The 100-year-old Colony Hotel, a landmark in downtown Delray Beach, gave money to the Delray Beach Historical Society and other organizations in the city. Photo provided
By Lou Ann Frala
In honor of its 100th anniversary, The Colony Hotel in Delray Beach has given $100,000 to a number of organizations that are dedicated to community engagement and improvement.
“This initiative reflects our commitment to giving back and saying thank you to the organizations that have helped shape our first century,” said Hilary Roche, Colony managing partner.
The bulk of the money went to the Delray Beach Historical Society, which the hotel has long supported, Roche said.
Others receiving donations included the Sandoway Discovery Center, Spady Cultural Heritage Museum, Community Greening and the Delray Beach Preservation Trust, all in Delray Beach.
47 nominated for Woman Volunteer of the Year
The Junior League of Boca Raton’s 39th Annual Woman Volunteer of the Year Luncheon, coming at 10 a.m. Nov. 5 at The Boca Raton, 501 E. Camino Real, will honor 47 nominees from nonprofits throughout Palm Beach County and northern Broward County. Proceeds benefit the Junior League of Boca Raton.
The winner will come from among these nominees:
• 4KIDS of South Florida — Janet Bozick
• Alzheimer’s Association — Christine Pike
• American Association of Caregiving Youth — Gay Gordon
• Best Foot Forward Foundation — Danielle Rosse
• Boca Ballet Theatre — Susan B. Buck
• Boca Helping Hands — Dr. Sarah Lochner
• Boca Raton Historical Society — Zoe Lanham
• Boca Raton Police Foundation — Cathy Klein
• Boca School for Autism — Beatrice Weinstock
• Boca West Children’s Foundation — Suzi Selinger
• Bridge Immigration Network — Milagros Vargas
• Changing Lives of Boca Raton — Chelsea Cordner
• Child Rescue Coalition — Lisa LaFrance
• Children’s Home Society of Florida — Dr. Amy Ohana-Trujillo
• Common Ground Community Development — Barbara Socher
• Debbie-Rand Memorial Service League — Helen Kaye
• Delray Beach Public Library — Joycelyn Patrick
• Dress for Success Palm Beaches — Wendy Tannenbaum
• Eda & Cliff Viner Community Scholars Foundation — Alex Welsh
• Empath Trustbridge Hospice — Patricia Collazo
• Fuller Center — Clara Acero
• George Snow Scholarship Fund — Robin Deyo
• Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County — Julie Peyton
• Hippocrates Wellness — Nancy Baldwin Fusco
• Hispanic Heritage Chamber of Commerce — Jessy Allain Mena
• Hispanic Entrepreneur Initiative — Monica Ribeiro
• Impact 100 Palm Beach County — Ingrid Kennemer
• Impact Palm Beaches — Christine DelVecchio
• Junior League of Boca Raton — Kristen Ross-Majhess
• Love Serving Autism — Marla Garchik
• Myla’s Beleaf— Camilla Goodwin
• Mizner Park Cultural Arts Association — Peg Anderson
• National Society of Arts & Letters, Florida East Coast Chapter — Marilyn Nelson
• Palm Beach Symphony — Marietta Muiña McNulty
• Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League of the Palm Beaches — Coco Schefmeyer
• Roots and Wings, Inc. — Mary Stern
• Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton — Ingrid Fulmer
• Scholar Career Coaching — Sasha Lopez
• Speak Up for Kids — Jodie Arnold
• Special Olympics Florida — Catherine Barton
• Spirit of Giving — Dr. Katie Burke
• Sweet Dream Makers — Debby Rales
• The Giving Tree of Temple Beth El of Boca Raton — Lauren Gross
• The Soup Kitchen — Joan Melesko
• Touch A Heart Foundation — Jennifer Kaufman
• Women’s Executive Club — Lauren Blosser
• YMCA of South Palm Beach County — Amanda Perna
Tandy Robinson is the honorary chair, and Linda Paton and Victoria Matthews are co-chairs. Guests are invited to wear white.
Sponsorships, tables and tickets can be purchased directly at wvoy26.givesmart.com/ or call 561-620-2553.
Promise Fund provides cervical cancer screenings
With cervical cancer screening rates among young women continuing to decline across the country, the South Florida-based Promise Fund is working to close the gap for women who face barriers to preventive health care.
The nonprofit, founded by Nancy G. Brinker in 2018, gives access to screenings and further care throughout Palm Beach, Broward and Martin counties, focusing on women who are uninsured, underinsured or lack access to a regular health care provider.
Visit thepromisefund.org/request-services to learn more about what is offered.
A study published Aug. 27 in JAMA Network Open found that nearly one in three (32%) women ages 21-29 report having never been screened for cervical cancer, a dramatic increase from 2005, when 12.5% of women in the same age group never had been screened.
The study also found significant disparities based on insurance status, race and ethnicity, and education. The percentage of women 21-29 who had never been screened was 41.8% among those without insurance. By race and ethnicity in the same age group, the rates were Asian American women (44.3%), Native American women (38.3%), Hispanic women (37.5%) and non-Hispanic Black women (33.9%).
Nearly 40% of women 21-29 with only a high school education had never been screened, compared with 17% of women with master’s or doctoral degrees.
“Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, and early detection holds the key to survival,” said Brinker. “We are alarmed to see screening rates declining so dramatically. … Here in South Florida, nearly 100,000 women are uninsured or do not have a medical home.”
Roots and Wings expands free reading program
Roots and Wings, the county’s largest nonprofit focused on literacy and teacher recognition, is growing its Project UpLift reading program by five additional schools for the 2026-27 school year, operating in 24 Title 1 elementary schools, the largest footprint in the organization’s history.
New to the program are: Banyan Creek Elementary in Delray Beach; Barton Elementary in Lake Worth Beach; Diamond View Elementary in Greenacres; and Forest Park Elementary and Poinciana Elementary in Boynton Beach.
The county faces a significant early-literacy challenge with only 57% of third graders reading at grade level, with proficiency rates even lower at many Title 1 schools.
Project UpLift is a free after-school tutoring program by which participants receive a minimum of 54 hours of focused literacy instruction during the school year. During the 2024-25 school year, 93% of Project UpLift students demonstrated gains on their i-Ready reading assessments, including 96% of enrolled third graders.
“Third grade is the critical year,” said Ted Hoskinson, founder and president of Roots and Wings. “Up to that point, a child is learning to read. After that, they’re reading to learn, and a student who hasn’t gotten there yet can spend the rest of their education trying to catch up.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to become a successful reader,” Hoskinson said. “With Project UpLift, we want children to know that they can do this, that people believe in them, and that their future is full of possibilities.”
Boca West Country Club supports scholarships
Boca West Country Club is celebrating six students selected as 2026 Jay DiPietro Scholarship recipients, chosen from among its employees and their families with backing from the George Snow Scholarship Fund and the Florida Club Management Association of America.
Boca West has helped young people pursue educational and career goals since 2014 through $335,000 in scholarships and support services.
The students are Sarah Wheeler, Reese Metevia-Elders, Noah Gordon, Diego Estrada, Sarah Carter and Brooke Miller.
Boca West’s partnership is part of the George Snow Scholarship Fund’s broader work in Palm Beach and Broward counties. It has awarded 4,171 students a total of $47 million in scholarships and support services since its founding in 1982 in memory of George Snow, a former high school math teacher and developer who died in a 1980 helicopter accident.
The organization’s signature fundraising event, Boca’s Ballroom Battle, supported by title sponsor Rosenberg Diamonds & Co., returns at 6 p.m. Nov. 7 at The Boca Raton’s Grand Ballroom, 501 E. Camino Real.
This year’s theme is “Let It Snow,” inspired by the sparkle and sophistication of winter. The male and female dancers who raised the most money will take home the Mirror Ball Trophy. Fundraising efforts include sponsorships, program ads, raffle tickets for a $5,000 grand prize, or by making a donation in the dancers’ names at ballroombattle.com.
Delray philanthropic group to put on fashion show
Chapter CZ Philanthropic Educational Organization of Delray Beach is hosting Runway for a Cause at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 12 at the Boca Raton Marriott, 5150 Town Center Circle.
Events include a luncheon, a fashion show, curated vendors, raffles and a performance by the New Florida Follies, a senior dance troupe.
The fundraiser supports the Philanthropic Educational Organization’s mission of motivating, celebrating and educating women through scholarship programs throughout the state.
Tickets are $75 and may be purchased by calling Robin Hackett at 480-242‑1305 or emailing her at rlhackett4@gmail.com.
Boca Garden Club to host Sip ‘n’ Shop preview sale
The Boca Raton Garden Club will hold a Sip ‘n’ Shop preview sale of handcrafted Holiday House seasonal and year-round items from 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 9 at its clubhouse, 4281 NW Third Ave.
Gain entry with the purchase of the Garden Club’s annual “Stop The Clock” $20 ticket for a raffle of $4,000 in monetary prizes to be held in November.
The event will include wine, soft drinks and light appetizers for bargain-hunting shoppers.
Real estate firm sponsors charity golf tournament
The FurBaby Group at True Floridian Realty, Delray Beach, is the official sponsor for the EJS Project Golf Classic. The tournament is set for 1 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Westchester Country Club, 12250 Westchester Club Drive, Boynton Beach.
The EJS Project is a safe space for teens, devoted to dismantling barriers, teaching truth and building relationships.
Adrianne Kurman, a broker associate with True Floridian Realty, is an EJS Project board member and a premier sponsor of the Golf Classic.
“Serving on the board of the EJS Project gives me a firsthand look at the profound impact this organization has every single day,” Kurman said. “The FurBaby Group and True Floridian Realty are thrilled to step up as sponsors for the Golf Classic to help fund these life-changing programs.”
To register a foursome ($600), buy a single ticket ($150), become a sponsor or learn more about the event, visit ejsproject.org/golf-classic/.
Best Buddies to host Champion of the Year Gala
Best Buddies’ 2026 fundraiser, dubbed “La Dolce Vita,” the Champion of the Year Gala, is coming up at 7 p.m. Nov. 6 at The Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, 2800 S. Ocean Blvd.
Best Buddies is a nonprofit devoted to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of people with intellectual disabilities. It provides one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, inclusive living and family support.
Gulf Stream resident Anna Glennon is chairing the event again this year and hopes to surpass last year’s record of $537,000.
Send news, photos and notes to Lou Ann Frala at philanthropy@thecoastalstar.com.
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