Local Rotarians donned their finest flannels, cowboy hats, and boots earlier this month at the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach’s “Bourbon and Boots”-themed fundraiser.
Hosted virtually and in small groups throughout Ponte Vedra, the club’s annual Mineral City Celebration raised support for several First Coast charities, including the MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation. The founder of the nonprofit, tennis great MaliVai Washington, was also the recipient of the club’s “Rock of the Community” award.
“We are honored to support this tremendous role model for our First Coast youth,” said Sam Hall, president of the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach. “His foundation’s mission to support at-risk youth and develop champions in classrooms, on tennis courts, and throughout communities is commendable. We are proud to contribute to his team’s efforts.”
The club also honored Tabitha Furyk, cofounder of the Jim and Tabitha Furyk Foundation and the Rotary’s 2020 Rock of the Community award recipient. Due to the pandemic, the club was unable to hold its Mineral City Celebration and honor Furyk in 2020. However, the club still directed support toward Furyk’s charity of choice, Alex’s Dragonfly Coalition, which strives to destigmatize and raise awareness about mental health.
The Ponte Vedra Beach Rotary Foundation has distributed $1.5 million to area nonprofits. Some previous beneficiaries of the foundation include Beaches Habitat for Humanity, BEAM, Betty Griffin Center, Bright Holidays, Community Hospice, Vision Is Priceless and Council on Aging, among several others.
In addition to honoring these community figures and supporting local charities, the Rotary fundraiser featured line dancing lessons from Dance Alday, music by Nashville-based country trio Brassfield, stand-up by comedian Johnny Mac, a silent auction and trivia. The event was emceed by Rotarian Wayne Gordon.
“The past year has been challenging, and I’m so proud of our club for its perseverance in organizing this event and supporting the community,” said Lori Anderson, event chair and president-elect of the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach. “We couldn’t have done it without our sponsors, so I extend my deepest gratitude to them. And I thank everyone for rallying together to host an event that was fun, safe and impactful.”
The fundraiser’s top sponsors were the PARC Group and the Carn Family Foundation. Other corporate sponsors included Berry & Co. Real Estate, Vicar’s Landing, Baptist Medical Center Beaches, ATP, BKS Partners, Aegis Pension Services, Pivot CPAs and KFA Search. Nine Rotarians in the club also served as sponsors of the event.
