Foundation cancels event at Mar-a-Lago

Charity that helps hospital moves lunch

Eighteen fundraising organizations have now canceled events at Mar-a-Lago since President Donald Trump’s controversial remarks on violence in Charlottesville, Va.

The Bethesda Hospital Foundation, which supports a Boynton Beach medical center, is moving its Nov. 9 Women of Grace luncheon from Trump’s oceanfront estate to The Boca Raton Resort and Club, according to a listing on its website.

Paula Henderson, a foundation spokeswoman, could not be immediately reached for comment.

Mar-a-Lago has seen mass defections from charities since Trump said Aug. 15 that both white supremacists and counter-protesters were to blame for violence during a Charlottesville rally.

The list of cancellations includes events held by the American Cancer Society, the American Red Cross, the Cleveland Clinic, the Salvation Army and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Large evening galas at Mar-a-Lago can cost as much as $275,000 and generate more than $1 million in donations, according to tax records.

Bethesda Hospital Foundation spent about $10,000 on rental and facility costs for its 2015 event at Mar-aLago and another $85,000 on food and beverages, generating more than $320,000 in contributions, tax records show.

Only three evening events remain at Mar-aLago for the upcoming social season — the Palm Beach Police Foundation ball, the Palm Beach County Republican Party Lincoln Day dinner and the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Vets holiday gala.

sswisher@sunsentinel.com, 561-243-6634 or @SkylerSwisher