george snow foundation - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-28T13:58:17Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/george+snow+foundationCelebrations: Rhinestone Cowboy Ball, The Boca Raton — Feb. 19https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/celebrations-rhinestone-cowboy-ball-the-boca-raton-feb-192022-03-29T18:35:54.000Z2022-03-29T18:35:54.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10246916488,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10246916488,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="10246916488?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>The George Snow Scholarship Fund had a blast returning to in-person events with its annual gala. Friends and supporters gathered for an evening of boots and bling, fun and fundraising, and cowboy hats and country songs. Proceeds help deserving students achieve their dream of attending college. ABOVE: (l-r) Jason Hagensick, Doug Paton, Victoria Matthews, Linda Paton, Boca Raton City Councilwoman Yvette Drucker, Melanie Deyo, Pamela Weinroth and Liz Hagensick. </em><br /><strong><em>Photo provided</em></strong></p></div>Pay It Forward: Mirror Ball trophy up for grabs at annual dance fundraiserhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/pay-it-forward-mirror-ball-trophy-up-for-grabs-at-annual-dance-fu2021-08-03T17:02:22.000Z2021-08-03T17:02:22.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9352130500,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9352130500,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9352130500?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><strong>By Amy Woods</strong><br /> <br /> The George Snow Scholarship Fund’s Ballroom Battle returns for its 14th year and its second as a televised event to raise money for aspiring college students.<br /> The Dancing with the Stars-themed competition is set for 7 p.m. Aug. 14 and will air on WPTV-TV from the station’s studios as well as online. It features eight dancers, each paired with a professional, strutting their stuff during choreographed routines.<br /> “Over the last 13 years, our event has become the do-not-miss event of the season as eight of our community’s most recognizable personalities take to the dance floor for a good cause,” said Tim Snow, the organization’s president. “Not to mention that coveted fundraising Mirror Ball trophy.”<br /> Among those vying for the trophy awarded to the top fundraisers is Dr. Jeffrey Stein, 63, a Boca Raton internist. <br /> “Am I going to be the best dancer?” Stein mused. “I don’t know. But I do know I am going to have the most fun.”<br /> He plans to channel his inner John Travolta in a rhinestone-studded disco outfit.<br /> “There’s a lot of people who do this, and they get out of their comfort zone,” Stein said. “This was a fundraiser that was so easy for me to do. I’m enjoying learning certain dances. At the same time, I’m hopefully going to put some kids through college.”<br /> Dancing always has been part of his life, especially while he attended medical school at the American University of the Caribbean in Montserrat.<br /> “It was my release,” Stein said. “I just used to put on a cassette and listen to ’70s music and dance in my dorm room to take the pressure off an exam or to distract me. It was my way to decompress.”<br /> The other dancers are Elmar Benavente, Kelly Fleming, Dre Garcia, Dr. Melyssa Hancock, Ryan Reiter, Mindy Shikiar and Robert Snyder. Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Boca Raton is giving all of them a series of lessons to perfect their moves.<br /> “Whether I win or not is immaterial because the only people who are winning are the kids who are going to get a scholarship,” Stein said. “My life is not going to change with what happens, but if I can change kids’ lives, that’s what matters.”</p>
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;">If You Go</span><br /> What: Ballroom Battle for George Snow Scholarship Fund<br /> When: 7 p.m. Aug. 14<br /> Where: On air at WPTV-TV, online at <a href="http://www.wptv.com">www.wptv.com</a> and <a href="https://scholarship.org/ballroom-battle">https://scholarship.org/ballroom-battle</a><br /> Information: 561-347-6799 or <a href="http://www.ballroombattle.com">www.ballroombattle.com</a></p></div>Boca’s Ballroom Battle Boca Raton Resort & Club — Sept. 20https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boca-s-ballroom-battle-boca-raton-resort-club-sept-202019-10-02T16:05:43.000Z2019-10-02T16:05:43.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><em>Eight community leaders danced for dollars during the 12th annual Boca’s Ballroom Battle,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> modeled after Dancing With the Stars. Dancers, who were paired with professionals from the Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Boca Raton, raised more than $640,000 for the George Snow Scholarship Fund, which grants four-year college scholarships to local students. The fund has granted more than $12.1 million in scholarships and support services since 1982.</em></p>
