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The Florida Blue Foundation, the philanthropic affiliate of Florida Blue, is proud to announce the nine finalists for the 2025 Sapphire Awards, recognizing outstanding programs, organizations, and individuals making a significant impact in community health across Florida.
At its annual Community Health Symposium and Sapphire Awards on May 1 in Orlando, the Florida Blue Foundation announced the winners who will share $525,000 to continue their local impact work. This year’s symposium theme highlighted the power of technology, innovation, and AI in improving health outcomes for many in the state.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Sapphire Awards and recognize the outstanding contributions of these programs, organizations and individuals,” said Florida Blue Foundation Executive Director, Susan Towler. “Each of the honorees is dedicated to innovation that improves the lives of Floridians, and we are honored to support their inspiring work.”
Below are the programs that were honored:
- The Family Navigator program, led by Alzheimer’s Community Care (West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County) provides a lifeline of support, tools, and resources to family caregivers, empowering them to care for their loved ones at home. The program has served 3, 846 patients and caregivers and has achieved an 85% success rate. The Family Navigator program received a first-place award and $100,000. Watch their video.
- The Coping Academy program, led by Tomorrow’s Rainbow (Coconut Creek, Broward County), brings hope to grieving children through free, equine-assisted bereavement support. This innovative program takes therapy on the road, reaching those with limited access to mental health services. The program was honored with a second-place award and $50,000. Watch their video.
- The Fund-A-Child program, led by Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center, (Jacksonville, Duval County), provides free, life-changing communication services to uninsured and underinsured children. Since 2019, 378 children have received 2,552 speech therapy sessions through this program, which received a third-place award and $25,000. Watch their video.
Below are the organizations that were honored:
- Family Promise of Brevard (Cocoa, Brevard County) helps in the fight against family homelessness. By integrating housing, health care, education, and economic support, they’ve proudly watched 96% of families exit their programs, while remaining in stable housing. The organization received a first-place award and $100,000. Watch their video.
- All Faiths Food Bank (Sarasota, Sarasota County) serves 18 million meals annually, driving long-term solutions for food security, health, and self-sufficiency. Innovative programs like Food as Medicine and Childhood Hunger tackle the root causes of hunger, empowering individuals and families to thrive. The organization received a second-place award and $50,000. Watch their video.
- Tampa Family Health Centers (Tampa, Hillsborough County) provides comprehensive health care services and support, addressing social determinants of health through programs such as food assistance and housing referrals. The organization received a third-place award and $25,000. Watch their video.
Below are the individuals who were honored:
- Cliff Barsi of Metropolitan Ministries (Tampa, Hillsborough County) is a trailblazer in the fight against hunger, serving over 1 million hot meals annually to those in need. Barsi’s commitment and use of social enterprise programming ensures that the most vulnerable have access to food, addressing the root causes of poverty and homelessness. He received a first-place award and $100,000, which will be directed toward his work at Metropolitan Ministries. Watch his video.
- Lisa Early, with the Families, Parks, and Recreation Department for the City of Orlando (Orlando, Orange County), has dedicated her career to improving the lives of children. Prior to overseeing city parks, neighborhood centers, and youth programs for the City of Orlando, Early spent decades abroad with Save the Children, UNICEF, and USAID. Early was honored with a second-place award and $50,000, which will be directed to the Orlando Community & Youth Trust. Watch her video.
- Cindy Funkhouser, president and CEO of Sulzbacher (Jacksonville, Duval County), is leading efforts to revolutionize homeless services. By shifting the focus from treatment to eradication, Funkhouser has helped expand Sulzbacher’s footprint and approach by addressing all aspects of homelessness, including housing, income and health care. Funkhouser was honored with a third-place award and $25,000, which will be directed to Sulzbacher. Watch her video.
Florida Blue established the Florida Blue Foundation 25 years ago and introduced the Sapphire Awards in 2005 to recognize excellence and innovation in community health, leadership, and programs across Florida. Since then, the Foundation has presented 157 Sapphire Awards, totaling more than $8 million towards community support and impact.
This year’s symposium, a two-day event, focused on “Transforming the Future of Health,” featured 50 renowned experts, practitioners, and innovators, including keynote speaker Dr. Abraham Verghese, a practicing physician, Stanford University professor, and award-winning author.
Educational sessions and panel discussions explored key issues in community health, including balancing technological innovation with human connection, unlocking the power of generational insights, and creating a powerful advocacy platform. This year’s event attracted over 600 people from the health care, government, higher education, and nonprofit sectors.
To learn more about the Florida Blue Foundation’s impact on communities across the state, read GuideWell’s latest impact report.
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About Florida Blue Foundation
Florida Blue Foundation enables healthy communities by making grants, building coalitions, and embracing solutions that create a meaningful impact in communities across the state. An average of 10 million Floridians receive services each year as a result of its community investments. Founded in 2001, Florida Blue Foundation is committed to improving health by impacting food security, advancing mental well-being, growing healthy communities, and addressing health disparities. Florida Blue Foundation is a trade name of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Foundation, Inc., an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, please visit www.FloridaBlueFoundation.com.
About Florida Blue
Florida Blue, the leading health insurer in Florida, has been providing health solutions to residents of Florida for nearly 80 years. Driven by its mission of helping people and communities achieve better health, the company serves more than five million members and all 67 Florida counties. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., with nearly 8,900 employees, it is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
For additional information visit www.FloridaBlue.com. For the latest news and content, visit the Florida Blue Newsroom, and follow Florida Blue on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram @Florida.Blue; and X (formerly Twitter) @FLBlue.
