FORT MYERS, FLA., March 15, 2018 – PACE Center for Girls of Lee County celebrated the 10th anniversary of their signature event, The Grande Dames Tea on March 13 at the Broadway Palm in Fort Myers with a sold-out crowd.
The community came together and raised more than $65,000 honoring the legacy of the incoming Grande Dames and all women who have played important roles in their lives.
Barbara Yeomans of Fort Myers, the late Dena Geraghty of Fort Myers and the late Elizabeth (Betty) Sanders of Fort Myers were honored for their roles in Southwest Florida history and their decades of service and helping others. Eunice Bremner of Fort Myers also was recognized as an Honorary Grande Dame.
This year, Kathy Kleist and the Kleist Family foundation made a $10,000 gift to the Michel Doherty Grande Dames Scholarship fund in the name of Dena Geraghty and in honor of Kathy’s mother and Grande Dame, Eleanore Kleist. This fund provides scholarship opportunities to PACE Girls in the Transition Program seeking vocational training and higher education.
Bill Barker, The News-Press Media Group President and Publisher, served as master of ceremonies.
Chair of the event was Kathy Toll with Nancy Finch serving as co-chair. Both are members of the PACE Lee Board of Directors.
“These outstanding women came from varied backgrounds. There was so much insightful advice offered for the audience and the PACE girls,” Toll said.
The late Dena Geraghty, who passed away earlier this year, was represented by her daughter, Kelley Geraghty Price, who detailed what her mother intended to relay to the audience. The late Betty Sanders, who also passed away just weeks before the event, was represented by her sister-in-law Deanna Sanders Hansen.
“Our theme of The Wisdom of Age – Honoring the Female Spirit was so appropriate because each of these women had much to share from their own life’s journey,” Finch said.
A special musical performance by the PACE Girls’ Harmony Choir was a major highlight of the tea.
The PACE girls also assisted with the fund-raising efforts by creating one-of-a-kind bracelets that were purchased and featured by many event attendees.
This is the 10th year of the historic Grande Dames Tea. Previous honorees were the late Berne Davis, the late Eleanore Kleist and the late Barbara B. Mann in 2009; the late Jeanne Bochette, the late Helen Hendry and the late Veronica Shoemaker in 2010; Myra Janco Daniels, Kathleen Nealon and the late Mimi Straub in 2011; Michel Doherty, the late Mavis Stinson Miller and Anna “Boots” Tolles in 2012; Thelma Hodges, the late Helen O’Rourke McClary and Ettie Francis Walsh in 2013; Barbara Brown, the late Sarah Sciple and Margaret Sirianni in 2014; Sharlene Hamel Dozier, M. Jacqueline McCurdy and Melvin Morgan in 2015; Betty Anderson, Rusty Brown and Dr. Geraldine Burchard Nobles in 2016; and Patricia Carroll, the late Lalai Sapp Hamric and Beverly McNew in 2017.
The Grande Dames Tea was originated by PACE Center for Girls of Lee County to honor women who have played major roles in Southwest Florida history through decades of service, philanthropy and helping others.
The agenda for the tea included interaction between the PACE girls and the Grande Dames, in a question and answer format.
Major event sponsors were the Broadway Palm, Edison National Bank, Galloway Family of Dealerships, Connie & Ed Lizak, as well as Eunice and Alexandra Bremner, in loving memory of Berne Davis, Barbara B. Mann and Eleanore Kleist, the first class of Grande Dames honored at this event.
Other sponsors were Mark Loren Designs, Fort Myers Infiniti, Lee Health Foundation, Markham, Norton, Mosteller, Wright & Co., P.A., Stilwell Enterprises & Restaurant Group, Caloosa Tent & Rental, Ruth Messmer Florist, Noela Chocolate & Confections, the Print Shop, Susan Bennett Marketing & Media, Red Door Photography and Jason’s Deli.
Media sponsors were The News-Press Media Group, Living Local and Gulfshore Life.
PACE Center for Girls, Inc., is a non-residential delinquency prevention program targeting the unique needs of girls, ages 11 to 18 years old facing challenges such as academic failure and truancy, physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence, substance abuse, foster care, neglect, death of a parent, and family history of incarceration.
PACE is a Florida-based, not for profit organization, and the only statewide prevention program for adolescent at-risk girls in the nation. In the past year, the Lee County program provided 117 girls with education, counseling, career training and advocacy programs and services resulting in 95 percent having no involvement with juvenile justice within one year of leaving PACE, 96 percent improving their academic performance and 93 percent remaining in school or obtaining employment after leaving PACE. As a result, PACE reduces the significant long term costs associated with teen pregnancy, substance abuse, unemployment and long term economic dependency.
PACE accepts referrals from the juvenile justice system, the Department of Children & Families, school personnel, community services agencies, parents, family members, friends and self-referrals.
For more information about PACE, call 239-425-2366 or visit www.pacecenter.org/locations/lee.