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 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.
Swim meet at The Bolles School
Marguerite and Mike Mumford, Paul Davis Restoration office owners in Jacksonville and Gainesville, recently contributed to the JAX 50 Spring Duel Challenge for the second year in a row.
As sponsors, they helped to bring a dozen of the world’s best swimmers to The Bolles School April 10-11 and provide swimming lessons for underprivileged children in Northeast Florida.
This year, the JAX 50 Spring Duel Challenge featured the Planet Swim Foundation and its efforts to raise funds through a variety of event activities.
Planet Swim Foundation is a local nonprofit that helps to potentially save lives in the Jacksonville area by teaching swimming to local underprivileged children who wouldn’t otherwise receive instruction in life-saving skills. The organization’s goal this year is to raise enough funds to sponsor a year-round swim-lesson program for 600 children.
For more information, contact Gustavo Calado at 370-9819 or email [email protected]. Visit the website at www.jax50.com.
Fundraising merit badge
The Boy Scouts of Jacksonville can earn a badge in fundraising with the help of Pollo Tropical. The restaurant is donating 1,500 Smart Savings Cards, a food discount card, to the Boys Scouts of America. The Boy Scouts will use the Smart Savings Cards to raise funds for their activities.
The cards feature 10 offers that can be redeemed at any company-owned Pollo Tropical. The Boy Scouts may sell the Smart Savings Cards to their family, friends, neighbors and other supporters for $1 and keep all of the proceeds for their organization’s specific fundraising needs.
“The Pollo Tropical Smart Savings Card will benefit both the Boy Scouts of America and those who purchase the cards,” said Kim Miller, vice president of marketing and communications for Pollo Tropical.
The Pollo Tropical in Jacksonville is at 4863 Gate Parkway in the St. Johns Town Center, next to CVS.
For more information on the new Pollo Tropical Smart Savings Card program or to participate, visit www.pollotropical.com.
Donations sought for scholarships
More than 300 University of North Florida students were awarded First Generation scholarships in 2009-2010, thanks to university fundraising efforts and Florida’s First Generation Matching Grant Program.
The program began in 2006, when the Florida Legislature appropriated $6.5 million statewide to be matched by private donations.
“I believe that giving a student the opportunity to be the first in his or her family to go to college is truly a great gift,” said UNF President John Delaney. “It has the potential to change the future for entire families.”
The university needs to raise $400,000 for this fall in private support, which will be matched by the state and will provide $800,000 in need-based First Generation scholarships. The students must meet UNF’s academic standards.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, only 21 percent of Duval County residents age 25 and older are college graduates. According to UNF estimates, more than 2,500 students qualify for the First Generation program.
The university anticipates awarding scholarships averaging $2,500 to at least 300 deserving students each year.
Foundation supports conference on children
The Monique Burr Foundation for Children Inc. recently helped sponsor the third annual Child Abuse and Neglect Conference, held at the Shands and University of Florida Learning Resource Center.
The conference, which focused on the medical aspects of child abuse and neglect, was attended by Florida Department of Children and Families child protective investigators, law enforcement personnel, Children’s Legal Services staff members, legal personnel working in the State Attorney’s Office, and medical personnel working in the field of child welfare.
The financial support of the Monique Burr Foundation enabled conference organizers to waive participants’ registration fees, allowing many conference participants to attend who otherwise would not have been able to participate, particularly employees of state agencies with limited travel budgets.
“This conference has been vitally important over the last several years for providing needed training in the field of child abuse and neglect for a variety of professionals,” said Lynn Layton, executive director for the Monique Burr Foundation for Children Inc.
Speakers at the event included Jacksonville pediatricians Dr. Randall Alexander, Dr. Bruce McIntosh and Dr. Susan Moore. Also presenting were Mary T. Cagle, director of children’s legal services of the Florida Department of Children and Families, Assistant State Attorney Alan Mizrahi and child advocate Jay Howell.
Topics at the conference included overviews of sexual abuse and legal issues in dependency and criminal cases as well as presentations on specific issues such as fractures, neglect, failure to thrive and head injuries.
For more information about the Monique Burr Foundation, call 642-0210 or visit www.moniqueburrfoundation.org.
Bealls and the Blue Devil Brigade
The Blue Devil Brigade Marching Band is receiving new uniforms with help from Bealls Department Stores Inc.
The Clay High School marching band’s current uniforms are 15 years old. The $10,000 grant from Bealls will be used toward the $26,000 needed to buy new coats, pants and hats for the student musicians.
“The Blue Devil Brigade Marching Band is a source of great pride for our school,” said Clay High Principal Peter McCabe.
“The uniforms they are performing in now are more than a decade old and are very worn out. The new uniforms will make the students feel an even greater sense of accomplishment when they represent the school at various events,” he said.
The school was awarded the grant through the Bealls and Whistles for Schools program. More than 350 schools across Florida applied for funding and 76 were chosen as finalists.
The finalists were narrowed down to 10 winners based on a compelling need, the ability to execute the proposal and the overall creative presentation of the supportive materials.
“We were excited and impressed with the sincerity and creativity shown by all the applicants,” said Mary Beth Fox, vice president of marketing for Bealls.
“We are also concerned by the overwhelming need that we see across Florida and we hope to lead by example in showing that corporate Florida can and should partner with our schools now more than ever. Florida’s businesses can play a vital role in helping Florida’s kids,” she said.