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<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><em>Philanthropist Margaret L. Blume danced with James Brann. <b>Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</b></em></p>
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<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><em><strong>ABOVE:</strong> Supporters of South County YMCA President Jason ‘Twinkle Toes’<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> Hagensick cheered him on as he danced with Loreta Kriksciukaityte <strong>BELOW</strong>.</em></p>
<p class="p1"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960890474,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960890474,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960890474?profile=original" /></a></p>
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<p class="p1"><b><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960890672,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960890672,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960890672?profile=original" /></a></b></p>
<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><em>Kriksciukaityte also teamed with Jody Saffert of Boca Raton Regional Hospital</em></p>
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<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><em>Fran Nachlas celebrates after winning the prize as top female fundraiser, with more than $182,000 in donations. Eddie Ventrice raised over $243,000, the most among the males.</em></p></div>Dancing for dollarshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/dancing-for-dollars2019-09-01T17:09:55.000Z2019-09-01T17:09:55.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960885476,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960885476,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960885476?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><em>Tim Quinn’s mother, Christine, laughs as Quinn and Sayra Vazquez Brann prepare for Boca’s Ballroom Battle at Fred Astaire Dance Studios of Boca Raton. The annual contest is Sept. 20 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. <b>Photos by</b> <b>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</b></em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Boca’s Ballroom Battle: Dancing ability a plus, but fundraising a must</strong></span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>By Margie Plunkett</b></span></p>
<p class="p2">When dance instructor Sayra Vazquez Brann asked her student to demonstrate his normal dance move, Tim Quinn connected her with his New York designer friends on a FaceTime call. “They imitated my movements,” Quinn recalls. Brann “was dying. I would literally stand in one place and kind of move my arm to hold my cocktail — and that was my dance move.”</p>
<p class="p3">Quinn, a celebrity makeup artist with Giorgio Armani Beauty, has since been practicing to compete in the 12th annual Boca’s Ballroom Battle, a competition modeled after <i>Dancing with the Stars</i>. His Fred Astaire Studio dance partner, Brann, has been teaching him the steps, posture and attitude essential to the dance they’ll perform at the Sept. 20 competition.</p>
<p class="p3">By July, Quinn had learned lunges and anticipated attempting a “somewhat terrifying” lift.</p>
<p class="p3">“This is a whole lot different” from his previous moves, he said. “I have a lot more respect for dance — I didn’t realize how much work it is.”</p>
<p class="p3">Quinn is one of eight local residents chosen for the dance competition at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, which benefits the George Snow Scholarship Fund. The Boca Raton-based organization grants four-year college scholarships to students in Palm Beach County, as well as Blanche Ely and Pompano Beach high schools in Pompano Beach.</p>
<p class="p3">The fund has granted $1.4 million in scholarships and support services this year and $12.1 million worth since 1982. Boca’s Ballroom Battle is the largest of the fundraisers that benefit the scholarship fund.</p>
<p class="p3">Dancers are chosen for their ability to attract contributions as well as their potential in dance. They take group and private lessons at Fred Astaire Dance Studios of Boca Raton,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> and their dance partners are selected from the studio staff. At the end of the Battle, two winners are chosen — the man and woman who have brought in the most donations.</p>
