Member News

FORT MYERS, Fla., (Jan. 24, 2019) – Pace Center for Girls, Lee County has announced Linda Brown, Doris Colgate and Mary Fischer as the honorees of its 2019 Grande Dames Tea. The three women will be recognized for their roles in business, community and philanthropy at Pace’s annual Grande Dames Tea celebration on Tuesday, March 26.
“Linda, Doris and Mary have made significant impacts in Southwest Florida through their decades of philanthropic service and success in business,” said Meg M. Geltner, executive director at Pace Center for Girls, Lee County. “Celebrating the wisdom of time, the Grande Dames Tea event provides a unique opportunity for honorees to share insight from their individual life journeys, passing their knowledge along to future generations as we come together to honor the female spirit.”

• Brown, 76, is known for her lifetime of service to her country, medical field and Southwest Florida community. With decades of experience as an advanced registered nurse practitioner and health care provider, Brown is also a veteran of the U.S. Navy Reserve Nurse Corps, where she served for 12 years as a naval officer. She moved to Southwest Florida in 1991 and soon recognized a need for the nursing community to be better represented within the health care field, which led to her election to the Lee Memorial Health System’s (now Lee Health) Board of Directors in 2000. She had the rewarding opportunity to serve as a voice for her fellow nurses for 12 years, four of which were spent as board chair and three also spent on the American Hospital Association’s regional committee. Today, she serves on the board for Lee Community Healthcare and regularly volunteers at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Golisano Children’s Hospital and provides pet therapy at Hope Hospice through its PACE program. She is a mother of three children – Diana, Heather and Zander – and a grandmother.
• Colgate, 77, is the co-owner, chief executive officer and president of Offshore Sailing School, recognized as a trailblazer in the sailing industry and an ardent supporter of the Southwest Florida community. Colgate and her husband, Steve, moved to Southwest Florida in 1988, and today, the Colgates are considered “celebrities” in the sailing world, the proud leaders of more than 150,000 sailing school graduates. She has earned numerous accolades for her leadership in sailing, is the founder of the National Women’s Sailing Association, the AdventureSail mentorship program for at-risk girls, and the Women’s Sailing Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of women and girls through education and access to the sport of sailing. Colgate has served on multiple boards and committees within the sailing industry, and is an active member of the Southwest Florida community, serving on the board for Florida Repertory Theatre, regularly hosting fundraising sailing regattas, donating sailing opportunities and providing monetary support for a number of organizations and causes.
• Fischer, 76, is a well-known name in Southwest Florida, recently re-elected to her third term as a district representative for the Lee County School Board. Recognized for her devotion to service and education, Fischer moved to Cape Coral in 1977 and soon began her teaching career in Lee County, where she was a school counselor, teacher and prevention specialist. A passionate advocate in her support of local children’s causes, she also served as a certified family mediator for the Florida Supreme Court, a national certified trainer for BullySafe, program director for Guardian ad Litem Foundation, 20^th Judicial Circuit, and a medical social worker for the Lee Memorial Health System (now Lee Health). Fischer has served on many boards and committees through her role as the Lee County School Board liaison, in addition to her personal support of Pace Center for Girls and Lee County Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida, and serving as a lector at St. Katharine Drexel Church. She is a mother of four, with eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

The 11^th annual Grande Dames Tea event will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26 at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers. Ticket sales begin Feb. 1, with admission at $60 per person and $500 for tables of eight. Proceeds from the event benefit Pace and its strength-based, gender-specific programs that guide Pace girls in finding their voice and achieving their potential.
To purchase tickets, or to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, visit www.pacecenter.org/locations/lee or call 239-425-2366.
About Pace Center for Girls, Lee County
Since 2007, Pace Center for Girls, Lee County has been providing girls and young women an opportunity for a better future through education, counseling, training and advocacy. The gender-specific, strength-based program is one of 22 Centers throughout Florida, and is known throughout the nation as a best practices model for diverting girls from the juvenile justice system. Pace is a registered not-for-profit organization that relies on the support of individuals, businesses, civic/community organizations and churches in Lee County in order to serve girls and their families. Since its inception, Pace Center for Girls, Lee County has served more than 650 at-promise girls and young women, believing each one deserves an opportunity to find her voice, achieve her potential and celebrate a life defined by responsibility, dignity, serenity and grace. For more information on Pace Center for Girls, Lee County, call 239-425-2366 or visit www.pacecenter.org/locations/lee.
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Media Contacts:
Emily Golden, Priority Marketing, [email protected], 239-267-2638 or 239-565-1595 (cell)
Holly Boldrin, APR, CPRC, Priority Marketing, [email protected], 239-267-2638 or 239-887-9335 (cell)

