from staff
As our community continues to face a tight economy and shrinking budgets, the Daily Record has established this page that will each week chronicle the efforts of local nonprofit organizations. Bailey Publishing & Communications invites all members of the local nonprofit community to submit news, announcements, success stories and any other information they feel would be of interest to our readers. E-mail to: [email protected].
We also encourage our readers to become more aware of the needs of these worthy organizations as they try to continue to provide valuable services with reduced resources.
New grand piano donated, dedicated to proton therapy patients
Patients gathered as usual in the lobby of the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute last Tuesday when a new sound filled the air — piano music. It is a sound that will be heard frequently now that a grand piano has been commissioned and is a permanent fixture in the lobby. The instrument is an anonymous gift from a former patient with additional funding from retailer Keyboard Connection and piano manufacturer Yamaha.
“After touring this place we wanted to make it achievable for the donor and for the Proton Therapy Institute to have not just any piano, but a grand piano,” said Keyboard Connection manager Jack Melvin. Keyboard Connection on San Jose Boulevard is the official Yamaha dealer in Jacksonville.
Pianist Kathleen Olive gave the dedication performance. She is the minister of music at Bethlehem Lutheran Church as well as a professional performer and music educator. Olive is a two-time cancer survivor having been treated for both colon and breast cancers. She is also one of many Jacksonville area professional pianists who are volunteering their time to a concert series at the cancer treatment facility on the first Tuesday of each month.
UF Proton Therapy Institute is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the UF College of Medicine and the UF Shands Cancer Center, national leaders in cancer treatment and research. UF Proton Therapy Institute delivers state-of-the-art cancer treatment and strives to set new standards for treating and curing the disease. The cancer treatment facility houses both conventional radiation and proton therapy, and delivers proton therapy to more than 100 patients a day.
For more information about UF Proton Therapy Institute, visit www.floridaproton.org, or call toll-free 877-686-6009.
Easter Bunny made early visit to Sulzbacher Center
Children living at the Sulzbacher Center celebrated Easter beginning last Friday evening with an Easter egg hunt at the Downtown campus. Many people gave generously to help ensure that the holiday was special for the 71 children living at the Sulzbacher Center. Along with the egg hunt organized by Merrill Lynch volunteers, Christine Stone, the St. Vincent de Paul Society of the Beaches, the Youth Group Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, and Pam James from The Hamilton Collection donated Easter eggs, baskets, stuffed bunnies and goodie bags. In addition, Word of Faith Church hosted craft activities and an Easter program for the children on Saturday.
Adult literacy volunteers needed
Learn to Read is conducting a new volunteer orientation from 10-11:30 a.m. Saturday at the LTR office at 2747 Art Museum Dr. near the intersection of Beach Boulevard and the Emerson Street overpass. The orientation will include a general program overview, introduction of volunteer opportunities and a short tour of our facility. Light refreshments will be served. To attend the orientation, register with Melissa Nickhah, Volunteer and Outreach coordinator, at [email protected] or call 399-8894 by Thursday.
Learn to Read Jacksonville provides free basic literacy education to adults in Duval County who read below the sixth grade level. The organization has a range of opportunities for volunteers in various aspects of adult literacy training. No prior experience is necessary, but enthusiasm for sharing the love of reading to adults is encouraged.
26.2 with Donna raises $708,095
In February, thousands of runners flocked to Jacksonville and its beaches to run the second annual 26.2 with Donna The National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer. The final fundraising numbers are in and the marathon has announced a total of $708,095 was raised in this year’s race.
“The most inspiring thing for me is that the runners themselves raised more than $237,000. We do not make fundraising mandatory for our race. Your registration fee gets you on the course. So to see that kind of money raised by individuals in this economy just blows me away,” said Marathon Founder Donna Deegan.
All of the funds raised by the runners and all the net proceeds of the entrance fees go to the charities supported by 26.2 with Donna. Seventy percent goes to basic breast cancer research at the Mayo Clinic, and 30 percent to The Donna Foundation which funds the critical needs of First Coast Women with Breast Cancer.
26.2 with Donna, The National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer, is the only U.S. marathon dedicated solely to raising funds to finish breast cancer. The inaugural race included more than 7,000 runners and over $800,000. All proceeds from 26.2 with Donna go toward the marathon’s goal of finishing breast cancer. The funds for Mayo Clinic are earmarked specifically for breast cancer research while the money given to the Donna Foundation helps the organization meet the critical needs of underserved women living with breast cancer on the First Coast.
For more information, visit www.breastcancermarathon.com or call 355-7465.
Relay for Life in Neptune Beach
The American Cancer Society will host Relay for Life of the Jacksonville Beaches this weekend at Jarboe Park in Neptune Beach. The event begins at noon Saturday and concludes at 10 a.m. Sunday.
Relay for Life is a family-oriented walk where participants raise funds to support the American Cancer Society and camp overnight in the park before the second segment of the walk. Teams from companies, churches, organizations, hospitals and schools collect donations and compete for prizes.
“Relay for Life brings cancer awareness to the forefront,” said Debra Carpenter, event chair. “Many of our participants are our family, friends and neighbors who have dealt with cancer themselves. Their involvement is proof of the progress that has been made by not only reducing death rates but also in the quality of life following cancer treatments.”
To register as a team or individual or find out about volunteer opportunities for Relay for Life call 249-0022.