<p class="p3">When Quinn was invited to compete, he thought of plenty of cons: his crazy travel schedule, time needed as his mother’s caregiver, and the nerve damage in his leg from a battle with cancer a decade earlier. He finally agreed to do it. But it was while attending the ESPYs in Los Angeles in July that he realized he could.</p>
<p class="p3">At the “Oscars of sports,” Quinn was inspired by men and women with major disabilities “who are megastar athletes. Here I’ve been for the last 10 years, because of the cancer treatment, thinking, ‘I can’t do that.’ Sometimes we limit ourselves in our own head,” he said. “These are people who haven’t let anything stop them.”</p>
<p class="p3">Ultimately, Quinn was really glad he agreed to compete. “I’m kind of sort of dreading it, but secretly I’ve always wanted to learn how to dance. So it’s kind of fun.” He was also moved by the “far-reaching impact” of the George Snow fund, the need for scholarship funds locally, and “how remarkable it is to change someone’s life.”</p>
<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960885855,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960885855,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960885855?profile=original" /></a><em>Instructor James Brann and contestant Minelle Tendler prepare for Boca’s Ballroom Battle. She said she ‘grew up dancing salsa my whole life. So I feel pretty confident.’</em></p>
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<p class="p3">Another contestant, Dr. Minelle Tendler, who owns Tendler Orthodontics in Boca Raton, says dance comes naturally to her, but echoed Quinn on the effort involved. “I’m originally from Puerto Rico, so I love dancing, and singing and having fun. When they asked me would you be OK with the dance part, I’m like, ‘absolutely.’ But I’ve already done a few lessons, and let me tell you, it’s not so easy.”</p>
<p class="p3">Tendler says she has an advantage: She has good rhythm and “grew up dancing salsa my whole life. So I feel pretty confident.” But, she adds, “Ballroom dancing is very different from what I’ve done. It’s more coordinated and strategic.”</p>
<p class="p3">The biggest challenge in the competition — and lesson learned — for Tendler is the fundraising. “I’ve been a member of the Junior League for many years now. And I did a lot of charitable work back home in Puerto Rico, but this is totally different. It’s asking. Sometimes it’s hard to ask.</p>
<p class="p3">“That’s probably been the biggest lesson for me: You just have to overcome the initial fear and go for it,” Tendler said. “You ask and you shall receive. People donate. I keep getting surprised every day at all the people who want to support me and who already know of the George Snow Scholarship Fund. It’s been difficult, but eye-opening — and incredibly rewarding.”</p>
<p class="p3">Tendler says she has been a big supporter of the community, schools, her patients and all their teams. Now the table is turned. “I’m the community dancer, so all my employees, patients and parents are cheering me on. It’s a warm, fuzzy feeling to see that support in return.”</p>
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<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960886053,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960886053,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960886053?profile=original" /></a><em>Contestant Eddie Ventrice and instructor Sayra Vazquez Brann prepare for Boca’s Ballroom Battle to raise money for the George Snow Scholarship Fund. <b>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</b></em></p>
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<p class="p3">Contestant Eddie Ventrice, a Boca Raton resident and managing partner of BV Group-UBS Private Wealth Management, describes his dancing ability as “not great.” He’s nervous at the prospect of performing in front of hundreds of people, but “I enjoy learning the dances,” he said.</p>
<p class="p3">That’s his favorite part of the competition. Least favorite? Finding the time to train and raise money.</p>
<p class="p3">The cause behind the dance competition — the support for students through the George Snow Scholarship Fund — “is something that I can relate to personally,” Ventrice says in a letter to donors and friends. “Being the first generation to attend college and coming from a family who struggled financially, I barely got by. I spent my college years working 30 hours a week, received financial aid and the maximum amount available in student loans.</p>
<p class="p3">“I have my dance shoes and I’m taking lessons,” Ventrice says, urging supporters to “please come out and have a good laugh at my expense at the Boca Raton Resort on Sept. 20.”</p>
