The Interact Club at Coral Gables Senior High School has attracted numerous members passionate about the club and service to the community.
Recently, Coral Gables Rotary past president Yolanda Woodbridge treated Coral Gables Senior High School Interact officers and the club’s graduating seniors to an end-of-year lunch at JohnMartins in Coral Gables.
The Interact Club of Coral Gables High is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Coral Gables and, under the guidance of Margarite De Paola, have become a large and very enthusiastic group of leaders with mutliple people running for office for the coming year. In fact, this club was the first to sign on to sell tickets for the Give Kids the World Breakfast at the Hotel Colonnade this July 25. This will afford incoming club president Alain Perez’s club a good fundraising start for the fall.
In other school news, two local high schools shined at Barry University’s 17th annual Chemistry and Physics Tournament held recently. Coconut Grove’s Ransom Everglades School students were the overall winners in Physics category. In the Chemistry category, students from Miami Palmetto Senior High School brought home top honors. Congratulations to both schools and their students on a fine performance.
In the cultural mix, award-winning author Marcia Fine made several appearances in South Florida recently and was the featured speaker at a lovely afternoon tea at the Coral Gables Woman’s Club on Saturday, Apr. 14, one of many engagements scheduled for her last visit.
A South Florida native who earned her BA from Florida State, Marcia now lives in Arizona where she earned her master’s at Arizona State. She travels here periodically to visit during which time she makes several appearances at civic clubs, synagogues, and more.
A fascinating speaker, Marcia shares experiences she encountered during her research for her seven award winning novels with photos of her travels that educate and entertain her audiences. Marcia’s novels include THE BLIND EYE—A Sephardic Journey; PAPER CHILDREN—An Immigrant’s Legacy, a finalist for three national prizes; PARIS LAMB, dealing with antisemitism in the 1950s, and her most recent, HIDDEN ONES, dealing with the Inquisition in Mexico that won first prizes in the categories of Historical Fiction and Multicultural as well as honorable mention from AZ Authors as well as being a finalist for the International Chaucer Chanticleer Awards.
Among the many enjoying a tea were several members of the Coral Gables Woman’s Club including incoming president, Arely Ruiz; secretary, Valerie Valenzuela, and her mother, Elizabeth; treausrer, Nancy DesMangles; past presidents Barbara Lapsley and Mayra Dominguez, and Dental Clinic director Dr. Iris Torres.
Memorial Day is around the corner and supporting our military always is a top priority for most everyone, Many may be unaware that one way to do that is volunteering and donating to the Armed Forces Service Center at Miami International Airport. In an effort to lend a hand, Greg Barnes, who is president of Mercedes Benz of Coral Gables and Cutler Bay as well as Infinity of Coral Gables, provided a lovely party that included a silent auction all coordinated by Rotarian Mike Kesti, chair of the Armed Forces Services Center Advisory Board. Kesti and wife, Maria, were two of many supporters and volunteers at the affair.
Among the many enjoying the affair were Rotarians and volunteers George Reeves and Yolanda Woodbridge; former Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick; Coral Gables Commissioner Jeannett Slesnick; Carmen Layne-Powers, chair of Chamber South’s Military Affairs Committee; Andrew Sommerlatte, Strategic Analyst Team manager, SouthCom; Carmen Morris, aide for Miami-Dade District 7 Commissioner Xavier L. Suarez, and numerous other veterans and community leaders. In appreciation for hosting the event, Kesti presented Barnes with a beautifully encased American flag.
Finally, another important date to save is May 19, for the fourth annual Marc Jaiden Foundation Gala to benefit programs that include vision screenings, sight restoration, glasses and more for those in need. This year’s event will take place at the Eden Roc Hotel Miami Beach, 6:30 p.m. With the funds from this year’s gala, the foundation will be able to distribute eyewear to the Puerto Rican community and provide vision screenings both in Haiti and at the His House Children’s Home Back-to-School event in Miami.
Tickets are $250 per person and may be purchased at www.marcjaiden.com.
Until next time, keep making each day count.
