Page 8 - The Islander- April '24

Page 8, The Islander

fundrAiSing eventS from page 7

Jennifer Parker, Cathy Mary Bryant McCourt and Joseph and Max McNamara Brian and Ligia Guralnick Don Hunt Jr. and Cassandra Merrill Gottesman and
Federico and Megan Mendoza Ruchi Kotahwala Hunt Phyllis Freilich
Phyllis Freilich, Cathy Federico, Kathy Hilton, Denise Kalland,
A powerful and heartfelt Joanne Leibovit, Barbara Mancuso, Maria Marino, Mary Bryant Ari Rifkin, Joan G. Rubin, Mike and Donna Schmidt,
video presentation was played McCourt, Xiomara Ordonez, Donna Peters, Joanne Pinciss, Debbie and Steve Schwarzberg, Vera Serrano, Barbara
at the event that featured a Mona Reis, Janna Ronert, Nicky Rothschild, Pilar Ruiz, Donna Sidel, Estelle Sugarman, Sun Capital Partners Foundation,
warm introduction by Tampa Schmidt, Barbara Sidel, Estelle Sugarman, Marcie Tinsley, Dr. Taylor Family Foundation and Caroline Vogel.
General Hospital (TGH) Jill Waibel and Dianne Willner. For the past 27 years, the RDK Melanoma Foundation
President and Founder John Junior committee members included Allison Gold, Ligia has been dedicated to saving lives through early skin
Couris; information about Guralnick, Joseph McNamara, Max McNamara, Alyse cancer detection education. The foundation’s mission is
RDK’s Philadelphia area Schwarzberg and Tiffany Saur. to inspire people to take action and be proactive in their
initiatives delivered by Board TGH, represented by President and CEO John Couris, health care through their deeper understanding of skin
member Mike Schmidt; and again generously donated to The RDK Foundation at the cancer, especially melanoma. Through RDK’s sun-safe
the luncheon’s three honorary Arthur and Mara Benjamin level of a Diamond Sponsor, and an anonymous donor was educational curriculums for all ages of students, school
chairs emotionally sharing another Diamond Sponsor. clubs and activities, and public sunscreen dispensers, the
their personal experience with melanoma and just how important Additional sponsors and underwriters included Laura foundation is able to bring lifesaving information to the
the RDK Melanoma Foundation’s work is, especially their new Andrassy, Veronica Atkins, Arthur and Mara Benjamin, South Florida community and beyond.
online education activities for the youth. Guests of the event left CCSF, Peter and Cathy Federico, Connie Frankino, Deborah Kann Schwarzberg founded the RDK
inspired to practice and share the message of sun safety with Harvey and Marianne Gold, Arlette Gordon, Merrill and Melanoma Foundation in memory of her late brother,
their communities, which will ultimately lead to the prevention Charles Gottesman, Audrey and Martin D. Gruss, Nancy Richard Kann, who died from a late-detected melanoma.
of melanoma and saving of lives. and Joel Hart, Jane Katzen, Jan Kinney, Joanne Leibovit, To learn more about the RDK Melanoma Foundation and
Committee members of the 2024 RDK Melanoma Foundation Beverly Myers, Beth Neuhoff, Suzanne Niedland, OnSpot ways to donate and/or get involved, please visit www.
Luncheon and Fashion Show included Veronica Atkins, Melissa Dermatology, Amy and John Phelan, John and Monika melanomafoundation.com.
Azrack, Vera Chapman, Linda Salandra Dweck, Gail Frankel, Preston, The Rhoda & David Chase Family Foundation, Photos by Capehart