<p class="p3">Other dancers at this year’s fundraiser: Margaret L. Blume, philanthropist; Jason Hagensick, president and CEO of the YMCA of South Palm Beach County; Fran Nachlas, RN, of the Boca Raton Outpatient Surgery and Laser Center; Diana Riser, president and co-owner of the Pace Branding & Marketing advertising firm; and Jody Saffert, director of organization development and effectiveness at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.</p>
<p class="p3">You can support your favorite dancer with donations at <a href="">www.ballroombattle.com. </a>;</p></div>Tiki Dinner: Boca Beach Club, Boca Raton – April 19https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/tiki-dinner-boca-beach-club-boca-raton-april-192017-05-30T17:21:53.000Z2017-05-30T17:21:53.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960722483,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960722483,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960722483?profile=original" /></a><em>The George Snow Scholarship Fund celebrated and honored its donors while introducing them to students helped by their philanthropy. Guests met three scholars. ‘The Tiki Dinner provides a connection to our scholars that our supporters look forward to every year,’ said Tim Snow, president of the fund. ABOVE: Wendy and Vincent Sadusky. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p></div>Cowboy Ball: Mizner Park Amphitheater, Boca Raton – Feb. 25https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/cowboy-ball-mizner-park-amphitheater-boca-raton-feb-252017-03-29T15:16:37.000Z2017-03-29T15:16:37.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960706672,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960706672,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960706672?profile=original" /></a><em>Close to 500 ‘cowpokes’ swaggered on down to the George Snow Scholarship Fund benefit for a foot-stompin’ good time, raising more than $83,000 for college scholarships and scholar-support services. Guests enjoyed whiskey tasting, fiddle playing, square dancing and lasso demonstrations, and the line never ended to ride the mechanical bull. TOP: Fund President Tim Snow, with Peter Gary. BOTTOM: Dan and Kelly Hodgeman. <strong>Photos provided</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960707073,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960707073,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960707073?profile=original" /></a></strong></em></p></div>Pay it Forward: Cowboy Ball adopts rodeo theme, moves to Mizner Parkhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/pay-it-forward-cowboy-ball-adopts-rodeo-theme-moves-to-mizner-par2017-02-01T15:46:59.000Z2017-02-01T15:46:59.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960698082,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960698082,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960698082?profile=original" /></a></strong><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960698082,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a>Committee members and sponsors of the George Snow Scholarship Fund Cowboy Ball include (l-r, in front) Logan Rae, Kimmie Hruda, Katherine Regna, Richard Murdoch, Elizabeth Murdoch Titcomb, Jackie Reeves, Brenda Husinka, (middle) Lisa Valko, Tim Snow, Sherry Winter, Melanie Deyo, Michelle Adams, Jayne Scala, (in back) Joe Valko, Lewis Fogel, Samir Changela, Jamie Hagen and Frank Feiler. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>By Amy Woods</strong><br /> <br />Bull riding, line dancing and whiskey tasting will have guests scootin’ in their boots at this year’s George Snow Scholarship Fund’s Cowboy Ball. The event kicks up its heels Feb. 25 with a new theme and a new location: country-Western at Mizner Park Amphitheater.<br /> “We wanted to change things up a bit, which will bring a new dynamic to the ball itself,” event Co-Chairwoman Katherine Regna said. “We wanted to keep the event fresh.”<br /> Billed as the All New Cowboy Ball, the fundraiser will feature games such as cornhole and ring toss, live music by a fiddle player, rustic décor that includes haystacks and wooden fences and a replica of an old saloon. There will be a photo booth with props that make event-goers look like characters from Bonanza.<br /> “It will have more of a rodeo feel to it,” Regna said.<br /> In the past, the event had a Caribbean theme and took place at Red Reef Park. The live auction remains, featuring everything from jewelry to travel to an overnight experience at Camp Deliverance, a cabin in the Everglades owned by George Snow Scholarship Fund President Tim Snow.<br /> “Ticket sales have already gotten off to a great start,” Regna said. “My goal is to have a sold-out, fun, entertaining evening with Boca’s finest supporters.”