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Gloria Gab LIVE Show resumed Dec. 15 with Junior Orange Bowl past president and long time JOBC Basketball chair Chuck Little.
Despite the challenges of COVID-19 concerns, the Junior Orange Bowl Classic took place in late December at Westminster Christian with schools participating, both boys and girls, from Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. The boys championship had to be canceled as the tournament began because of COVID concerns but the girls teams provided a great finish with Pompano Beach’s Blanche Ely High School defeating Miami Christian School by 6 points.
Kudos to the JOBC chairs, members and volunteers for continuing to make the best of a challenging season and to JOBC president Steven Gonzalez who was my guest for Gloria’s Gab LIVE on Jan. 11. Look for the show at cnews.net.
In other news, Center State Bank once again signed to sponsor the monthly Gringo Bingo at Clutch Burger orchestrated by the GFWC Coral Gables Woman’s Club for its free children’s dental clinic and many other charities of note.
When Eli Jimenez attended one of the events, he learned of the club’s free children’s dental clinic and wanted to know how Center State Bank could help. Since he first learned of this amazing resource in our community that serves more than 500 children of the working poor, the bank has donated $1,500 during a critical period for this nonprofit stepping up again to sponsor the Jan. 12 event.
The Dec. 15 event raised more than $1,000 for the dental clinic thanks in large part to sponsorship from 1st Empire Elite Financial and EZ Title Services which also will be sponsoring the Feb. 9, 7 p.m., event. To reserve space for this outdoor night of fun, RSVP with Gloria@cnews.net.
Thanks to Steven Bradley and Clutch Burger, these monthly events have raised thousands of dollars not only for the Coral Gables Children’s Dental Clinic but also for more than a dozen other charities since its start in March 2019.
The music of DJ Germain once again is back and he will donate his services to add even more excitement to these charity fundraisers with the always entertaining emcee Steven Bradley. Thanks to HV Designs, Miami’s Community Newspapers and all those who have donated bingo prizes including Kings Bowl, Threefold Cafe, Bulla, Pisco y Nazca, Kao Sushi and so many others. Kudos as well to Kendra Scott who hosted an event on Dec. 12 with wine and treats for shoppers with 20 percent of proceeds benefiting the Coral Gables Children’s Dental Clinic.
In other GFWC club news, the Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove (WCCG) has scheduled virtual events this month as January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. With that in mind, the club will produce events that are open free to the public. On Jan. 14, at 1 p.m., they will host a webinar, “Identifying & Treating Victims of Human Trafficking.” To sign up and receive more information on the webinar, contact Gwen at gwenwi4@gmail.com.
The second virtual event that WCCG is promoting will be hosted by one of the club’s partner groups, the South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force (SFHTTF). On Jan. 26, from 5 to 7 p.m., look for SFHTTF’s Annual Interfaith Leaders Human Trafficking Training, a joint project of the Miami-Dade Police Department and the International Rescue Committee (Miami). For more information about the event or about becoming a SFHTTF member, contact Task Force coordinator Caridad Mas-Batchelor at 305-471-2270 or CMMasBatchelor@mdpd.com. Please register for this event at Human Trafficking Training.
In other news, the Florida Grand Opera is meeting the pandemic challenge during this winter season presenting smaller, more intimate operas that provide a rare pivot point from its home at both the Arsht and Broward centers for the Performing Arts. The Miami Theater Center (MTC), located at 9806 NE Second Ave. in quaint Miami Shores, was selected as the interim venue which is easily accessible off either I-95 or Biscayne Boulevard, and affords free street and lot parking as well as dining options across the street from the theater and along NE Second Avenue.
The season begins with the first of three operas — Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers, based on Terrence McNally’s original script for Some Christmas Letters. This poignant American chamber opera provides the audience with soaring melodies and heartbreaking musical moments and spans three decades during the AIDS crisis. This modern masterpiece has been in the top 10 most performed North American works since 1991 and one opera fans will embrace.
Performances are Saturday, Jan. 30, 8 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 31, 3 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.FGO.org or by calling the FGO Box Office, Monday-Friday, 10a.m.-4 p.m., at 1-800-741-1010.
Until next time, keep making each day count; be kind and stay safe.
