by Amy Limbert
Staff Writer
Who knew gingerbread was worth so much?
The South Jacksonville Rotary Club raised $25,000 each for HabiJax and the Ronald McDonald House through its “Rotary Gingerbread House Extravaganza” — a 3,000-square-foot Gingerbread Village with more than 50 gingerbread houses sponsored by local builders, architects, restaurants, schools, companies and individuals.
The money came from sponsorships, admission fees and a silent auction last December.
The club presented the checks to the two organizations at their Tuesday meeting at the Radisson with about 100 in attendance.
The Rotarians also revealed the competition’s People’s Choice Award, which was selected by visitors to the village: JoAnne McKinsey, chef for Deerwood Country Club, took home the honors for the second year in a row. Her creation, a traditional-style gingerbread house called “The North Pole,” also won the Best Traditional Entry.
Gingerbread wasn’t the only thing on the Rotary’s agenda.
Hugh Greene, CEO of Baptist Health System, gave a presentation about Baptist Medical Center South, which opens today on the Southside.
The $90 million, 248,000-square-foot hospital is state-of-the-art, from the facility to its technology, Greene said. The medical center will have all-digital clinical technology, with digital medical records that several doctors can access at once, he said. Green called the hospital not a step but “quantum leaps” ahead of other facilities nationwide.
He said the hospital’s rooms, which are all private, were designed with family in mind, including the addition of daybeds, mini refrigerators and Internet access among other amenities. The facility also strives to maintain a “noninstitutional” environment, with park-like courtyards and a collection of local art.