By Gloria Burns….
The GFWC Coral Gables Woman’s Club continues to attract new members with great fundraising socials. Most recently, Chrissy Hernandez, who is expecting her first child very soon, orchestrated a fun filled game night on August 18th. While the club takes time to play, they are a serious group when it comes to raising funds for worthy charities, especially their club’s free dental clinic. The May Van Sickle Dental Clinic, owned and operated by these volunteers, provides needy Miami-Dade County children with more than $150,000 annually in free dental care.
Club members come from all over the county and anyone who is interested in community service and making new friends is invited to join them. For more information on the club and how you can get involved, contact Barbara Lapsley at 305-978-5446 or email her at barbalaps@bellsouth.net. You may also visit www.coralgablesowmansclub.org for more information.
Coral Gables Rotarians recently welcomed returning Ambassadorial Scholar Vanessa Snyder to the club’s August 19 meeting at the Westin Colonnade. With a wonderful power point display, she shared photographs of her year in Oxford, England. It was evident that she took full advantage of this unique opportunity by not only earning a degree, but also participating in activities including rowing. Snyder married shortly before traveling there and was accompanied by her new husband on this great adventure.
Ambassadorial Scholars are funded from the $100 that every Rotarian is encouraged to donate annually. Snyder thanked the Rotarians for their support and also expressed her gratitude to Margarita Tonkinson who helped prepare her for this incredible experience to study aboard.
Speaking of Rotary, golfers should set aside November 4, 2010, 8 a.m., for the 7th Annual Rotary Golf Classic, at The Biltmore Gold Course. Gables Rotarians will be joining golfers that day for their lunch meeting that will be followed by a Golf Ball Drop at 1:30 p.m. Cost for the for the golf event is $150 per person. Golf Ball Drop raffle tickets at $25 each offer an assortment of fabulous prizes with the proceeds going toward the Gates Challenge to eradicate polio worldwide.
The Rotary Club of Coral Gables meets every Thursday at noon at the Westin Colonnade, in Coral Gables. Visiting Rotarians are always welcomed. For more information on the Golf Tournament and more, visit www.coralgablesrotary.org.
Finally, a list of top corporate planners and clients of the Westin Colonnade enjoyed a fabulous party to showcase the facilities. Partnering with vendors, they awed the crowd with everything from awesome ice bars and displays to a fashion show, Zen room and more. The Westin’s new catering director, Jeffrey Chirinos, pulled off a great affair. Westin’s General Manager, Mike Wurster, thanked Chirinos as well as the Westin’s excellent staff, including executive chef, Thomas Russo, and food and beverage director, Jennifer McDonough, for a great event enjoyed by all.
Until next time, keep making each day count.
If you would like to submit information for this column, please send your news via email to gloriagalburns@aol.com.