<br /> Proceeds from the Cowboy Ball will help provide high-school graduates in financial need with college grants. Since 1982, more than $8 million has been awarded to 1,600 scholars.<br /> “It’s an incredible organization that we’ve been close to for quite some time,” said Regna, whose father, Richard Murdoch, serves as board chairman. “It’s not just about the scholarships themselves, it’s about the students and their future.”<br /> In addition to the scholarships, the nonprofit offers several support programs aimed at ensuring students’ academic success. The Monday Morning Motivational Message is weekly communication consisting of inspirational stories and quotes. The College Supply Program is a gift bag of products scholars receive to use throughout their college careers. The Summer Jobs Program is designed to help young adults enter the workplace.<br /> “We provide a support system that many of our scholars are lacking at home,” spokeswoman Debi Feiler said.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>If You Go</strong><br /><strong>What:</strong> Cowboy Ball<br /><strong>When:</strong> 6 to 11 p.m. Feb. 25<br /><strong>Where:</strong> Mizner Park Amphitheater, 595 Plaza Real, Boca Raton<br />Cost: $175<br /><strong>Information:</strong> Call 347-6799 or visit scholarship.org</p></div>Caribbean Cowboy Ball: Red Reef Park, Boca Raton – Jan. 30https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/caribbean-cowboy-ball-red-reef-park-boca-raton-jan-302016-03-02T21:43:12.000Z2016-03-02T21:43:12.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960633660,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960633660,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="691" alt="7960633660?profile=original" /></a><em>The George Snow Scholarship Fund’s 23rd annual fundraiser attracted more than 450 cowpokes and raised $88,000-plus to assist worthy students. in the community. ABOVE: Mary Ann Crabb and Pat Thomas. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em><br /><br /></p></div>Around Town: Boca Ballroom battle raises record for scholarship fundinghttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/around-town-boca-ballroom-battle-raises-record-for-scholarship-fu2012-08-29T18:30:00.000Z2012-08-29T18:30:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Photo <a href="http://thecoastalstar.ning.com/photo/photo/slideshow?albumId=2331112:Album:77463">slideshow</a><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>By Thom Smith</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Glen Calder</strong> was in on the act, but he just wasn’t sure how. Wife <strong>Kristin</strong> was competing in the annual <strong>Boca Ballroom Battle</strong>, so in support of the cause — the <strong>George Snow Scholarship Fund</strong> — he agreed to play a role in her dance number.<br /> The theme was movies, and each of the eight dancers assumed the identity of a film star or character for an opening intro and then an actual dance number. A former Boca Raton deputy mayor and health care executive, <strong>Peter Baronoff</strong>, for example, assumed the role of <strong>Mrs. Doubtfire</strong>. Boca YMCA boss <strong>Dick Pollock</strong> recreated the dance scene from <em><strong>Pulp Fiction</strong></em>. Local activist <strong>Beth Osborne</strong> pulled an <strong>Austin Powers</strong>.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402476,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402476,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="238" alt="7960402476?profile=original" /></a><em>Peter Baronoff did his best ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ imitation and set a record for fundraising.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402489,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402489,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="238" alt="7960402489?profile=original" /></a><em>YMCA President Dick Pollack was picked for best male dancer.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402679,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402679,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="238" alt="7960402679?profile=original" /></a><em>Beth Osborne was honored for best female fundraiser and dancer for her ‘Austin Powers’-like moves.