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Community Cooperative and co-sponsor FineMark National Bank & Trust will be hosting its popular fall annual fundraiser, Becoming Cosmopolitan: “Gone Country,” on Thursday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. at The Ranch Concert Hall in Fort Myers. Due to the pandemic, the 2020 Becoming Cosmopolitan event was canceled, even as the community’s need for food and [...]
Unmasking the Epidemic, a free virtual event by Kids’ Minds Matter, educated the Southwest Florida community of the alarming pediatric mental health crisis faced by children and families today, while also providing the resources currently available in the region for those seeking help. The event, which featured personal stories from parents and child advocates, testimonials [...]
Community Cooperative is asking businesses and the community to help support a Peanut Butter & Jelly collection drive through April 21. Peanut butter and jelly are some of the most frequently requested items at mobile food pantries because it is kid-friendly, shelf-stable, and protein-rich. Community Cooperative will be gathering supplies to keep shelves stocked all [...]
Pace Center for Girls, Lee County has announced the sponsors of its virtual 2021 Grande Dames Tea on March 11, when Pace will honor three local women – Naomi Bloom, Mariel Goss and Robin Krivanek – for their significant impact on the community. The 13th annual event is presented by the Gunterberg Charitable Foundation and [...]
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s annual fundraising event, Magic Under the Mangroves, brought in $1.4 million to support the Conservancy’s longstanding mission of protecting the water, land, wildlife and future in Southwest Florida. This year’s event, themed “The Magic Hour,” was chaired by Katrina Lundmark-Kash with Carol Walter serving as vice-chair. Held virtually this year [...]
Cypress Lake Golf Club has installed and dedicated a “Pop Art” painting of Hall of Fame golfer Patty Berg, a worldwide ambassador for golf and a longtime club member. Mixed media artist Christopher “CR” Obetz created a one-of-a-kind, three-dimensional “Pop Art” assemblage celebrating Berg’s achievements on and off the golf course. Patty Berg – Anchored [...]
Dress for Success SW Florida will be hosting a two-day shopping event, Shop for Success, on Friday, Feb. 12 and Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Crowne Plaza Fort Myers at Bell Tower, 13051 Bell Tower Drive. VIP tickets start at $50, offering exclusive early shopping opportunities. General admission is free on Feb. 13 from 10 [...]
The 18th annual Sam Galloway, Jr. & Friends Soup Kitchen Benefit for Community Cooperative will be held May 6 at the service garages of Sam Galloway Ford in Fort Myers. The evening features a southern-style dinner prepared by local restaurants and businesses as guests raise much-needed funds to support those struggling with hunger and homelessness. [...]
Guadalupe Center’s Circtacular, a circus-themed virtual fundraising extravaganza, raised more than $950,000 to support the nonprofit’s mission of breaking the cycle of poverty through education for the children of Immokalee. Livestreamed on Jan. 21 under the virtual big top, Circtacular was filled with special effects, comedic performances, compelling videos, heartfelt testimonials and traditional circus acts, [...]
Lee BIA Builders Care, the nonprofit charitable arm of the Lee Building Industry Association (BIA), has received a $12,600 donation from Aubuchon Team of Companies. The impactful donation is a result of funds raised through Aubuchon Team of Companies’ annual fundraising event, “Helping Hands for the Holidays,” which was held virtually this year. The donation [...]
Fundraiser to support scholarships for non-traditional students The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business Committee will host its annual “Sweethearts and Scholarships Wine & Dessert Auction” fundraiser from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 3. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a chance drawing for a variety of wine, [...]
The Guardian ad Litem Foundation, 20th Judicial Circuit, raised $66,800 at its inaugural Voices of Hope Gala, a virtual event that included passionate testimonials from volunteer child advocates and longtime supporters. Proceeds will help the Guardian ad Litem Foundation recruit, train and support volunteer child advocates, as well as provide financial assistance to help meet [...]
Community members wanting to enhance education and create endless possibilities for students in Immokalee still have an opportunity to purchase tickets for Guadalupe Center’s Circtacular fundraising extravaganza. The Jan. 21 virtual event will be livestreamed and help generate proceeds to support Guadalupe Center’s three educational programs: the nationally accredited Early Childhood Education Program, After-school Tutoring [...]
Sunshine Ace Hardware raised $95,000 for two local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida in Fort Myers and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, through a series of successful fundraising campaigns in 2020. The locally owned company has supported Children’s Miracle Network for many years, but for 2020, Sunshine [...]
NAMI Collier County has announced sponsorships for its 19th annual awareness walk, Hope Shines, to be held Jan. 30. The annual walk will be from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at Baker Park in Naples and will include free food, fun and entertainment for participants. The outdoor scenic walk provides an in-person, socially distanced event to [...]
The show must go on, and Guadalupe Center’s Circtacular, a virtual fundraising extravaganza set for Jan. 21, already has kicked off with its popular Jump Up for Education. The Jump Up for Education is traditionally the highlight of Guadalupe Center’s annual fundraising gala, a lively, interactive drive to generate support that funds lifechanging education programs [...]
