More than 200 people stepped into the magical world of Harry Potter at this year’s Evening of Excellence – Bids for Kids event, which benefits Martin County students. Hosted by the Education Foundation of Martin County and presented by Morganti, this elegant gala fundraiser took place on Saturday, April 5, at Harbour Ridge Country Club.
The Harry Potter-themed event, with decorations of Potter’s wizardry strewn throughout the room, raised $185,000 to assist the Education Foundation in enriching and enhancing the quality of education in Martin County’s public schools.
“This event is the place to be for those who support Martin County’s students,” said Lisa Rhodes, executive director of the Education Foundation of Martin County. “We couldn’t present this fun-filled affair without the support of our sponsors, bidders, auction donors and attendees. We are so grateful!”
With more than 500 silent auction items, it’s known as the largest of its kind on the Treasure Coast. Guests bid on items that included gift baskets, vacation getaways, spa treatments, golf packages, jewelry, artwork, fishing charters and restaurant certificates as they enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
Volunteer auctioneer Tom Melander conducted the live portion of the Bids
House Of Hope Receives Impact100 Martin Grant For 2025
House of Hope is the grateful recipient of a $100,000 impact grant from Impact100 Martin to help the nonprofit begin a new initiative in its efforts to provide nutritious food to the hungry. House of Hope’s award-winning project will create a food preservation program, adding freeze dryers, food dehydrators and shrink-wrapping machines to House of Hope’s food processing capabilities.
Currently House of Hope grows fresh produce at its Growing Hope Farm in Palm City, receives bulk donations of food and prepares healthy meals and sauces in its Elizabeth Lahti Nutrition Center in Stuart. By adding food preservation equipment, House of Hope will be able to take full advantage of bulk donations, reduce food waste, increase healthy food options for its clients and partners and significantly increase the shelf life of healthy food items.
Molly’s House Reimagining
“Our commitment to provide nutritious food has resulted in enormous dividends to the community, the clients we serve and our food bank partners,” said Rob Ranieri, House of Hope CEO. “All food produced with this new equipment will be available at no cost to the almost 3,000 low income individuals who access our four client choice food pantries in Martin County, as well as the 11,000 individuals benefiting from our food through food bank partners in Martin County and another 5,000 served by food bank partners in St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties.”
House of Hope has high expectations for the food preservation program. It means nutritious meals will be easier to store, have a longer shelf life, be easier for
The Mission For This Home Away From Home
Molly’s House, a beloved Treasure Coast nonprofit, is actively engaged in reimagining its mission while remaining true to its roots.
Molly’s House was established by generous community members in 1996 as a home away from home for family members undergoing treatment at Martin Health System hospitals. It grew out of an outpouring of love after the death of Molly Sharkey at just 18 years old from a rare type of leukemia.
It was Molly’s dream to have a hospitality house in her hometown, similar to a Ronald McDonald house, that would be available to any family who has a loved one being treated for care at area hospitals. Donors and supporters made that possible.
“We’ve built a beautiful legacy of families in crisis coming together at Molly’s House and helping each other on the journey through a family member’s illness,” said Molly’s House Executive Director Katie Bartlett. “But healthcare has changed over the 28 years since Molly’s House was established. We need to change as well.”
In 1996, patients with serious illnesses typically stayed in the hospital for days or even weeks. Their families,
Molly’s House on page 8
House Of Hope on page 6
Joe Keating, Tracey Miller, Patty Morris and Todd Miller
Photo by Doreen Poreba
Joe Endress, Molly’s House Board Chair, and Molly’s House Executive Director Katie Bartlett are working with community partners to address local issues as Molly’s House reimagines its mission.
The food processing equipment at Growing Hope Farm has made an impact on the amount of fresh produce that House of Hope is able to offer its clients and food bank partners.
Lois and Jim McGuire
Photo by Doreen Poreba
Dyer Difference Award Assists
Vietnam Veterans And Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches
Way back in 1957, a group of Florida Sheriffs gathered to discuss the problem with the young boys in their communities getting into trouble with law enforcement because they didn’t have a whole lot of stability, consistency, and love in their home lives. Collectively, the group decided to invest $5,000 to create a home for boys who needed a supportive family and community to help them grow into lawful and resilient citizens. Nearly seven decades later, the problems are still the same, and the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches are still working to help prevent delinquency and develop responsible, productive citizens through programs that focus on character, integrity, stewardship and quality. For example, a youth
Honoring
who learns how to care for, respect and ride a horse also learns a whole lot about responsibility and the importance of following through. Those skills translate far beyond the paddock and trails at the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches and can help build confidence, provide a sense of direction and establish goals through experiences that youth likely would not have otherwise had. The bonus is that these experiences also help to foster a relationship of trust and goodwill between youth and law enforcement agents. The April Dyer Difference Award in St. Lucie County will help raise funds to support the Florida Sheriff Youth Ranches and the important work they continue to do.
