofits, including Hubbard House, City Year and Wounded Warrior Project.
Firehouse Subs is the presenting sponsor of this year’s Justice Coalition awards dinner. For more information, visit justicecoalition.org.
RS&H recognized by Urban League
Jacksonville-based architecture, engineering and consulting firm RS&H received the Jacksonville Urban League’s 2015 Equal Opportunity Diversity Award.
It recognized the company for its efforts to expand and support minority- and women-owned businesses, as well as maintaining and promoting diversity among its 850-employee workforce.
“RS&H is a true example of diversity, staunch supporter of the community and an outstanding example to all,” said Richard Danforth, president of the Jacksonville Urban League, in presenting the award at the organization’s annual Equal Opportunity Luncheon on Oct. 29.
Red Kettle kickoff Nov. 12 at Hemming Park
It’s nearly that time of year again — the time when bells ring throughout the city and the Salvation Army’s iconic red kettles appear.
To mark the first day of bell ringing, the Salvation Army will hold a kettle kickoff from noon-1 p.m. Nov. 12 in Hemming Park, giving away Christmas cookies.
Funds raised from kettles support The Salvation Army’s hunger and homelessness programs, such as the food pantry, which gives supplemental groceries to 250 households each week, and the meal ministry program, which serves meals to the homeless and working poor every night, totaling 82,000 meals per year.