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March 31 - April 6, 2017
Habitat CEO Godek To Receive Award
Wellington resident Bernie Godek, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County, has been named as one of six recipients of Northwest Community Consortium’s Illumination Award for 2017. Each year, the consortium honors the efforts of individuals who have improved the quality of life for the residents of the community. Godek will be honored for his distinguished service at the fourth annual Illumination Awards Luncheon on Thursday, April 6 at the West Palm Beach Marriott “As Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County commemorates its 30th year serving this community, we are very proud to be working together with the City of West Palm Beach and the Northwest Community Consortium in helping to revitalize these historic northwest neighborhoods,” Godek said. “The more we help
Bernie Godek families achieve the stability and self-reliance they need to thrive, the stronger and healthier our neighborhoods are.” To learn more about Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County, visit www.habitatpbc.org or call (561) 253-2080.
Ervesun Named Top Young Professional
Gabie Ervesun, supply chain manager at Florida Crystals Corporation, was recently named the top “Young Professional” in the Central Palm Beach County Community Foundation’s Women of Worth Awards. She was selected from a group of five nominees. “This is an incredible honor,” Ervesun said upon receiving the award during a ceremony at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa attended by more than 300 people. “I have always believed that being actively involved in your community not only benefits your friends and neighbors, but the personal rewards are beyond measure. I am grateful to be able to make a difference in my hometown.” Ervesun, who grew up in Wellington, was the 2016 president of the Young Professionals of Wellington, where she spearheaded a partnership with the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club of Wellington to build a community garden to educate kids about agriculture, farm-to-table practices and healthy eating. Ervesun also led YPOW’s Xcelerate Wellington competition that helps put young entrepreneurs on the map. The program invites entrepreneurs to pitch their business
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CANA Foundation Hosts Event In Wellington To Help Wild Horses
On a warm evening in Wellington, an eclectic crowd gathered at Idlewild Furnishings for a highly anticipated event, the CANA Foundation’s second annual “Don’t be Idle… Get Wild!” charity celebration on Feb. 24. The evening was hosted in honor, reverence and support for the value, importance and connection between America’s wild horses, native communities and public rangelands. Guests mixed and mingled with the hosts for the evening: Steve Israel, a 16-year veteran of the U.S. House of Representatives, and renowned actor and activist Moses Brings Plenty. Both work with CANA Foundation and represent the movement to #rewildOurWorld. There are currently more than 50,000 wild horses being held in Bureau of Land Management holding facilities throughout the country. The CANA Foundation works to rewild these horses on native lands. The goal for the evening was to bring a diverse group of people together to understand the importance of freeing wild horses. “I was incredibly impressed by the size and energy of the crowd. My sense was that people came with many different political viewpoints but shared common ground on how senseless it is for the federal government to round up and keep tens of thousands of
horses in captivity,” said Israel, current CNN personality and CANA Foundation special advisor. “Standing next to Mo, and fighting to rescue those horses and rewild them on native lands was a great honor. Now the next step will be to raise the funds to adopt the horses and transport them to native lands.” The evening’s rewilding experience began with a viewing of the foundation’s cinematic-quality video that held interviews of people from different tribal affiliations explaining the spiritual and emotional importance of the horse to them and how America’s wild horse roundups are affecting their nations as a whole. The PSA then transitioned to the world debut of the foundation’s inspirational and visually stunning new music video, “Run Free (Tonight)” by Will Strongheart and Jamie LeRose. Finally, the experience turned truly wild with a Native American dance exhibition by Ravenswing Productions. Guests enjoyed an evening outside the confines of traditional charity benefits. Held at Idlewild Furnishings, fine purveyors of reclaimed and repurposed Indonesian wood, the ambiance held a natural, eco-chic vibe with plush daybeds, lounge chairs and open fire pits. Farm to table cocktails and fare were provided by the Wellington Hospitality Group
(Front row) Patrick Brooks, Will Strongheart, and Moses Brings Plenty; (middle row) Emelie Jeffries, Alyssa Mosley, Judy Fuson and Sara-Ann Brings Plenty; and (back row) Manda Kalimian and Danielle DeVincentis. and guests had the chance to sip on Wölffer Estate Vineyard’s new release of its Finca Wölffer Rosé. Unique silent auction items were on display during the evening including biodynamic Zenbunni chocolate, CWD equestrian tack, Naturally Considerate skincare products, and a wide variety of native jewelry and accessories. The teak walls of the venue were draped in wild horse photography by the award-winning Carol Walker, as well as one-of-a-kind
artwork by renowned contemporary indigenous artist Gregg Deal. All sales for the evening went to support the rewilding initiatives at CANA Foundation. CANA initiatives work toward long-term, sustainable solutions that prevent further land degradation, protect and preserve wild horse populations, and encourage a beneficial, thriving ecosystem for today and tomorrow. For more info., visit www.canafoundation. org.
Douglas Elliman Saddles Up For A Good Cause At WEF
Gabie Ervesun with her award.
Douglas Elliman gave a big leg up to two equestrian charities during its Winter Equestrian Festival Gala on Saturday, March 11 during the $380,000 Douglas Elliman Grand Prix.
ideas and cash flow projections in an attempt to win a $10,000 grant. In addition to her efforts on behalf of YPOW, Ervesun has been committed to other causes throughout her career. She was a member of the board of Business Volunteers Maryland and helped a launch program designed to help young professionals and civic leaders contribute to their communities. Ervesun is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in international business.
The gala evening, hosted by elite equestrians and honorary chairs Georgina Bloomberg and Jimmy Torano, featured a thrilling evening of Grand Prix show jumping, a silent auction with
Jay Phillip Parker, Gus Rubio, Don Langdon, Marc Bellissimo and Dottie Herman.
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vacation packages from around the world, music and entertainment. Proceeds raised benefited Give a Buck for Special Equestrians and the Rider’s Closet. After presenting the winning trophy to rider Karen Polle of Japan aboard her longtime mount, With Wings, Douglas Elliman President & CEO Dottie Herman and COO Scott Durkin, along with Florida brokerage CEO Jay Phillip Parker, COO Gus Rubio and Palm Beach Managing Broker Don Langdon, joined the gala’s host committee — including Jessica Springsteen, Paige Johnson, Adrienne Sternlicht, Shai Tertner, Nikki Alexandra Carr, Munisha Underhill, Isabel Ernst, Alfono Goyeneche, Alex Hamer, Lillie Kennan, Heather Kuhl, Jack Morgan, Kyle Olson, Catherine
Tyree and Congressman Patrick E. Murphy — in support of Give a Buck for Special Equestrians and the Rider’s Closet. “Douglas Elliman is passionate about giving back to our equestrian communities, and we are delighted to support the important mission of Give a Buck for Special Equestrians and the Rider’s Closet, two charities making tremendous strides for special needs horseback riders, so that they can experience the joy of horses and horsemanship while receiving the life changing benefits of equine therapy,” Herman said. Among the evening’s highlights was an inspiring speech by Lauren Martinez, a special needs horseback rider, who spoke emotionally about how her life has been forever See WEF GALA, page 19