In Indian River County, a group of volunteers who make up Voices of Veterans of Indian River County work hard to assist approximately 16,000 local veterans who have fought the battle for our freedoms with a variety of different resources. To help raise fund to assist with disability benefits, housing, clothing, food and medical assistance, the Vietnam Veterans of Indian River County
host an annual golf tournament for about 250 participants, and proceeds from the tournament help to keep the programs and services going throughout the year. The April Dyer Difference Award supports the work of Voices of Veterans of Indian River County and the annual golf tournament, and is proud to be a sponsor of the event. The Dyer Difference Award is all about celebrating the beauty and kindness in our midst. For the Dyer family and the members of the Dyer staff, the award and the $6,000 in donations made monthly between the St. Lucie and Indian River counties are all about helping to make a positive difference in the community. For the recipients, it’s an acknowledgement of their tireless efforts to do the same and a much-needed financial boost to help further their missions.
If you’d like to nominate a nonprofit organization for the Dyer Difference Award, please visit www.dyerdifference. org or find Dyer Difference on Facebook.
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Dyer General Manager William Peck presents the Dyer Difference Award to St. Lucie Sheriff Rich Del Toro and John Carvelli. Photo courtesy of Ilena Luts.
Dyer Difference Award – pictured are Al Nahmias, Dennis Sampson, Tim Nightingale, Nicole O’Neill, Dyer Executive Manager Jonathan Hardie and Ben. Photo courtesy of Ilena Luts.
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taMpa general news
Tampa General Community Event Highlights Health
Care Innovation, Vision For The Future
Tampa General Hospital (TGH) recently hosted “The Power of Academic Medicine” at the Kravis Center Cohen Pavilion. The community was invited to learn about the latest developments in how the academic health system is expanding patient access to groundbreaking care in the Palm Beaches and on the Treasure Coast. As guests entered the Cohen Pavilion’s ballroom, an immersive tech playground offered them the opportunity to explore and experience the state-of-the-art technology Tampa General is implementing to enhance patient care. These advancements included:
• Symani Surgical System – the first FDA-approved robot that performs microsurgery.
• TGH at Home, a hospital at home program –leverages innovative technology to deliver high-quality acute care in the comfort of patients’ homes.
• Tampa Medical and Research District – positions Tampa as a destination for clinical care, academics, cuttingedge research, life sciences, biotech and job creation.
Shortly after Ashleigh Walters, a former WPTV news anchor, greeted guests, Tampa General President and CEO John Couris joined her on stage for an interview. He shared his vision for the future of the academic health system as it continues to expand in Palm Beach County.
“Our approach is focused on innovation, creating a smart hospital, reducing redundancy, streamlining efficiency, enhancing the patient experience and ultimately improving outcomes,” said Couris. “We accomplish this through strategic partnerships – both in Tampa and across the state.”
Strategic partnerships have been the hallmark of Tampa General’s growth and expansion in Palm Beach County. “We’re partnering with the best physicians and practices here in the Palm Beaches to expand the community’s access to academic medicine,” Couris added. Currently,
Tampa General has more than 75 providers in 13 medical specialties, practicing in 20 locations.
Couris discussed Tampa General’s recently announced partnership with Mass General Brigham (MGB). The two hospitals’ first joint venture in Palm Beach County is to create a 20,000-square-foot radiation oncology center at Legacy Place in Palm Beach Gardens. TGH will manage day-to-day operations, while MGB Radiation Oncology will provide expert quality and safety oversight. The collaboration applies the tenets of academic medicine, as MGB and TGH will create a robust, integrated team of experts. These specialists will serve all patient needs across the spectrum of care, from physicians and dosimetrists to patient advocates and administrators. All team members will cross-collaborate, share and support each other to deliver high-quality, responsive and customized care for each patient. TGH is MGB’s first national clinical affiliation, and the two hospitals have collaborated closely for over three years.
“The power of MGB is connecting with the power of Tampa General and USF Health Morsani College of Medicine,” noted Couris. “Together, we believe the value
proposition we’re going to create will be unmatched locally, nationally and globally.
“Ultimately, we’re building a distributed network across the county; this is an asset-light approach. We want to be where people live and work. We strive to be convenient, accessible and priced appropriately. When you do these kinds of things, you create value in the communities that you serve, and you pass that value on to the patient, the employer and the insurer. That’s how we create real value.”
Couris also touched on Tampa General teaming up with the Health Care District of Palm Beach County to provide strategic, operational and administrative support to Lakeside Medical Center. Located in Belle Glade, Fla., Lakeside is the Health Care District’s public teaching hospital. Together, the two organizations will work to enhance quality and increase access to care in rural areas of Palm Beach County.
“This is just a start. There is a much bigger vision in play,” Couris continued. “We’re coming here to help care for the community and we’re going to stay. And we’re designing it in a way that’s for everybody.”
The remainder of the evening featured in-depth discussions with Tampa General physicians, highlighting groundbreaking projects currently underway at the academic health system.
For more information about the providers and services Tampa General offers in the Palm Beaches and on the Treasure Coast, please visit TGH.org/ThePalmBeaches.
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