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Jan. 24, 2019) – A personalized weight-loss solution is coming to Fort Myers. Profile by Sanford, a nutrition and lifestyle coaching service, is opening its third Florida franchise on Friday, Jan. 25 in the Cypress Trace plaza at the corner of U.S. 41 and Cypress Lake Drive. Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson will be among those in attendance for a grand opening celebration on Thursday, February 7 from 4-7 p.m. at the new Profile by Sanford center on 13300 S. Cleveland Ave., Suite 23. A ribbon-cutting is set for 4:30 p.m.
“Losing weight can be a frustrating and confusing challenge, but Profile by Sanford is a science-backed program that removes the guesswork and makes weight loss simple, effective and sustainable,” franchisee Willow Terry said.
Terry and husband Jason Zollner will operate the Fort Myers location, which will have space for one-on-one coaching and shelves stocked with Profile’s full line of nutritious foods, including pastas, soups, shakes, protein bars and desserts. Nearly 400 locations are open or in development nationwide for the rapidly expanding subsidiary of nonprofit Sanford Health, one of America’s premier healthcare systems.
Developed by doctors and researchers and launched in 2011, Profile by Sanford combines nutrition, activity and lifestyle coaching to encourage healthy weight loss. Profile offers five medically designed protocols with a holistic and educational emphasis.
Two are weight-loss protocols, called Reboot and Balance. There’s also the Mom-To-Be Protocol, which focuses on weight management and healthy weight gain based on body mass index.
The Teen Protocol requires a physician referral and the parent or guardian present at each appointment, and the Perform Protocol enhances lean muscle mass with a goal of shedding a few pounds to increase performance in exercise and athletics.
Fort Myers resident Mike Pcolar lost 12 pounds in less than four weeks after starting the program Dec. 28 through Profile Anywhere, a service that provides a virtual link between members and coaches. Pcolar is impressed by how well Fort Myers Franchise Manager Jeanne Montana and other Profile coaches have explained the program each step along the way.
“It’s easy to follow,” Pcolar said. “The whole process has been very informative.”
Pcolar’s goal was to lose weight around his midsection, and his waistline’s already gone from 35 inches to 33. Thanks to his coaches, he now has a much better understanding of what it takes to maintain that healthier weight.
“For years, I thought I knew what healthy eating was,” Pcolar said. “I would snack on grapes and strawberries. I really had no clue that fruits could be counterproductive in weight loss.”
Profile by Sanford coaches helped him learn details specific to his own eating habits and gave him a customized plan for dealing with them. Profile by Sanford members also get a personalized online data center and a Profile Smart Body Scale, which syncs directly to the data center and provides numbers that help coaches keep members on track.
The program goes even deeper with Profile Precise, which uses DNA testing for genetic information that helps members better understand how their bodies process food and how to harness their weight loss potential.
Pre-opening membership specials start as low as $50 a year. Visit profileplan.com/fort-myers to sign up or schedule a free one-hour consultation with a coach.
About Profile by Sanford:
Profile by Sanford combines nutrition, activity and lifestyle coaching to help members lose weight and keep it off. Physicians and researchers at Sanford Health, one of the largest integrated health systems in the nation, designed Profile by Sanford to take the guesswork out of healthy lifestyle change. The program’s results-oriented approach has allowed Profile by Sanford to open 70 locations with nearly 400 more in development in less than six years. The company is recognized as one of America’s fastest growing franchisors by Entrepreneur Magazine. For more information, visit profileplan.com.
About Sanford Health:
Sanford Health is an integrated health system headquartered in South Dakota. It is one of the largest health systems in the nation with 45 hospitals and nearly 300 clinics in nine states and four countries. Sanford Health’s 28,000 employees, including more than 1,300 physicians, make it the largest employer in the Dakotas. Nearly $1 billion in gifts from philanthropist Denny Sanford have allowed for several initiatives, including global children’s clinics, genomic medicine and specialized centers researching cures for type 1 diabetes, breast cancer and other diseases.
For more information, visit sanfordhealth.org.

Fort Myers, FL (Jan. 24, 2019) – Public Relations University is the Southwest Florida chapter’s annual full-day conference, bringing together state and national experts in public relations. The conference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 1, 2019 at the award-winning Holiday Inn Fort Myers Town Center at 9931 Interstate Commerce Dr., Fort Myers, FL.
This year’s theme ‘Hat Tricks’ addresses the functions of public relations and the many hats public relations, marketing and communications professionals wear every day. The conference is open to the public and will provide professionals in all business sectors real-world tools and best practices in public relations, marketing and communications. Attendees can expect current case studies, emerging strategies and tangible tactics to apply in the New Year.
Speakers represent a wide range of industries and sectors:

• Jason Teeters, with a high-energy, motivational message designed specifically for the professional managing the brands and communication goals of others.
• Alyson Lundell, APR, CPRC, Senior Director of PR for Universal Orlando Resort, on the opening of The Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon and Fast & Furious – Supercharged.
• April Salter of Salter Mitchell PR will share her crisis communications and media relations experience in the 2016 election regarding the Russian hacking attempt.
• Gordon Paulus, APR, CPRC, President of Florida Public Relations will speak about leveraging the full value of an FPRA membership.
• Teri Hansen, APR and President of Priority Marketing, along with Holly Boldrin, APR, CPRC will co-present creating marketing campaigns and brand loyalty for Southwest Florida’s own chocolatier, Norman Love Confections.
• Matt Holliday, Director of Governmental Relations at Florida SouthWestern State College will speak about lobbying and governmental relations.

