The Beaches Museum will host its 13th annual Beach Legends Gala, on Friday, Sept. 18, at the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse. Recognizing that tomorrow’s history is being made today, the highlight of the evening is the annual awards presentation honoring local, well-known contemporary individuals as Beach Legends.
The fun begins at 6:30 p.m. with cocktail hour and silent auction, followed by a seated dinner to recognize the 2026 honorees and conduct a live auction. This annual gala is the Beaches Museum’s largest fundraising event. Sponsorships are needed to ensure the success of this year’s gala. Proceeds will go toward the museum’s educational programs and operational needs.
Since its first meeting on Feb. 22, 1978, the Beaches Museum has worked to “build a future for our past.”
For tickets, go to:
https://events.readysetauction.com/beachesmuseum/2026beachlegends/shop/tickets
Meet the Beaches Legends
This year’s honorees are:
Bill Longenecker, a longtime surfer and respected figure in the Jacksonville Beach and Neptune Beach communities. Living for decades near A1A in the same family home purchased by his father in the early 1950s, he has maintained deep ties to the Beaches and its surfing culture.
Beginning in 1984, Longenecker became one of Florida’s longest running daily surf reporters, providing phone-in surf reports for local surf shops, including Hixon’s and later Sunrise Surf Shops. For more than 40 years, surfers throughout Northeast Florida relied on his surf and weather updates.
Longenecker was also a gifted science teacher and a columnist for local newspapers for 40 years. As a trained paramedic, he worked in area hospitals for 25 years, assisting ER doctors and nurses. He still volunteers at Baptist Medical Center — Beaches.
Karen Wolfson is a longtime educator, volunteer and civic leader whose service to Northeast Florida has spanned more than 50 years. A former Girl Scout, her career in education included four years at her alma mater, Fletcher High School, and as a full-time professor at Florida Community College at Jacksonville.
Since 1985, Wolfson has been a dedicated advocate for Wolfson Children’s Hospital, serving 26 years on its board of directors and as president of the hospital’s Women’s Board. Her commitment to the community’s children is exemplified by her founding Back to School with BEAM.
For these and many more reasons, Wolfson has become one of the Beaches community’s most respected civic leaders.
Proctor Ace Hardware, founded in 1936, is a fourth-generation, family-owned business with longstanding roots in Northeast Florida. Operating three Jacksonville-area locations, the company has earned a reputation for exceptional customer service, innovative retail practices and steady growth over nearly 90 years.
Led by members of the Proctor family, including Steve, Joe and Lizz Proctor, the business has remained deeply committed to community involvement alongside its commercial success.
Proctor Ace Hardware supports numerous local initiatives, including Habitat for Humanity, community gardens, youth sports programs and regional charitable campaigns.
The company has also emphasized environmentally responsible business practices and neighborhood engagement. Through a balance of tradition and innovation, Proctor Ace Hardware remains a trusted retailer and an active community partner for the Beaches area and beyond.