The Preserve, a skilled nursing and assisted living community in South Fort Myers, is collecting unwrapped toys for area children on behalf of the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation. Drive-thru donations will be held Wednesday, Dec. 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Friday, Dec. 18 from 2 to 6 p.m. Donations [...]
An annual holiday program that provides gifts to children in foster care is short on donations, and organizers are asking for community support so children will have a memorable Christmas. “Because of the pandemic, we’ve switched to an online donation portal, which makes it easy to shop and donate online, but doesn’t create the same [...]
For the 14th year, Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, P.A. offices are collecting toys to be distributed by the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation. Toys will be collected until Dec. 15, when they will be picked up and distributed by Toys for Tots to approved local social welfare agencies, church groups and [...]
Guadalupe Center has announced five circus-themed sponsorship opportunities for Circtacular, a livestreamed fundraising extravaganza to be held under the virtual big top on Jan. 21. The virtual event will be streamed to an audience of philanthropists, business and community leaders, entrepreneurs and educators across Southwest Florida and beyond. Proceeds from Circtacular will support Guadalupe Center’s [...]
Pace Center for Girls, Lee County will host its first Love That Dress! Virtual Holiday Auction on Dec. 7-11, offering an expansive selection of high-end packages, products and experiences up for bid to support Pace programs. Each year, generous donors provide dozens of silent auction packages to feature at Pace’s Love That Dress! shopping extravaganza. [...]
The Clark Family Foundation also grants $100,000; community support is still needed The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation has issued a $200,000 challenge grant to build a pediatric hematology and oncology infusion clinic in Naples. The Clark Family Foundation has stepped up to meet the match by donating $100,000. An additional $100,000 is still needed [...]
Better Together, a voluntary, community-driven alternative to foster care, is seeking donations for HopePacks to provide basic hygiene, toiletry and other necessities for children participating in the Better Families program. Since March and the onset of COVID-19, the nonprofit organization has seen a 155% increase in the number of requests for help due to the [...]
Community Cooperative is asking partners and supporters to step up to provide meals and gifts to families and the homebound elderly for its annual Full Plates Project and Holiday Outreach programs. The drives to provide food and gifts to community members in need is especially critical this year as many people are still struggling with [...]
More than 100 anglers and fishing guides participated in 44 teams in the Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s 27th annual RedSnook Catch & Release Charity Fishing Tournament Oct. 24 and 25. The tournament benefits the Conservancy’s commitment to water quality protection, as well as preservation and enhancement of local fisheries. This year’s event was co-chaired by [...]
Lee BIA Builders Care has announced its fourth annual Charity Clay Shoot, to be held on Friday, Dec. 4 in Punta Gorda. The tournament offers individual shooters and shooting teams an opportunity to navigate a multi-station interactive course while completing specialty challenges and competing for prizes. The event is a signature fundraiser for Lee BIA [...]
The 13th annual Bricks & Sticks Fishing Tournament, hosted by the Lee Building Industry Association, raised more than $16,000 for Lee BIA Builders Care. Held in September at the South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island, the fishing tournament featured a live auction to raise funds for Lee BIA Builders Care. The donations will support [...]
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, prepare to be amazed at Circtacular, Guadalupe Center’s circus-themed virtual event to be livestreamed on Jan. 21. In 2021, Guadalupe Center’s signature fundraising gala will be a circus-themed virtual extravaganza featuring an interactive livestreaming experience that captures the excitement and energy of the circus. Rather [...]
Pace Center for Girls, Lee County’s virtual dress collection, #MakeSpaceForPace, has raised a record number of fashion-forward apparel for its Love That Dress! shopping event. Initially scheduled for fall 2020, Love That Dress! will now take place in 2021, with a new date to be announced. The #MakeSpaceForPace campaign encouraged the community to clean [...]
Better Together has been selected as a participant in the A Community Thrives campaign, a grantmaking and crowdfunding program funded by the Gannett Foundation, which invests in community-building initiatives across the country related to education, arts and culture, wellness and other positive local nonprofit initiatives. Better Together is a voluntary, community-driven alternative to foster care [...]
Stefanie Edwards, chief development and operating officer of Community Cooperative, was recently awarded her Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) Certification, showing professional achievement and commitment to fundraising. The credentials are awarded based on work experience, continuing education and passing an exam. Each CFRE recipient signs an ethics agreement. Founded in 2001, CFRE International is an [...]
Sunshine Ace Hardware raised more than $37,000 for two Children’s Miracle Network hospitals on Florida’s west coast through the company’s “Round up at the Registers” summer campaign. From July 1 through Aug. 31, Sunshine Ace customers were able to make donations and round up their purchases at the register to support Children’s Miracle Network. Between [...]
Duane Chaney, financial advisor at Raymond James in Fort Myers, is one of three national finalists for the Community Service Award as part of the 14th Annual Invest in Others Awards. Chaney is being honored for founding Madisen’s Match, a tennis tournament benefiting Barbara’s Friends, Golisano Children’s Hospital cancer fund. Madisen’s Match has raised more [...]
The Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business Committee will host an afternoon of fun and networking with virtual BINGO at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 2. Guests from across the region are invited to play for a chance to win special prizes, and all proceeds will benefit the Women in Business Scholarship [...]
Dress for Success SW Florida (DFSSWFL) will be hosting “A REcycled Night in Black and White” to raise funds to empower disadvantaged women in Lee, Collier and Hendry counties. A virtual event, A REcycled Night is scheduled to stream live on Thursday, Oct. 15 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. so that supporters can watch it [...]
Fort Myers Brewing Company is introducing Adyn Strong, a new light and refreshing German Pilsner brewed for a special cause. “Fort Myers Brewing fans likely remember our friend Adyn Pickett, the Cape Coral boy who is fighting leukemia,” said Jen Whyte, co-owner of Fort Myers Brewing Company. “Last year, we hosted a silent auction and [...]
Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida, Inc. is pleased to announce it has received a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Collier County. These funds will support vital Junior Achievement educational programs that provide students lessons on career/work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills. These funds invest in the infrastructure of the organization, to build [...]
Guadalupe Center has launched its 28th annual Back-to-School Shoes & Supplies Drive to provide students with new sneakers and school supplies as the 2020-21 academic year begins. The nonprofit is collecting new notebooks, writing utensils, art supplies and other classroom items, as well as monetary donations, that will ensure students are prepared for success when [...]
In preparation for back to school, TwinCutZ is hosting its annual free haircut day for students on Sunday, Aug. 30 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at all five Southwest Florida locations. In addition to complimentary haircuts, TwinCutZ is also gifting every student a free backpack. Additionally, TwinCutZ is donating backpacks to Community Cooperative, and [...]
In honor of National Kissing Day, Advanced Aesthetic Solutions will host Cosmos & Kisses on Monday, July 6, a donation and supply drive to benefit the Cape Coral Animal Shelter. The Cape Coral Animal Shelter – a nonprofit, no-kill animal shelter providing adoption services, medical care, education and training – is in need of supplies [...]
Sunshine Ace Hardware is launching a new summer campaign to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals that provide medical care for youth along Florida’s west coast. From July 1 to 31, customers at Sunshine Ace stores can make donations at the register to support Children’s Miracle Network. Then from July 31 to Aug. 2, [...]
Bank of America Charitable Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant to support students in Guadalupe Center’s three educational programs. Guadalupe Center serves 1,400 students annually through its nationally accredited Early Childhood Education Program, After-school Tutoring & Summer Enrichment Program and college-preparatory Tutor Corps Program. The nonprofit recently announced expansion plans that will allow it to [...]
John R. Wood Properties has sponsored an episode of GiverTV, a new interactive video series by Charity for Change, the Collier County nonprofit behind the classroom-based Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Giver Program. The sponsored episode, “Kindness, Giving & Gratitude,” focuses on how these three traits can help children achieve their full potential. The video features the [...]
Customers at Sunshine Ace Hardware and Crowder Bros. Ace Hardware teamed up to raise more than $25,000 for local Children’s Miracle Network hospitals through the “Round Up for the Kids” charitable campaign. Between March 16 and April 30, customers were given the option of rounding up their purchases at the cash register through a new [...]
Spring may have looked a little different for us, but for wildlife, it was business as usual. And that means baby bird season has arrived! The Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s von Arx Wildlife Hospital, which treats injured, sick and orphaned animals, is hosting a virtual Wildlife Hospital Baby Shower on Saturday, June 6 to help [...]
Fort Myers Brewing Company hosted “Gateway CAN do it: Food Drive Rally” and collected 3,000 pounds of food and raised more than $1,400 for Community Cooperative Thursday, April 30. The donations of food and money is enough to feed approximately 525 people for a week. Another drive-thru food drive is planned at Fort Myers [...]
Pace Center for Girls, Lee County is gearing up for its annual Love That Dress! shopping event with a virtual dress collection that encourages the community to #MakeSpaceForPace. To help build an expansive inventory of fashion-forward apparel for the highly-anticipated Love That Dress! event, Pace is inviting Southwest Floridians to clean out their closets for [...]
Cypress Lake Golf Club’s four-day Drive Out Hunger Challenge raised $20,000 to help Harry Chapin Food Bank provide healthy meals to Southwest Florida families. Held April 22-25, participating club members pledged a specific dollar amount for every stroke during their round of golf, making donations by cash or check after 18 holes. Director of Golf [...]
Fort Myers Brewing Company is hosting “Gateway CAN do it: Food Drive Rally” to collect food and financial donations for Community Cooperative during drive-thru, take-out beer order hours Thursday, April 30 from 3 to 7 p.m. With the need to feed local families and seniors more than doubling, Community Cooperative is working throughout Lee County [...]
Sunshine Ace Hardware has continued its tradition of supporting nonprofits through its annual Big Green EGGFest, even though COVID-19 forced the cancellation of this year’s event. Slated for April 4 at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs, Sunshine Ace Hardware quickly pivoted after Florida issued a “Safer at Home” order. A Virtual EGGFest, held on the [...]
