The renovated shark tank is one of the recent improvements at the Sandoway Discovery Center. Photo provided
By Christine Davis
The Sandoway Discovery Center won the mid-level Hats Off Nonprofit of the Year from Nonprofits First. Sandoway Executive Director Danica Sanborn attended the ceremony in October at the Kravis Center.
“Since ’95, we’ve won awards for our programming, but this is the first time we’ve won a pure achievement award like this,” she said. “We were surprised and happy to receive it. It’s a wonderful honor.”
The Delray Beach center’s submission form put forward several achievements in the last year and a half for consideration.
The center renovated its 15,000-gallon shark tank and built a new 1,000-gallon stingray touch tank. These enhancements are integral to its Junior Naturalist Program, benefiting more than 6,000 students annually, including many Title 1 (low-income) students.
The center secured a $130,000 matching grant from the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County to rebuild its front porch, a project slated to begin soon and be completed by the end of 2025.
The center introduced Sandoway’s Service-Learning Program for teens, who gain hands-on experience with Sandoway’s rescued animals. That aims to help youths develop skills in animal husbandry, public speaking and leadership.
The center also launched Sandoway’s Science Leadership Academy, which addresses gaps in science education for fourth-grade Title 1 students, through a focus on fundamental concepts like plant structure and photosynthesis.
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The American Heritage School campus at 6200 Linton Blvd., Delray Beach, was ranked by Niche as the No. 1 private school in Palm Beach County for the seventh consecutive year.
Some ranking factors include SAT/ACT scores, the quality of colleges students consider, student-to-teacher ratio, and private school ratings. Niche is an organization that connects colleges and schools with students and families.
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Delray Beach Parks and Recreation and Delray Beach Fire Rescue were recognized for several events by the International Festivals & Events Association at an awards ceremony in Pittsburgh.
The 100-foot Christmas Tree won the silver award for Best Promotional Brochure and bronze for Best Promotional Poster. The Delray Beach July 4th Celebration won the gold award for Best Printed Materials. The Delray Beach Holiday Parade won the silver award for Best Printed Materials. The Delray Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival won the bronze award for Best Event Website and Best Street Banner.
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The Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce announced honorees who will be acknowledged at the Chamber’s 2025 Diamond Awards Luncheon at The Boca Raton in February.
Restaurateur Danielle Rosse, owner of Oceans 234, was named the 2025 Diamond Award recipient. Rosse supports numerous nonprofit organizations, including serving on the boards of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, the Deerfield Beach Economic Development Council, and the George Snow Scholarship Fund.
Zoe Abbott won the Pearl Award, created to honor an emerging female entrepreneur. Abbott, who is making strides with her hair growth business, is a graduate of the Chamber’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy, a program of the Golden Bell Education Foundation. The awards luncheon will be Feb. 21 from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
To purchase tickets, visit https://web.bocaratonchamber.com/events/diamondawards%20Luncheon-10993/details. For sponsorship opportunities or to purchase a congratulatory advertisement, contact Kaley Jones at kjones@bocachamber.com.
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The Greater Lantana Chamber of Commerce’s second annual Awards Gala in November at Winston’s on the Green honored businesses and individuals who have helped the Lantana community.
The Emerging Young Leader of the Year award went to Sarah Vega. The Entrepreneur of the Year award went to Lori Shore, owner of Pet Wants Palm Beach. The Small Business of the Year award went to Old Timey Joe Handyman. New Business of the Year award went to Le Dor Café.
The Business of the Year award went to Chick-Fil-A of Lantana. The Nonprofit/Not-for-Profit of the Year award went to the Friends of Foster Children.
Several special honors were also acknowledged. The Community Champion Award was presented to Monica Lewis of Total Shredding, in recognition of her efforts to donate proceeds to various charities across Palm Beach County.
The Citizen of the Year award went to Rosemary Mouring. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Mark Easton, chief editor and publisher of the Lake Worth Herald and the Coastal Observer.
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Florida Atlantic University’s Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center was awarded an $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office.
The center will work in collaboration with Lake Worth Beach Electric Utility, 3U Technologies, 48 North Solutions, IDOM Incorporated, Braid Theory and European Marine Energy Centre in a study to set up an ocean current test facility offshore from Palm Beach County.
The project’s goal is to improve the nation’s competitiveness in marine energy technology, encourage domestic manufacturing, and create jobs while helping to achieve the nation’s energy goals.
“Southeast Florida is ideal for ocean current energy projects not only because of its favorable ocean current conditions but also due to several supportive socioeconomic factors,” said Gabriel Alsenas, principal investigator and director of the university’s renewable energy center.
“Major ports, such as the Port of Palm Beach and Port Everglades, straddle (the center’s) proposed test site offshore Palm Beach County to provide excellent access. Local utilities such as the city of Lake Worth Beach’s municipal utility and Florida Power & Light offer essential grid connections and support for a clean energy transition.
“Additionally, (the center) has a strong network and extensive experience assisting current energy conversion technologies developers at various stages, further enhancing the region’s attractiveness for these projects.”
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Travelers departing from Palm Beach County and using Fly Alliance for charter with their jet cards or their memberships can choose additional perks this season. The private aviation company now offers the option to add wellness and beauty services such as Botox, facials, lashes, chiropractic adjustments, reiki, EMS workouts and/or private Pilates sessions. For more information, visit https://flyalliance.com/ally or call 407-747-0037.
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Since the group’s inception in 2019, the 30 members of the Boynton Beach Professionals leads group have generated more than $1,026,680 of gross sales by doing business with one another and by referring their colleagues in the group to other potential clients. Founded by John Campanola, Rick Maharajh and Paul Lykins, the group meets twice a month.
Boynton Beach Professionals became a part of the Boynton Beach Online Chamber of Commerce one year ago. For more information contact info@BBOCFlorida.com.
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Lang Realty and Lang Management are hosting their annual fall food drive, Season of Giving, to benefit Move for Hunger through Dec. 10. People who wish to contribute can bring their nonperishable food items to Lang’s offices from Port St. Lucie to Boca Raton. For more information on Lang Realty or Lang Management, including a list of office locations, visit www.langrealty.com or www.langmgmt.com.
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The Delray Beach Housing Authority recently disbursed Family Self-Sufficiency funds to Patricia Sampson’s daughter, Jasmine Queeley. This funding program links housing assistance with public and private resources to help families increase earned income, reduce or eliminate the need for welfare assistance, and progress toward achieving economic independence and housing self-sufficiency.
For Sampson, who has home ownership as a goal, obtaining a college education for Queeley has been challenging. However, to alleviate the financial strain of student loans and college tuition for the next two years, Sampson requested escrow from the Housing Authority’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program. Queeley, currently enrolled at Stetson University, plans to be the first generation of her family to complete a four-year college education.
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Whole Foods Market is set to open a 42,024-square-foot store at 7395 Boynton Beach Blvd., Boynton Beach, on Dec. 10. On opening morning, customers will get complimentary coffee and cookies from Gringuita Cookies. The first 300 customers in line will receive a custom tote bag and Secret Saver coupon offering up to $100 off.
Palm Beach Harvest will receive a food donation on opening day as part of Whole Foods Market’s Nourishing Our Neighborhoods Program. For more information, visit www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/boyntonbeach.
Send business news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.
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