When officials at local nonprofit Vision is Priceless learned the organization had been selected as the lead beneficiary of the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach’s annual Mineral City Celebration charity benefit, they gratefully expected to receive a modest donation.
What they didn’t expect was to receive a phone call inviting them to visit the club to pick up a check for $35,000.
“That may not seem like a lot of money to some people, but for a small nonprofit like ours, it’s huge,” Executive Director Jami Bueker told Rotarians July 18 when she and other VIP officials accepted the donation. “This will make such a difference to our work.”
Rotary Club President Vickie Cavey explained that Vision is Priceless – which provides access to vision care for the uninsured and underserved – was selected as the lead beneficiary of this year’s Mineral City Celebration by Deane Beman. The former PGA Tour Commissioner was the recipient of the club’s 2019 “Rock of the Community Award” presented each year at the Mineral City Celebration.
“Deane Beman changed the face of Ponte Vedra through the creation of TPC Sawgrass and impacted people around the world through the charitable endeavors of The Players Championship,” Cavey said. “But his heart has always been here in Northeast Florida, and we were so pleased when he selected Vision is Priceless to be this year’s lead beneficiary of the Mineral City Celebration.”
In addition to Vision is Priceless, Cavey noted, approximately two dozen other local nonprofits will receive donations from the proceeds of the Mineral City Celebration, which is held each spring in Ponte Vedra Beach.
