IN THE COMMUNITY
A fundraiser to support Hope Hospice and Rainbow Trails Camp
S ince 2003, members of Friends of Hope have celebrated the beginning of spring with an annual luncheon to support Hope Hospice, our community’s not-for-profit health care organization that is dedicated to providing care and comfort to every individual and their loved ones as they fulfill life’s journey.
This year, guests will gather at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa on Monday, March 16, for an afternoon of fun, fashion and friendship planned by co-chairs Etta Smith, Signe Wynne and Heather Clegg with the luncheon committee. The event starts with a reception featuring boutique shopping from a unique collection of silk scarves, leather handbags, fine jewelry, pottery, glasswork and accessories.
During the luncheon, guests can win exciting raffle prizes and get a glimpse of the most up-to-date spring fashions. A runway show presented by Kathryn’s Collection at the Galleria Shoppes at Vanderbilt in Naples will feature ensembles from some of the store’s luxury fashion lines, including Algo of Switzerland, Spring Lafayette 148, Elliot Lauren, Simon Sebbag, Hinson Wu and Connie Roberson.
The luncheon also supports Hope Healthcare’s Rainbow Trails Camp, an annual weekend-long camp for children who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Led by Hope’s counselors, art and music therapists, and community volunteers, the camp offers activities to support the grieving process along with recreation, crafts, swimming and singing.
“People of all ages experience loss and express grief in different ways,” said Samira K. Beckwith, Hope Healthcare president and CEO. “We created the Rainbow Trails Camp 30 years ago because we wanted to have a special place for children to interact with others who understand their loss.”
Tickets for the Friends of Hope Luncheon are $100. Or invite your friends to join you at a “Girlfriends Table,” where 10 guests can enjoy two bottles of wine, signage and recognition for $1,350. To purchase tickets or to donate, visit Donate .HopeHCS.org/lunch2020.
Spending a day fishing, an afternoon sailing, or a morning on a boat ride is something many look forward to. For kids with life-threatening illnesses, people with disabilities, veterans and active military, and at-risk youth, boating experiences like these are not only enjoyable but also therapeutic.
Debra Frenkel, founder and executive director of Freedom Waters Foundation, an organization founded in 2006 and operated by just 3½ employees, describes the boating experiences as “self-empowering, relaxing and freeing.” So far, more than 3,400 have participated in the programs that range from adaptive sailing to fishing tournaments for at-risk youth to veterans programs to two big boat trips on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
The foundation offers a variety of opportunities and events, including the Murdo Smith Adaptive Sailing Regatta at Sugden Regional Park in Naples on March 21. The regatta is for people with disabilities and is held in partnership with Collier County Parks and Recreation. Freedom Waters Foundation also offers year-round boating and fishing programs for veterans where boat owners and volunteers donate the use of their watercraft and their time.
These life-enhancing experiences are all made possible by the more than 300 volunteers who provide their private and commercial boats, time and dollars to Freedom Waters Foundation.
“We are always recruiting for boats to join us, participants to serve, volunteers for in the office and on boats, and any financial support as well,” explains Frenkel. Sponsorship opportunities are available year-round for Freedom Waters Foundation’s annual Kind Mariners Ball held each February.
For more information, contact Freedom Waters Foundation, 239-263-2377, freedomwatersfoundation.org.