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><br /> For the Calders’ act, Glen knew only that he was to sit on a chair on the dance floor. The music started and Kristin, head of public relations for the Bethesda Hospital Foundation and mother of three, strutted out in a fur coat, which she removed to reveal a swirling dress, straight out of <strong><em>The Seven-Year Itch</em></strong>. Then doing her best <strong>Marilyn Monroe</strong>, she sang “Happy Birthday, Mr. President,” to her stunned but grinning husband. <br /> Calder and her partner, Fred Astaire Studio dance director <strong>Jay Molter</strong>, then segued into their “real” dance to <em>Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend</em>. <br /> “When I see the photos I can’t believe it’s me out there,” Calder said. “When they asked me to participate, I was pregnant and thought this would be a good way to get back in shape. But to learn the choreography and pretending to be Marilyn Monroe was as mentally challenging as it was physical. It’s a very emotional experience as well. Most of us wouldn’t get out there if it wasn’t for a cause.”<br /> Calder didn’t win. The mirrored ball trophies for best dance went to Pollock and Osborne, who also took the top fundraising prize with Baronoff. But no regrets, as the event raised $290,000 for college scholarships.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960403052,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960403052,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="238" alt="7960403052?profile=original" /></a><em>Kristin Calder was greeted with flowers by her children, Harrison and Caroline, after channeling Marilyn Monroe.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><strong>Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong><br /></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><br /> “It gets better every year, the talent of the dancers and what people put into it,” she said. “When I look at the pictures and see all the people smiling and having such a great time, it was worth it. And for a few minutes, I was Marilyn Monroe. That was great. I’m sure it will be a part of my life for some time to come.”</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">*** <br /> Imagine how the world would have been if MM had done the samba. The essence of Brazil will transform Boca on Sept. 7 as <strong>Friday Night Live!</strong> celebrates Brazilian Independence Day with a full schedule of events at Sanborn Square. Entertainment by singer <strong>Rose Max</strong> and <strong>Batuke Samba Funk</strong>, art, fashion and Brazilian food from Gourmet Truck Expo. The carnival begins at 6 p.m.<br /> ***<br /> Aside from the music, a large part of the appeal of playing in a local band is its spontaneity and unpredictability. <strong>Brian Bolen</strong> has seen a lot of both during his career, most recently with <strong>Uproot Hootenanny</strong>, a string band. It plays most of its gigs at bars and clubs in the coastal towns, although it recently has added an annual hop to the Emerald Isle for a fortnight of performances. <br /> “We played 10 gigs in 15 days this year,” said Bolen, who plays guitar and bass and sings. “Next year we’ll have some more gigs lined up. I think they’ll let us back in.”<br /> Perhaps the guys also made an impression on <strong>Khris Royal</strong>, who stopped by the <strong>Wishing Well</strong> in mid-August after a concert at <strong>Pompano Beach Amphitheater</strong>. Royal is a sax player, born and raised in the jazzy-funk of New Orleans, who was accepted at Boston’s prestigious Berklee School of Music at age 16. He’s played with the <strong>Marsalises</strong> and <strong>Bobby Brown</strong> and recorded with the likes of <strong>Mary J. Blige</strong>, <strong>Ashanti</strong> and <strong>Erykah Badu</strong>. Now in one of those surprise, unexpected musical moves, he’s added his sax to <strong>Rebelution</strong>, a fast-rising band from California that plays, of all things, reggae. <br /> After the Pompano concert, Royal met some of the locals who invited him to go clubbing … and he accepted … and when they arrived as the Wishing Well and the surprised Bolen invited him to jam … he accepted. <br /> “He jumped up and played. He was fun to jam with,” Bolen said of the resulting fusion of Irish, rock, reggae and jazz. “I mean, we’re a full-on string band, but it worked.”<br /> Royal and Rebelution have moved on with their national tour, but Uproot Hootenanny is busy at home in Boca, with dates Sept. 7 at <strong>The Funky Biscuit</strong>, Sept. 14 at The Wishing Well and Sept. 29 at <strong>Biergarten</strong>. <br /> ***<br /> Hold it! This can’t be right. A new building and business opening ahead of schedule? Well, it’s happened. <strong>Hyatt Place Pineapple Grove</strong> opened Aug. 8. Its 134 rooms, none on the ground floor, feature 42-inch flat-screen TVs, cozy corners and sofa lounges and expansive views of downtown Delray. It’s certified “green” (energy efficient) and includes a rooftop pool, a hot tub, workout room, full service bar, 24-hour food service, conference rooms and a ground floor gallery. During September, rooms start at $109 and are expected to range from $170 in summer to $300 during the season. A grand opening is planned for October.