Today – Wednesday, April 25, 2012

WHAT: 15 deserving local area organizations serving the community to receive financial grants totaling $130,000 as the BallenIsles Charities Foundation’s inaugural 2012 Designated Beneficiaries.

WHO: The BallenIsles Charities Foundation Board, Mayor David Levy, Foundation Award Grantees from:

• The City of  Palm Beach Gardens Police Department to fund the purchase of two state-of-the-art Mobile Rapid ID units to enhance our community’s safety; our grant will also provide funds for a Fujifilm (IS Pro. third UV & IR) forensic camera and SirchStand photography stand that, together, make it possible to see evidence that is otherwise invisible.
• The Palm Beach Gardens Recreation Department will host a Concert Series on the Plaza at Veterans Park.
• Allamanda Elementary School (located in Palm Beach Gardens) will be able to purchase books for its classroom libraries project ‘Readers Make Successful Leaders,’ and iPads for exceptional needs students.
• Scripps Florida Education Outreach program will receive support to allow local high school students, teachers and college undergraduates to conduct summer research internships.
• Gratitude House’s ‘Mothers and Infants in Treatment Together’ will receive support for its services for pregnant and postpartum women and their infants.
• The Alzheimer’s Community Care ‘Family Nurse Consultant Services’ where funds will allow the program to make home visits to help caregivers and individuals facing Alzheimer’s disease.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School (located in Palm Beach Gardens) will be able to purchase iPads for deaf and hard-of-hearing students and bus rental for the school’s annual hearing impaired students’ picnic.
• The Renaissance Learning Center (Autism Project for Palm Beach County) to initiate a ‘Healthy Life Skills’ program designed to teach students about nutrition and healthy eating.
• The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Foundation to purchase specially designed vests to protect the lives of the K-9 members of the force.
• Hospice of Palm Beach County’s ‘Camp SeaStar,’ a support program for children and teens suffering from a death in the family.
• The 2012 Math Science Institute of Palm Beach State College’s 8-week, academically rigorous, program for students with interest in science, technology, engineering and math.
• Busch Wildlife Sanctuary’s Junior Naturalist Educational Program for children from nine to fourteen.
• Palm Beach Gardens High School’s Student College Tour will allow students who otherwise cannot afford to take part, to be able to participate in touring universities they might like to attend.
• West Palm Beach Waterfront Warriors for a program that allows Wounded Military Personnel and Families will be able to visit the Palm Beaches.
• The ARC of Palm Beach County’s Potentials Charter School’s Music Therapy Program (for children 3-10) will receive critical financial support to continue this therapeutic program.

WHERE:  BallenIsles Country Club, Sports Complex, 2^nd Flr. Conference Room
100 BallenIsles Circle (PGA Blvd just east of Turnpike)
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418

WHEN:  Wednesday, April 25
1:30  – 4: 15pm  check presentations & remarks           

INFO:  “These awards totaling $130,000 represent 100 percent funding of each of the programs we undertook to support in our inaugural year. Simply put, every beneficiary will receive every dollar they asked for. As importantly, this also represents the power of the joint spirit of giving within our community which collectively can create a bigger impact to benefit local programs and organizations in the towns where we live, volunteer and use services.  Helping to make a difference represents the underlying principle of our grant making efforts and we take great pride that the collective efforts of our community, at every level, have made it possible, in the very short time of our formation, to fully fund these valuable projects,” said BallenIsles Charities Foundation Inc. President and Founder Fred Corrado.

MEDIA CONTACT: Mark Hopkinson
NewsMark Public Relations
[email protected]
561-852-5767