17 are Sara Tillett (left) and Leah Schwartz.
South Florida has many hidden treasures and one of these is the Spanish Monastery. St. Bernard de Clairvaux Episcopal Church and Dade Heritage Trust invited the public to take a fascinating tour of this ancient Spanish Monastery, a National Historical Register site, with Sandra M. Washington, monastery archivist/historian and adjunct professor at Miami Dade College, as the guide on Mar. 20.
As an added bonus, a special presentation by Borja Fabregas, whose family once owned the 12th Century monastery building in Spain from which the cloisters were taken, followed the tour. Guests learned about the Monastery of St. Bernard de Clairvaux in Sacramentia, Spain, purchased in 1925 by William Randolph Hearst, and of its relocation and reconstruction in Miami as well as the current restoration efforts at the monastery in Sacramenia. The Spanish Monastery is located at 16711 W Dixie Hwy. in North Miami Beach. This tour was by one of numerous events that take place during Dade Heritage Days orchestrated by the Dade Heritage Trust.
For more information on DHT call 305- 358-9572.
Gulliver’s Interact Club held its annual fashion show benefit the evening of Feb. 28. A sellout crowd thoroughly enjoyed fashion from numerous boutiques being modeled by more than 40 club members. Fashion Show chair, Ravi Patel, had the full support of club member and club officers: Nicole Tufts (president), Nicole Rubin (vice president), Nikita Kulkarni (service director), Rishi Gurnani (secretary), Remi Beek (public relations), Juan Alduncin (service assistant), Carlos Silva (treasurer) and, of course, teacher sponsor Michell Cooper.
Three great charities were selected once again to benefit from the proceeds of the show including Easter Seals, Chapman Partnership and Give Kids the World. Club members make monthly visits to Easter Seals Alzheimer daycare center playing bingo and sharing stories as well as monthly visits to the Chapman Center downtown making meals to feed 500 and playing games with children.
Members of the Junior Opera Guild (JOG) gathered for the organization’s “Springtime in Paris” benefit fashion show at Riviera Country Club. This annual affair serves as a major fundraiser as well as an opportunity to honor JOG’s high school senior members and its erxecutive board. Among the seniors being honored were JOG president Julie Salzinger from Ransom bound for Harvard in the fall; Sara Tillett of Palmer Trinity who will major in classical voice performance and international relations; Stephanie Pinon, an IB candidate from Carrollton who plans to major in journalism; Leah Schwartz, High School of Advanced Studies, and Katherine Flinn of Coral Reef High School who will major in agriculture.
The JOG is an active group of high school students who usher for Florida Grand Opera and raise money to fund Girl Scout music workshops and scholarships for the Young Patronesses of the Opera National Voice Competition.
Finally, Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus will host Rotary District 6990 2013 District Assembly on Apr. 20 featuring guest speaker Miami-Dade Schools superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho.
All Rotarians are invited to come for breakfast, stay for a model lunch and enjoy an “After Party” to be held at the Culinary Institute of Miami Dade College. Cost is $65 per person. For more information, visit online at <www.ri6990.org>.
Until next time, keep making each day count.
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