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The month of March was packed with amazing events beginning with the Villagers Garden Tour on Mar. 8. Five couples opened their outdoor areas so that attendees could walk through and enjoy their magnificent gardens.
Tour chair Carmen Diaz-Padron and co-chair Molly Gail Kiely were most grateful to those who welcomed the crowds to their properties that day including Eddy and Sisi Arazoza, Wirth and Kirsten Munroe, Daniel and Carolina Bustamante, Roger and Mariela Tovar, and Jon and Judy Zeder.
For this writer, the fun began at Christ the King Lutheran Church at the boutique where an assortment of lovely jewelry, handcrafts, baked goods and orchids were on sale. As always on these tours, running into old friends and the magnificent gardens make it so special.
Paws4you’s “Mardi Paws” event was held the night of Mar. 8, another very successful fundraiser where doggies were also on hand for adoption. As the name suggests, you can bet it was a colorful, fun and entertaining evening.
The affair featured great entertainment including a silent and live auction, music, dancing, casino games and a gourmet dinner all held at the beautiful Cruz Building in Coconut Grove.
Among those in the crowd were Paws4you founder and CEO Carol Caridad; Zoo Miami’s Ron Magill with his wife, Rita; Ben Mollere, of Baptist Hospital, and wife, Marcia Mollere, of Ritz Carlton.
The fourth annual Friends of the Everglades Marjory Stoneman Douglas Legacy Celebration will be held on Friday, Apr. 4, and returns again to The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables,. The event, co-chaired by Christian Armstrong and Milda Vaivada, will be emceed by Zoo Miami’s Ron Magill, certainly an appropriate choice for this prestigious event.
The theme, “Our Two National Treasures: Clyde Butcher and America’s Everglades” will feature internationally renowned, large-scale black-and-white photographer Clyde Butcher who will be attending with his family. Butcher is the recipient of the 2022 National Medal of Arts Award, an honor conferred last fall at a special White House ceremony with the President and First Lady.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Defender of the Everglades Award is presented to an environmental advocate who has “contributed to and exemplifies the legacy and fighting spirit of our founder.” Richard Grosso, whose practice is dedicated to supporting environmental sustainability and restoration and the protection of ecosystems and communities, is this year’s recipient.
Presenting sponsors are The Kiplinger Family Foundation and The James and Sallye Jude Charitable Fund. Sponsorships and table reservations are available by contacting Scott Brown, director of development at 305-669-0858 or 804-461-8830, or visit www.everglades.org/msdlc25/. To learn how Friends of the Everglades is making an impact on the environment, please visit www.everglades.org.
On Apr. 5, the Coral Gables Woman’s Club once again will hold their 10th annual Children’s Festival. This is a free event offering children a day of educational and interactive fun experiences at the club’s historic clubhouse at 1001-9 East Ponce de Leon Blvd in Coral Gables.
The event is chaired by Athena Atkinson who has amassed a good number of businesses and organizations who will provide activities for the day as well as lots of goodies and resources. The fun begins at 11 a.m. and runs through 2 p.m. with popcorn, food, drinks, and lots of entertaining activities like a sensory lab by Crystal Academy. They will even be a STEM lab that will have a 3D printer to make a toy, a no-bake cooking class, careers centers, a yoga, ballet, and tae-kwon-do classes for kids, a police canine demo, and more.
For the flyer, visit Eventbrite/children’s festival.
This busy Coral Gables Woman’s Club is also planning its annual Mother’s Day Tea, chaired by Carmen Suarez, set for May 10. Save that date for the “Passage to India” themed affair that promises lots of delectable food by R Catering and spectacular photo ops.
In addition, this club hosts monthly charity “Gringo Bingo” fundraisers at Birdie’s Bistro on the Granada Golf Course with emcee Steven Bradley, sales director of Vivo at Dolphin Mall, and celebrity DJ Germain, music director of Iheartradio, providing music. The Feb. 25 event raised more than $1,500 with a portion of the proceeds directed to The Women Voice Network (WVN).
For those not familiar with the Women Voice Network, it is a non-profit doing amazing outreach to economically empower women who are victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. WVN was founded by an amazing cyber security businesswoman, Iris Garcia. For just a $50 donation, you can help a survivor of domestic violence or human trafficking take a Life Management & Organizational Skills Class to gain essential skills for building a brighter future. Your contribution will provide them with the tools they need to balance work, life, and career growth. For more info, visit www.womenvoicenetwork.com.
As for Gringo Bingo, the Mar. 25 charity event was another success and plans are underway for Apr. 22, 7-9 p.m., with registration starting at 6:30 p.m. at Birdie’s Bistro. For more information or to RSVP, email gloria@cnews.net.
Speaking of CGWC, club board member Iris Segui recently was honored by Profit Inc., one of Miami-Dade County’s oldest business networking groups, for bringing in the most prospective and new members over the last month. Profit president Carlos Ribero, who also serves as president of the Greater Kendall Business Association, made the presentation during a recent meeting at 94th Aero Squadron where that Profit Inc. meets the first Thursday of every month.
It was my pleasure to have as a guest on the Mar. 18 Gloria’s Gab LIVE show, FRC’s community relations director Idania Lemus who spoke of the non-profit’s mission and its upcoming annual “Art from the Heart” fundraiser to be held on Apr. 26 at Mana Wynwood.
Guests will have a chance to bid on more than 100 pieces of art and meet some of the artists while enjoying a Bacardi open bar, great food and entertainment throughout the evening. Tickets are $100 and may be purchased online at www.frcflorida.org.
In other art news, South Florida PBS’s Da Vinci Immersive Art Experience runs through Apr. 28, at their studio in Boyton Beach. There are just a few thousand tickets left as of this writing, so, book the event now to secure your spot at www.southfloridapbs/event.
Here are some other events to mark on your calendar:
Apr. 4 – 4th Annual Friends of the Everglades Marjory Stoneman Douglas Legacy Celebration The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, FL.
Apr. 5 – Coral Gables Woman’s Club’s Annual Children’s Festival – 1001-9 E. Ponce de Leon Blvd., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free admission.
May 10 – Coral Gables Woman’s Club Mother’s Day Tea/Tickets $150 per person. For info visit www.gfwccoralgableswomansclub.org.
May 16 – Eighth annual Tee Off for a Cause Charity Golf Tournament at Red Tiger Golf Course. Call 305-882-1305, ext. 104, or email to safehaven@asafehavenfornewborns.com.
May 16 – United HomeCare’s 30th annual Claude Pepper Awards Luncheon, 11 a.m., at The Pullman Hotel.
June 28 – Coral Gables Woman’s Club fundraiser – Cruise on MSC World America for 7 nights/8 days from $959. For more info, call 954-900-5942 or visit www.HappeningOutTravel/CGWC/.
In closing, remember to count your blessings, share a kind word and a smile, and make a difference.
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