Feeling groovy at 70, the Junior Orange Bowl recently celebrated the milestone year with the unveiling of its 70th annual parade theme, “Boogie Wonderland.”
Members and guests gathered at AmTrust Bank with Parade co-chair Don Slesnick III, JOBC president Frandley DeFile, Jobie and the Junior Orange Bowl Royal Court revealing theme for the parade and paying homage to its 70 years with a 1970s disco theme.
Slesnick said he is looking forward to this year’s parade that also will showcase the beautifully completed streetscape on Miracle Mile.
Celebrated the Sunday following Thanksgiving, Dec. 2, this festive event is a perfect way to begin the holiday season. Parade units consisting of floats, bands and more will pass along Miracle Mile through Downtown Coral Gables, the host city of the Junior Orange Bowl. While there is a charge for grandstand seating in front of City Hall, the parade route is free to all. Families typically line the streets to enjoy the parade antics, music and entertainment.
The Junior Orange Bowl Festival, including the parade, was created to showcase our youth and is made possible through the sustained support of its festival sponsors: the Orange Bowl Foundation, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, City of Coral Gables and Miami-Dade County.
Those interested in more information can visit jrorangebowl.org. For the parade specifically, send email to parade@jrorangebowl.org for participation or sponsorship information. For all other information, contact JOBC executive director Alex Markel at amarkel@jrorangebowl.org or 305-662-1210.
In other news, dozens of members from Rotary International District 6990 — many from of the Coral Gables, Miami, Key Biscayne and Brickell — gathered with some 25,000 Rotarians from all over the world for Rotary International’s annual convention, June 23-27, in Toronto, Canada. Among the impressive list of speakers were RI’s president Ian Riseley, The UK’s Princess Anne, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and former First Lady Laura Bush, to mention a few. They addressed issues such as healthcare, Polio Plus, literacy and bringing clean water to parts of the world. Having clean water and sanitation in schools enables children — especially girls — to attend and bringing water to villages can help create peace and avoid conflicts.
It goes without saying that everyone who attended left with a sense of mission and were inspired by many of the speakers who were working to help make a positive impact through Rotary.
District 6990 Governor Alan Cohn and District Governor-Elect Ray Williams were on hand with a large contingent from South Florida including Peter Verbeeck, Helene Dudley, Karen Vassell, Ellen Blasi, Yolanda Woodbridge, Susan Fornaris, Carol Alexander, Carol Brock, Michael and Maria Kesti, Elihu and Lee Phares, Ellen and Mike Book, Mike Stafford, Dave Skinner, David Jacobs, Linda Singer, Nanette Carmody, Richard Bates, Katherine Jeffries, Susan and Robin Shelley, among others. Next year’s convention will be in Hamburg, Germany and folks are already registering.
As summer speeds by, fall event are in the planning stages and here are some dates to save. On Sept. 22, during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital is planning the St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer to take place at the Miami-Dade County Fair & Expo Center in Tamiami Park. Get your team together early at stjude.org/walkrun or contact Jessica Cerda at 305 537-1422/ jess.cerda@stjude.org.
A Safe Haven for Newborns is planning its eighth annual A Wonderland in Safe Haven Gala on Saturday, Oct. 20, 7 p.m., at the Intercontinental Hotel in Downtown Miami, 100 Chopin Plaza.
For information on sponsorship or tickets, visit www.asafehavenfornewborns.org.
Thus far, the organization has helped save from abandonment, and possible death, more than 282 babies. Kudos to founder Nick Silverio and the many volunteers that work countless hours to help raise funds in order to help pregnant women and save the lives of so many infants.
