Casino Night at Coral Gables Woman’s Club promises to raise needed funds to support free dental services for children. While the GFWC Coral Gables Woman’s Club has had to cut down on the hours of service at its May Van Sickle Children’s Dental Clinic because of finances, members are counting on community support for the club’s Mar. 7 fundraiser. The event is to alleviate the strain on the club’s budget and allow it to make services available to more children than ever.
Club president Pam Schaefer and event chair Charo Bolanos encourage the crowd to come in comfortable western attire as the event continues with its “Gold Rush” theme. Guests will enjoy good food, music, games, silent and live auction, and cash bar.
Proceeds will benefit the May Van Sickle Dental Clinic which provides more than $160,000 in free dental care annually to disadvantaged children. Sensitive to the economic situation of many, tickets this year have been reduced to a very affordable $25 per person.
For more information on sponsorships, donations of items or tickets, call 305-968- 3090.
The Haitian Relief effort continues to be the focus of many nonprofits as well. Doral Rotarians are welcoming anyone who would like to help sort and pack boxes to join them any Saturday or Sunday, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., at their warehouse, 8571 NW 54 St. in Doral. The GFWC Coral Gables Woman’s Club is among the many volunteer groups that have joined in this effort.
On a more direct response, 80 highly trained members of the South Florida Urban Search and Rescue Team Task Force 2, have returned from Haiti having earned praise for their heroic efforts in Port-Au- Prince. Coral Gables firefighter David Vargas and Gables medical director Mark Grossman were among the group who worked feverishly to save people from collapsed buildings and attend to their medical needs, at times putting their own lives at risk.
Gables Mayor Don Slesnick also participated in a mission to Haiti — a mission, from all reports, that leaves a lasting mark on one’s very soul.
In club news, Gables Rotarians have enjoyed several prominent speakers this past month. University of Miami’s renowned Shelton “Shelly” Berg, dean of the School of Music, delivered a talk to the club recently with an update on the many exciting things happening at UM.
Among the highlights his talk centered on the Henry Mancini Institute (HMI) that moved here after 10 years from Los Angeles. Berg was very familiar with HMI and the Mancini Family during his tenure as head of Jazz Studies at the University of Southern California; so, when HMI announced its plans to close, several leading music organizations from across the United States vied for the opportunity to host it and the Mancini family chose Dean Berg and the Frost School of Music — an impressive coup for UM, Dean Berg and South Florida.
Next on the Rotary lineup was Arva Moore Parks McCabe, renowned historian and author who is currently working on a book about George Merrick. This endeavor has taken her to many locations for research and promises to be a very revealing book with facts that will surprise many. Until next time, keep making each day count.
