The ‘wearing of the green’ raised some green for charity

St. Patrick’s Day Festival at John Martin’s offered volunteers an opportunity to raise funds for charity. As celebrants packed the streets of Coral Gables for this annual event, more than 70 volunteers from the Rotary Club of Coral Gables, Coral Gables Rotaract Club and the GFWC Coral Gables Woman’s Club (CGWC) served beer and food, collecting tips for the May Van Sickle Children’s Dental Clinic throughout the evening. Revelers enjoyed a great band and became more and more generous throughout the evening. In fact, the volunteers collected more than $1,100 in tips for the Clinic owned and operated by CGWC. The two Clubs will also split a $5,000 donation for their services that will go to their respective charitable programs.

Orchestrating the volunteers once again this year was Yolanda Woodbridge, past president of the Rotary Club of Coral Gables, a woman who is a constant inspiration for her charitable efforts. Among the many volunteers helping out that evening were Jo Burke, Fred Baddour, John Wallace, Pam Schaefer, Barbara Lapsley, Linda and John Hartwell, Susie Tilson, Ana Lam, Greg Martini, Skip Pita, Deena Bell, Judy Pantoja, Charlie Llewellyn, Afredo Iglesias, and Bill Quesenberry, to mention a few.

Speaking of Rotary, Coral Gables Rotarians recently welcomed CEO of the Women’s Fund, Debi Harris, who spoke to the lunch crowd about the many outreach efforts of this Fund. The Women’s Fund Annual “Power of the Purse” Luncheon is fast approaching and will be held at the Hilton downtown, 1601 Biscayne Blvd., on April 30. The silent auction starts at 11 a.m. with lunch being served at noon. This is always a terrific event with the most amazing designer purses up for bid and purchase by the highest bidders. Tickets are $125 per person. For more information on that event, go online to www.womensfundmiami.org.

In other news, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ Joan Reitsma, of The Giving Tree, organized the Annual Elementary School Achievement Breakfast at the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables on March 16. Among the students attending were top achievers from Coral Gables Elementary, Gulliver Academy, Miami Christian School and St. Thomas. Prior to awards medals and certificates to the honorees, the crowd enjoyed an entertaining speech given by Coral Gables Chamber President Mark Trowbridge followed by the cast from Actors Playhouse for Young Audiences. The group performed several numbers from Jack and the Beanstalk, a very funny show that Director Earl Mauldin encouraged the crowd to see at Actors’ Playhouse in order to find out how the musical ends.

Reitsma expressed her thanks to those who made the day possible including the Bear-A-Bear Foundation, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation, the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables, Clair Francis Whitehurst, GFWC Coral Gables Woman’s Club and the Rotary Club of Coral Gables.

Congratulations to the University of Miami Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt who has been selected one of Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal Forty Under 40 Award recipients.

He received his award in Los Angeles during a black-tie ceremony at the JW Marriott Los Angeles. Hocutt is the only director of athletics among this year’s award recipients.

Finally, hats off to the Lady Gators swim team that captured the NCAA National Championship in the closest margin in the history of the competition beating Stanford by only 2 1/12 points. That was the second National Championship in a week for the University of Florida that also took that NCAA title for Track and Field.

Until next week, keep making each day count.

Gloria Burns is Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Pinecrest, a 501 (c) (3) non profit organization, as well as a columnist for Community Newspapers. Keeping abreast of community activities is a challenge. If you would like to submit information for this column, send your news via email to < gloriagalburns@aol.com >.

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A graduate of the University of Florida with a major in Spanish, Burns has an extensive background in advertising, marketing and reciprocal trade, travel , non profit consulting and management. Before joining Miami's Community Newspapers as a columnist and marketing specialist, Gloria was the Executive Director of the Jr. Orange Bowl Committee (6 yrs.) and first Executive Director of the Coral Gables Community Foundation (14 yrs.) and the Pinecrest Community Foundation (1 ½ yrs) . Burns' volunteer activities led her to become a columnist for Community Newspapers writing Gloria’s Gab, that focuses on the non-profit activity, and a host of an online show, Gloria's Gab LIVE. Gloria serves the board of the Rotary Club of Coral Gables as Civic and Charity Chair, and is involved in the club's International Committee. She is an active Life Member of the Jr. Orange Bowl Committee and is Secretary of the Merrick Festival. She serves on the board of directors of the Coral Gables Woman' Club as Publicity Chair and also coordinates the club's monthly fundraiser for various charities with Gringo Bingo at Clutch Burger. In addition, Gloria participates in numerous other charitable events and is a member of the Business Forum Group, Profit Inc., the Greater Miami Festival & Events Association and the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. In other volunteer activity, Gloria helps Miami Christian School with fund-raising and PR; is an Ambassador and volunteers for events for A Safe Haven for Newborns. She is an active member of the Music Ministry at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church where she enjoys singing in the choir every weekend.