<br /> *** <br /> On the subject of dining and entertainment, Boynton Beach for years has taken a back seat to its more vocal neighbors north and south. Not any more.<br /> With a big boost from the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, young, energetic and innovative restaurateurs intend to turn what has been a town that people passed through on their way to Lake Worth or Delray and Boca into a dining destination. <br /> To make its point, the CRA recently offered media members a trolley tour of five spots that typify the town’s potential. <br /> Everything at <strong>The Backyard</strong> — half a block west of Federal — is outdoors, except the cooking; that’s done in an Airstream trailer. Live music, cold drinks and fresh, locally supplied food keep the place packed seven days a week. <br /> <strong>Chrissy Benoit</strong>, who once worked for <strong>Wolfgang Puck</strong> and moved to Lake Worth after a hurricane blew her out of Orlando, is working wonders with the just opened <strong>Little House</strong>, the renovated cottage on East Ocean, a block west of Federal. Again, it’s all fresh. Warning: The Pop Rock petite citrus sour cream pie ($6) is deadly.<br /> Across the street, seafood plays a big role at <strong>Hurricane Alley</strong>, although landlubbers can have their fill, too! But you can fish all day on the <strong>Sea Mist III</strong> drift boat and they’ll cook your catch for you. They also offer up a jalapeño margarita, an Asian calamari salad and a décor to delight the most debauched nautical wheeler.<br /> Farther south at Federal and Woolbright, on the ground floor of Las Ventanas, <strong>Sweetwater</strong> bills itself as a cocktail bar, rustling up some of the wildest libations known to man, as well as barrels of craft beers and a cellarful of wine. Food, too! It opened a year and a half ago, and with nearly 500 rental units above, they expected most patrons to be walk-ins. To the contrary, folks from Boca to Jupiter have found out. <br /> The only waterfront site on the tour, <strong>Prime Catch</strong>, actually has the New England feel of old brick and stained wood, cod and live Maine lobster. But the Therian family, which also owns the <strong>Banana Boat</strong> up the road and the <strong>Fifth Avenue Grill</strong> in Deerfield Beach, loves to fish and their catches — mahi, swordfish — make up a large part of the menu. <br /> Most important — the town has a new can-do attitude. It’s worth a stop.<br /> *** <br /> Down in Boca, almost as quickly as <strong>Philippe</strong> opened, it closed. Reportedly, <strong>Philippe Chow’s</strong> success with his Asian fusion restaurant didn’t travel well to East Palmetto Park Road. Local diners weren’t willing to pay the price, so he pulled the plug after only a year. <br /> Similarly, <strong>Assaggio del Forno</strong> in Boca’s Regency Shops at Jog and Yamato has closed barely six months after opening. <strong>Dennis Max’s</strong> foray into modern small-plate Italian cuisine didn’t catch on with the locals who wanted “old-style Italian.” <br /> “I decided to let my partner (<strong>John Williams</strong>) do what he wanted,” Max said. “I think he’ll reopen in October.”<br /> The severed partnership also spelled the demise of <strong>Frank and Dino’s</strong> in Deerfield Beach, but don’t expect Max to slow down. <br /> Though business couldn’t be better at <strong>Max’s Grille</strong> in Mizner Park, on Aug. 27 Max closed it for a month to give it a major makeover, including a new display kitchen. Until it reopens Sept. 26, Max urges diners to give <strong>Max’s Harvest</strong> in Delray a shot.<br /> Max’s next project is <strong>The Mexican</strong>, a sit-down restaurant with a large indoor-outdoor bar in <strong>Royal Palm Place</strong>. Max says it’s similar to <strong>Carlos and Pepe’s</strong>, a concept he developed with <strong>Burt Rapoport</strong> more than 30 years ago in Fort Lauderdale. <br /> Look for a late-October, early-November opening, which will be followed around Thanksgiving by <strong>Burt and Max’s</strong> in the still-under-construction <strong>Delray Marketplace</strong> out west at Lyons and Atlantic. After more than a decade apart, Max and Rapoport are again teaming up. This venture, Max said, will be an evolution of <strong>Max’s Grille</strong>.<br /> It’s a lot safer than it was three years ago,” Max said of the restaurant business. “A lot of young people are doing restaurants that are approachable, affordable, with excellent food that’s international. People want to go out and have a good time, and restaurants fill that need — now more than ever.”