In honor of the 2014-2015 season, The Coastal Star is randomly highlighting 15 of the charity arena’s top affairs — all benefiting local nonprofits with missions of improving their communities and the lives of people in them. Philanthropy editor Amy Woods invites you to engage in and enjoy the events of the upcoming social season.
1. The Historical Society of Palm Beach County, in partnership with the Boynton Beach Historical Society, Delray Beach Historical Society, Delray Beach Preservation Trust, Sandoway House Nature Center and Spady Cultural Heritage Museum, celebrates Cocktails in Paradise, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22, at 50 Ocean Blvd. in Delray Beach.
2. The Junior League of Boca Raton invites the public to honor its best supporters at the annual Woman Volunteer of the Year Luncheon, 10:30 a.m. Nov. 7, at Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton.
3. Let’s get physical at the YMCA of South Palm Beach County’s Corporate Cup Challenge, 8:30 a.m. to noon Nov. 8, an Olympics-style, coed competition that celebrates health and wellness in the workplace, as well as team-building skills. The event encourages participation by athletes and nonathletes and focuses on togetherness and having a good time. Awards will be given to the top three teams, and the overall team champion will be presented with a trophy.
4. Just in time for Christmas and Hanukkah, the Naoma Donnelley Haggin Boys & Girls Club in Delray Beach brings back its Holiday Trunk Show, Dec. 1 through 3. The show kicks off with a preview party 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 1, where guests will have the first opportunity to view and purchase original gift items. It opens to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2 and 3 at The Seagate Hotel & Spa, offering merchandise from more than 30 specialty vendors.
5. LIFE returns with its “Lady in Red” Gala, “A Night in Shanghai,” 6 p.m. Dec. 6, with actor Martin Short, at The Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach.
6. The Caridad Center Gala celebrates 25 years of providing health care to poor and uninsured residents in the county through its support team of donors, staff members and volunteers, 6 p.m. Jan. 10, at the International Polo Club in Wellington.
7. Actress Cheryl Ladd will speak at Food for the Poor’s Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 22. Ladd is best-known for her role as Kris Monroe in the television series Charlie’s Angels. She now champions the needs of the destitute as a spokeswoman for the nonprofit’s Angels of the Poor program. The gala opens with a wine-tasting reception and silent auction and culminates with a four-course gourmet dinner and live auction.
8. The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties goes “garden chic” at its Paradise Found 2015 Gala, 7 p.m. Jan. 22, to raise money that helps the agency develop solutions to critical issues facing the local area, at The Breakers in Palm Beach.
9. The George Snow Scholarship Fund will celebrate the new year with its annual Caribbean Cowboy Ball, 6 to 11 p.m. Jan. 24, which has awarded $637,000 in college scholarships, at Red Reef Park in Boca Raton.
10. The Delray Beach Public Library brings comedian Paul Mecurio to town to headline “Laugh with the Library, Chapter 9,” 7 p.m. Jan. 30, a night of cocktails, dinner-by-the-bite and lots of humor, at the Delray Beach Marriott.
11. The holiday season is over, but there’s still more shopping to be done at the Wayside House’s Spring Boutique and Trunk Show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 24-26. Items to be sold range from high-end accessories, clothing and jewelry to dynamic home décor. The House receives a percentage of sales. Funds raised will help support residential programs and services for women living with addiction.
12. The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County welcomes New York Times bestselling author Kate DiCamillo, who is serving as the 2014-15 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, as special guest speaker of the annual fundraiser, 11:30 a.m. March 12, at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach.
13. There are a lot of new and exciting things in store for the Boca Bacchanal. The Boca Raton Historical Society fundraiser will offer two days of drinking and eating pleasure, 7 p.m. March 27 and 28. The main event, Boca Bacchanalia, combines the Bacchus Bash and Grand Tasting at a fresh location: the Boca Raton Airport. The ever-popular vintner dinners will take place at various venues throughout the city and will be led by world-renowned chefs and wine experts.
14. The Milagro Center is excited to celebrate its annual SuperSTAR Spectacular Showcase event, 6 p.m. April 1, at the Arts Garage in Delray Beach for the first time. The April 1 fundraiser will highlight multitalented children from kindergarten through 12th grade with the theme “A Blast from the Past: A Tribute to the ’60s, ’70s & ’80s.” Highlights of the night will include freestyle-dance and spoken-word performances, along with a display of student-created artwork.
15.Impact 100 Palm Beach County presents multiple $100,000 grants to South County nonprofits in the categories of Arts & Culture, Education, Environment, Family and Health & Wellness at an awards ceremony, 6 p.m. April 16, at Lynn University in Boca Raton.
— Amy Woods
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