CHAPTER 183
Caught in the Act of Kindness - January 2025
Celebrating individuals, groups and organizations that share their time, talent and treasure to meet the needs in our community.
“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest intention.” ~ Kahlil Gibran
Colby Robertson, Cofounder of Wellfit Girls, led the inaugural Applied Underwriters Invitational Swinging With Purpose® Charity Golf Tournament as Tournament Director at The Quarry Golf Club in Naples. This milestone event marked the first tournament since Wellfit Girls was gifted the rights to the Swinging With Purpose® trademark license, ensuring the continuation of its powerful legacy. The event raised $87,000 to support Wellfit Girls' leadership, fitness and outdoor adventure programs. Wellfit Girls’ commitment to uplifting teen girls and the day’s resounding success unite the community in support of Wellfit’s life-changing mission.
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The Conservancy of Southwest Florida received a historic $25 million grant from the John & Carol Walter Family Foundation — the largest philanthropic commitment in the organization’s history — enabling it to transform the current Nature Center into the new John & Carol Walter Nature Experience which is anticipated to open in the first half of 2028.
The beach dune restoration will include approximately 1 million plants along nearly 13 miles of beaches in Collier County. Photo courtesy of Naples Botanical Garden.
Collier Community Foundation granted $325,000 to Naples Botanical Garden to provide in-person education on the important role of beach dunes and the launch of a comprehensive dune restoration project now underway.
Women's Foundation of Collier County Board
The Women's Foundation of Collier County rolled out the red carpet again at Women Rock Philanthropy to raise more than $764,000 to provide housing and support services for senior women and empower young women and girls through scholarships and mentorships.
A Night in Emerald City
Grace Place for Children and Families hosted a remarkable 20th Anniversary Celebration of Grace event, A Night in Emerald City, raising over $1.8 million to support its mission of empowering families through education and support services. The nonprofit also received a generous donation of $10,000 from First United Methodist Church, ensuring the operation of one of its school buses for the entire year.
Volunteer elves delivered holiday cheer to patients at Golisano Children’s Hospital before gathering to raise over $420,000 at the 8th Annual Porsche & Friends Parade for its planned outpatient pediatric surgery center.
Shy Wolf Sanctuary was honored with an unexpected gift of $150,000 from Tom Golisano, founder of Paychex, entrepreneur, philanthropist and civic leader.
Teddy Busse and Linda Lucks (Naples Women’s Club) presenting a check to St. Matthew's House Grant Officer Pam Malamphy.
Naples Woman’s Club granted $20,000 to St. Matthew’s House to help cover the cost of housing for homeless senior women from Collier County at Campbell Lodge. The nonprofit also received a $30,000 transitional housing program grant from Collier Community Foundation.
EKOS-Allegro Grand Opening: Chris Shear, Dan Kowal, Chris Hall, Patrick McDowell, Rick Locastro, Ryan Benson, Ivette Benarroch, Michael Puchalla
Collier Community Foundation awarded $95,750 in grants to The Housing Alliance to further its ongoing housing initiatives.
Group Therapy at Rob’s Cottage (Youth Haven campus)
Naples Woman's Club’s Gail Beard and Dorit Nelson and The Immokalee Foundation's Araceli Moreno and Noemi Y. Perez
Kathy Peppe (Naples Woman's Club) and Jessica Stanfield (executive director of A.N.A. Friends)
Dr. Freedman, FLLEC founder and Pediatric Ophthalmologist, examining a patient with the tiny tonometer.
Naples Woman’s Club made several other generous grants and donations:
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$20,000 to Youth Haven to support the teen transitional living program at Rob’s Cottage on Youth Haven’s campus.
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$8,000 grant to A.N.A.’s Friends to support the organization’s Children’s Needs Program, which assists children who have experienced abuse, neglect or abandonment.
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$7,000 to The Immokalee Foundation to purchase two new smartboards for daily classroom use.
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$5,500 to Florida Lions Club Eye Clinic for its purchase of a rebound tonometer, a new device for measuring and managing glaucoma in young children.
Toni Primeaux, director of development for Children’s Miracle Network at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, accepts a donation from Michael Wynn, president of Sunshine Ace Hardware.
Sunshine Ace Hardware’s successful eight-week Holiday Round Up raised $57,605 to support Children’s Miracle Network.
Penny Hoglind, bag winner
Through its Bingo for Bags & Baubles fundraising event, Parkinson’s Association of Southwest Florida raised more than $50,000 to benefit more than 7,000 local community members diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in Collier and southern Lee Counties.
Collier Community Foundation granted $30,000 to The Holocaust Museum & Janet G. and Harvey D. Cohen Education Center to fund the Museum’s student and teacher education programs.
Kaleidoscope Beer Company Co-owner Bill Vaughan with Caitlin Langr
With a sampling of over 60 micro-brews from Southwest Florida and nearby counties, Mercato’s Brew-Ha-Ha event raised $23,000 for Pace Center for Girls – Collier at Immokalee.
Better Together provided holiday cheer by distributing Christmas gifts to 278 families across the state that the nonprofit serves through its Better Families program. The nonprofit also raised $16,275 from The World Famous Cigar Bar Charity Golf Tournament to benefit its mission to build strong families and communities, ultimately keeping children out of foster care.
The Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida supported over 800 children and their families with its annual Season of Giving campaign, with more than 3,100 gifts distributed thanks to the generosity of the community.
Four hundred Lee County children and teens enjoyed festive holiday parties filled with fun surprises through Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County thanks to Adopt-a-Club Holiday Party sponsors: GL Homes, Suncoast Credit Union, Hertz, Lee Health, Sharetea and Pulte Homes.
For consideration in Caught in the Act of Kindness, email an example of how an individual, group or organization went above and beyond to help those in need to inspireme@ebellamag.com. Please include a related high-resolution photo as well.
