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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 believe 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.
‘Jinglebells’ raises $138,000
Golf celebrities and local teams teed up together and raised $138,000 at the 13th Annual Monique Burr Foundation for Children Inc.’s Jinglebells ProAm Golf Tournament.
Presented by AT&T and Hampton Golf, the charity golf tournament brought together 16 teams of PGA Tour, Champions Tour, Nationwide Tour and LPGA Tour professionals and golfers from across the country to The Golf Club at South Hampton.
“This event was a great success for the Monique Burr Foundation and the money raised will benefit our mission to provide safety and child abuse prevention education throughout Florida,” said Lynn Layton, executive director of the foundation.
“We cannot thank everyone enough, from the volunteers and sponsors to the players and participants.”
More than 18 celebrity golfers participated in this year’s tournament, including Jim Furyk, Fred Funk, Mark McCumber and others.
M.G. Orender and Robert Castranova chaired the event and Funk and McCumber were honorary chairs.
Since the Jinglebells ProAm Golf Tournament began, it has raised more than $2.7 million for the foundation.
Car wash helps nonprofits
Despite the challenging economy, CarbuX Car Wash, a Mandarin-based car wash company, raised $10,190 for 52 area nonprofits.
Each nonprofit that participates in the program chooses a four digit code which customers can enter when buying a car wash at CarbuX during that nonprofit’s monthlong promotion. For every $10 car wash purchased with the organization’s code, CarbuX donates $4 to that group.
Customers are also given the chance to make additional donations when making a purchase, 100 percent of which benefits the nonprofit.
“The CarbuX fundraising program helped us make a difference in the fight against ALS, bringing in more than $400 for our organization,” said Brian Benwick of The ALS Association Florida Chapter.
“The funds helped patients living with this devastating disease and funded research to find a cure,” he said.
To learn more about the FUNdraising program, call 268-8612 or visit www.carbuxcarwash.com.
The company has two locations, 11150 San Jose Blvd. and 1555 Dunn Ave., with a new location coming to the Beach and Hodges boulevards intersection early next year.
Shopping day for Sulzbacher kids
On Dec. 20, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officers and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department firefighters and paramedics took more than 65 children from the Sulzbacher Center shopping for Christmas.
Each child received a Walmart gift card to spend on toys and school clothes. The JSO arranged for Santa Claus to attend as well.
The event was made possible through the support of Jacksonville area Walmarts, the Police Athletic League, JSO, JFRD and corporate partners Jay Demetree, Demetree Brothers Inc.; Fitzhugh K. Powell Jr., Cecil W. Powell & Co.; Wackenhut Corp.; Oaklawn Cemetery and Funeral Home; Tobacco Cove; and other private donors.
This was the fourth year that PAL has sponsored the children living at the Sulzbacher Center for the holidays.
Students collect for food bank
Jacksonville Country Day School conducted a food drive for Second Harvest Food Bank and collected an estimated 3,000 pounds of food and nearly $700 in cash donations.
The school’s student council sponsored the drive as one of its service learning projects.
“The children got involved,” said student council co-sponsor Lynne Sopchak. “There was enthusiasm and a commitment like we’ve never seen.”
Many students and their parents donated canned goods and other nonperishable items. While there were many single-can donations, a number of cans arrived by the case. Bags of beans, boxes of pasta, jars of peanut butter and dozens of disposable diapers filled the donation bins.
“Our fervent hope in this holiday season is that the generosity has ... spread throughout the Jacksonville community,” said head of school Terry Bartow.
Other service projects preceding the holidays included a book drive for Books-A-Go Go, a local organization that provides books to children in need. The preprimary students donated 297 books.
In another project, the third-grade students earned their own money and bought 70 pairs of pajamas for the residents of the Children’s Home Society.
Jacksonville Country Day School, established in 1960, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Young professionals play Santa
With the support of several friends and family, the Dreams Come True Horizon Board made the Christmas holiday special for five dreamers and their families.
On Dec. 13, the board hosted its annual “Christmas for Dreamers” party. The Celebration of Life room at the Dreams Come True building was filled with more than 160 gifts for the dreamers and their siblings.
Gifts ranged from gift cards to a bicycle and keyboard. Some of the wrapped gifts were given to the families to take home to open on Christmas.
Each year the Horizon Board hosts a Christmas party to bring joy to dreamers, who are battling life-threatening illnesses, and their families. In addition to the gifts, the Horizon Board also presented each family with a Publix gift card to help with purchasing Christmas dinner items.
Families were surprised even more when Jaxson de Ville and members of the Roar stopped in.
The Dreams Come True Horizon Board is the organization’s young professionals group, which was established to educate young professionals about Dreams Come True.
The Horizon Board sponsors projects for local dreamers throughout the year, such as the annual Dream Family Holiday Adoption (Christmas for Dreamers), Thanksgiving baskets, and Special Times, such as special trips, game tickets and gift cards.