Ponte Vedra resident to host wellness event benefiting Volunteers in Medicine

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Ponte Vedra resident Shelley Morgan is organizing a fun and educational wellness fundraiser that will ultimately benefit Jacksonville nonprofit organization Volunteers in Medicine.

To be held Saturday, June 9 at the Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach, “Heart to Heart” will feature a panel of medical experts, a presentation on diet and nutrition, yoga, chair massages, charcoal painting, makeovers with Sephora, a silent auction and more. Tickets for the event, which will be held from 9 a.m. to noon, cost $20.

“I’m most excited about bringing people together … throughout the Beaches and Jacksonville so they can become more familiar with Volunteers in Medicine,” said Morgan. “That’s my goal, to bring awareness to what they do.”

Volunteers in Medicine is a free healthcare clinic in Jacksonville that serves Northeast Florida’s working, low-income and uninsured individuals and families. For the second straight year, the organization is celebrating a group of local women, known as “Women With Heart,” for their leadership, advocacy and generosity in the community. As part of the recognition, each woman agrees to serve as an ambassador for Volunteers in Medicine during a month in which they advocate and fundraise for the nonprofit. Morgan is the organization’s “Woman With Heart” for June.

“It’s a great service (Volunteers in Medicine) offered for our community, for people who are out there working, making a living but cannot afford medical health insurance,” said Morgan. “These are people you meet every day. … They’re people who are working to support their family, but the missing link that they can’t afford is the healthcare.”

Joining Morgan for the June 9 event will be 2017 “Woman With Heart” honoree Aimee Boggs, who last year held a yoga fundraiser for Volunteers in Medicine at the TPC Clubhouse. Boggs will again lead a yoga session at this year’s fundraiser.

The panel will include Dr. Pamela Rama, a cardiologist; Dr. C.W. Randolph, an expert in the fields of hormone health and optimal aging medicine; and Dr. Shreena Patel, an orthodontist. Following their discussion, Mayo Clinic registered dietician and nutritionist Elizabeth Bailey will provide her expertise.

In addition, Bacardi is providing bubbly for a special toast to the summer season, and several vendors are providing gift baskets that guests can bid on. Interested guests should RSVP to Morgan by texting her at (904) 612-8484. All proceeds from the event will benefit Volunteers in Medicine.

“Anyone and everyone is welcome,” said Morgan. “It’s going to be something for everyone.”