By Amy Woods
“Well, hardest substance found in nature, they cut glass, suggest marriage, I suppose it replaced the dog as the girl’s best friend.”
So said Sean Connery’s James Bond in the movie Diamonds Are Forever, the theme of the Community Caring Center of Greater Boynton Beach’s Black & White Gala. The line, along with others made famous by Ian Fleming’s spy novels — “Bond, James Bond” and “shaken, not stirred” — will set the tone for the Nov. 12 fundraiser featuring a dapper Bond impersonator, sexy Bond girls and a sleek BMW Z4 from Braman Motorcars.
“He looks and sounds just like Sean Connery — with the gray hair, not the younger version,” Sherry Johnson, executive director of the nonprofit, said of John Allen’s 007. Guests attending the affair will have the opportunity to pose for photos with the cast of well-dressed characters and participate in a raffle, bid in the silent auction and enjoy a special presentation by Fred Astaire dance studio.
“We were told we would sell out before we sent our first invitation,” Johnson said. “This is going to be the biggest event that we’ve ever had.”
The 15th annual gala is expected to draw a crowd of 250 and raise $50,000 for feeding programs, including Children’s Gardening and Nutrition Education, Senior Veggie Mobile and Urban Farming Project.
The first program teaches children how to grow and harvest food through interactive classes, and the second program provides fresh produce to more than 1,000 seniors, one-quarter of whom are frail elderly in a city pocket called the “Heart of Boynton.” The Urban Farming Project is a downtown community garden on Northeast Third Street.
“We want healthy food going out, but we also want to teach so that whole cycle of not eating properly — we can address that and make that better,” gala chairwoman Doreen Robinson said.
The organization also provides social services such as emergency financial assistance, a food pantry, help with food stamps and volunteer caregiving.
“Part of my mission is just spreading the word and building relationships throughout the community,” Robinson said. “People don’t realize how bad the hunger is.”
If You Go
What: Community Caring Center of Greater Boynton Beach’s “Diamonds Are Forever” Black & White Gala
When: 6:30 p.m., Nov. 12
Where: Benvenuto, 1730 N. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach
Cost: $100
Information: Call 364-9501 or visit
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