<br /> Also coming to the Marketplace will be <strong>Famiglia</strong> pizzeria, <strong>Shula Burger</strong>, <strong>Cabo Flats</strong>, a casual Mexican restaurant already opened in Palm Beach Gardens, and a 10-screen, 16-lane theater-bowling alley combo. <br /> *** <br /> Back in <strong>Mizner Park</strong>, around the first of the year, you should be able to go from a concert in the amphitheater at the north end to a jam session in the south end. The space formerly occupied by <strong>ZED451</strong> is scheduled to become <strong>JAZZIZ Nightlife</strong>, a spinoff of <strong>Michael Fagien’s</strong> JAZZIZ magazine. <br /> Fagien, a radiologist by day, plans to spend $6 million on the concept that will offer good food, good service and good shows — day and night — but previous attempts at jazz venues in South Florida, much less Boca, haven’t done well. However, with the emergence of the <strong>Arts Garage</strong> in Delray, and with Fagien’s ties to performers through his magazine, the odds may be improving.<br /> Meanwhile, <strong>Train</strong> is booked at the amphitheater Sept. 5 and <strong>Bonnie Raitt</strong> on Oct. 21, while Funky Biscuit has <strong>The Lee Boys</strong> on Oct. 19, and <strong>Maria Muldaur</strong> on Oct. 27. <strong>Rusted Root</strong> will play the Biergarten on Nov. 7.<br /> *** <br /> Up in Lake Worth, Sauceboss <strong>Bill Wharton</strong> and <strong>Damon Fowler</strong> headline <strong>Blues, Brews and BBQ</strong>, Oct. 20-21 at Bryant Park; the <strong>Bamboo Room</strong> has <strong>New Riders of the Purple Sage</strong> booked for Nov. 2-3 and <strong>Steve Forbert</strong> on Nov. 8. </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402692,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402692,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960402692?profile=original" /></a><em>Visitors to the Seagate Hotel and Spa visit the hotel’s new shark tank (above), which has three small sharks (below).</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><strong>Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960403065,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960403065,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960403065?profile=original" /></a></strong></em><br /> <em>Thom Smith is a freelance writer. Find him at thomsmith@ymail.com.</em></p></div>George Snow Scholarship Fund’s 19th Annual Caribbean Cowboy Ballhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/george-snow-scholarship-fund-s-19th-annual-caribbean-cowboy-ball2012-02-03T15:30:00.000Z2012-02-03T15:30:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960367275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960367275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960367275?profile=original" /></a><em>Former Boca Raton Mayor Bill Smith and his wife Bonny,</em> <br /> <em>were decked out in matching shirts at the George Snow Scholarship</em> <br /> <em>Fund’s 19th Annual Caribbean Cowboy Ball on Jan. 28.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960367086,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960367086,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960367086?profile=original" /></a><em>Jason Walton, chief of staff at Lynn University, above,</em> <br /> <em>and Jessica Corneille, below, a 2007 Snow Scholar and a</em> <br /> <em>kindergarten teacher at Forest Park Elementary School,</em><br /> <em>were also on hand. <b>Photos by Tim Stepien</b></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960367491,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960367491,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960367491?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p><b>Boca Raton, FL</b> <b>---</b> The George Snow Scholarship Fund's Nineteenth Annual Caribbean Cowboy Ball and Auction kicked off the 30<sup>th</sup> Anniversary of the George Snow Scholarship Fund on January 28th attracting over 580 "cowpokes" for a foot-stompin' good time.</p>
<p>The event, which honored Robin and Charles Deyo with the Fund's Annual "Community Service Award," and The Boca Raton Regional Hospital with the Fund’s Annual “Corporate Community Service Award; " raised approximately $137,000 to be applied toward higher education scholarships and programs designed to assist worthy students in our community.</p>
<p>A major contributor toward the Caribbean Cowboy Ball's financial success was the live and silent auction, which features gifts and services donated from many local and regional businesses and organizations. Many people walked away with one of a kind sports memorabilia, exciting golf packages, dinner at their favorite restaurant, and fantastic trips, living up to its reputation “As the Best Darn Auction in Boca Raton. "</p>
<p>Tim Snow, president of the George Snow Scholarship Fund, said, "We are deeply grateful to each of the companies and organizations that contributed items for our auction. </p></div>