American Humane Raises

$4 Million At Sixth Annual Pups4Patriots Dinner Dance

Pups4Patriots™ Dinner Dance Honors The Donors,
Dogs, And Handlers Who Support American Humane’s
Commitment To Service Dogs For Wounded Warriors
It was an evening of altruism and newsworthy moments, as
more than 200 supporters of the nation’s first national humane
organization attended the Sixth Annual Pups4Patriots
™
Dinner Dance at Club Colette in Palm Beach.
To kick off the event, a surprise gift of $500,000 was made
in honor of veteran’s advocate and champion of American
Humane’s Pups4Patriots program, Lois Pope, by business
leader Lloyd Schiller.
“No one has surprised me like this in a very long time,”
said Pope. “I am deeply humbled by your generous gift to Brian O’Connor, Dr. Robin
our Pups4Patriots program, and you can be assured that your Ganzert
contribution is going to help an awful lot of our military and
first responders through this life-changing initiative.” the Kazma family, said, “Our
Also announced during the event, a show-stopping $3 mission with the American
million donation from the Kazma Family Foundation, which Humane Sanctuary is to give Zachary Chappell and Winnie, Christina Itabashi and Freja, Dr. Robin Ganzert, Brian
will serve as the seed gift for the new American Humane veterans who have graduated O’Connor, Thomas Mitchell and Joly
Sanctuary located in Martin County. The new animal from the Pups4Patriots
sanctuary will be a transformational rescue retreat for all program a comfortable oasis to seek peace, and a home “Freja has been the most
animals and the residential home for the Pups4Patriots service where they and their service dog can further their journey wonderful partner for me. She
dog program. together. This gift is an enormous leap in making that mission is my best friend. Because of
Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American a reality, and to helping us rescue and protect many animals Freja’s ability to support me
Humane, who announced the major gift with members of in need in a new Ark of Hope facility.” in so many ways I have been
To date, Pups4Patriots has delivered more than 300 healing able to go out and do things I
Southern Exposure Technologies leashes into the hands of U.S. military veterans – at no cost couldn’t or didn’t do without
Computer Install/Setup/Repair to them – thanks to the generous support of donors. Three her. I’m able to go out and
run errands and do shopping
of these heroes attended the event and shared inspirational
(561) 315-0144 stories of how American Humane’s program was a life- without having to leave the
getsetgo.annie@gmail.com changing experience for them. Their remarks are as follows: store in the middle of shopping
* DSL, Broadband,Wireless Install Christina and Freyja. Christina has served as a first and have even found myself
* Networking, Troubleshooting responder, a wildland firefighter, and an EMT. She lives in wanting to venture out to Florence Metzger, Tyler
* Instruction Idaho and was paired with Freya, a standard poodle. travel more. I have gotten Moynihan
* Hardware/Software Installation more of a ‘normal’ life back
* Virus/Spyware/Adware Fix
* Cleanup/Maintenance/Backup because of Freja and that has helped me so much.”
* Business Consult/Startup/Move Zack and Winnie. Zack is a U.S. Air Force veteran
* Website Design/Maintenance who served from 1999 to 2021. During his service, he was
Call S.E.T. to install your “new computer, printer deployed to six overseas locations and served as Special Ops
and wireless network”! and a Squadron Superintendent. He has been paired with
GET S.E.T. GO! “Winnie,” a 1.5-year-old, female Labrador retriever.
REASONABLE HOURLY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY RATES “After serving 22 years in the Air Force, 12 in Special
FOR SMALL BUSINESSES FOR AS LOW AS $50.00 AN HOUR, Operations, and retiring with a PTSD and traumatic brain
WITH A MINIMUM OF 6 HOURS A MONTH,
OR 2 HOURS A WEEK, OR ON AN AS-NEEDED injury diagnosis, I thought my journey was over. The baggage
BASIS RATE OF $75.00 P/HOUR. I carried coupled with the symptoms of my battlefield wounds
START YOUR NEW YEAR WITH SECURE BACKUPS, was just too much. That was until I was turned on to American
QUALITY MAINTENANCE, ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND Humane and their Pups 4 Patriots Program. The hardest part
PERSONABLE ON-SITE SUPPORT!
(561) 315-0144 was taking that first step but after filling out that application I
CALL S.E.T. TODAY FOR YOUR COMPUTER NEEDS! Congressman Brian Mast, Joe Metzger and Meighan
David Webb McGowan Fundraising Events on page 9