More details about the speakers and topics featured at PRU are available at FPRASWFL.org. Registration closes Friday and is $99 for FPRA and PRSA members, $129 for non-members, $60 for students (scholarship opportunities available).
Registration includes all educational sessions, meals and refreshments, and post-event networking. Professionals accredited with their APR earn two continuing education points toward maintenance requirements. Rooms at a discounted conference rate of $189 are available.
For a downloadable image, please click here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FUlOCHfoCB5cHOuCpBcJxo5AX_SCt2cF?usp=sharing
 
Established in 1938, FPRA is the oldest public relations organization in the United States. FPRA is dedicated to developing public relations practitioners who, through ethical and standardized practices, enhance the public relations profession in Florida. The Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association is dedicated to programs and activities that enhance the success of PR professionals in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. 

FORT MYERS, FLA., January 22, 2019– Ruth Graham, daughter of the late Evangelist Billy Graham, will be the guest speaker at the 23rd Annual Benefit Dinner for Lifeline Family Center Thursday, March 14.
As an extra special appearance, Ruth’s daughter Windsor Dienert-Bauder also will share the stage and tell her own story about unplanned pregnancy and the decisions she made.
About 600 community leaders are expected to attend the annual benefit dinner at McGregor Baptist Church on Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.  Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the dinner begins at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $85 each or $480 for a table of eight. Sponsorships, which include a VIP reception with Ruth and Windsor, are available from $1,000 to $10,000.  Tickets may be purchased at www.BenefitDinnerLFC.org  or by calling 239-242-7238.
The Cape Coral Breeze and CTN10 Christian Television are the media sponsors for the event.
“We are very pleased that Ruth Graham and her daughter Windsor will be coming to Southwest Florida to share their own stories of struggle and overcoming heartache,” said Lifeline Family Center President and Founder Kathy Miller.  “Their experiences are sure to resonate with everyone who has had to endure hardship in their lives.”
As the third child of Billy Graham, Ruth has her own unique voice addressing critical issues of the 21^st Century including experiencing her spouse’s infidelities, her divorces, her teenage daughter’s pregnancies, another daughter’s struggle with bulimia and her son’s battle with drugs.
She is the author of many books including the best-selling In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart and the sward-winning Step Into the Bible. Ruth is an experienced conference speaker and has appeared on “Good Morning America,” “FOX and Friends” and been interviewed on Moody Radio many times.
Her daughter Windsor speaks openly about her two teenage pregnancies while being related to the most famous Protestant religious leader in the world.  She contributed to two books with her mother and Sara Dormon:  I’m Pregnant, Now What? and So You Want to Adopt, Now What?
She currently is a student at Liberty University online while working for her husband’s photography business as office manager.  She also volunteers at crisis pregnancy centers and has offered her home to young girls who are pregnant.
Lifeline Family Center provides a home in Cape Coral for homeless young women in crisis pregnancies to help them become self-supporting through education, job training, parenting classes, professional counseling and spiritual guidance. It is the only residential program in Lee County for homeless young women in crisis pregnancies who are not part of the foster care program.
In the residential program, Lifeline Family Center serves up to 12 young women, ages 16 to 25, and up to 24 babies at a time. In the Outreach Ministry program, more than 6,000 women have received assistance with material needs, adoption counseling and resource referrals. The non-profit also operates a 24/7 Pregnancy Helpline, provides free pregnancy tests, free ultrasounds by appointment, and does outreach to all areas of Lee County, including all college campuses.
 
About Lifeline Family Center
Founded in 1996, Lifeline Family Center provides young women in crisis pregnancies a safe home in Cape Coral and a learning environment.  They receive education, job training, professional counseling, parenting classes and spiritual guidance.  The two-year residential program prepares young moms and their babies to become self-supporting, contributing members of society.  Lifeline Family Center receives no government funding and is wholly dependent upon donations from generous individuals, churches and corporations that believe in Lifeline’s mission as well as United Way funding.  For more information about Lifeline Family Center, visit www.lifelinefamilycenter.org.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Jan. 21, 2019) – Sitting for long hours can seriously damage your health. The long hours required in the law profession often lead to a sedentary lifestyle, but Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, is offering its employees an alternative. Throughout the firm’s offices are “treadmill desks” — work stations where attorneys and other staff can walk or jog while accomplishing tasks.
The desks have all-around flexibility. They can be used as standing desks, and they can even be lowered so staff can work while reclining. The key is they allow staff members a break from sitting without requiring a break from work.
“The employees of this firm dedicate so much time and energy to their work, so it’s important for them to know their health is our utmost concern,” trial attorney P.J. Scheiner said. “Doctors say prolonged sitting is the new smoking. The dangers are well-documented, but treadmill desks give us an opportunity to combat them.”
People who sit for more than eight hours a day with no physical activity are at about the same level of risk of developing a fatal condition as those who smoke, an analysis of 13 studies showed, according to the Mayo Clinic. Cognizant of how movement can offset that hazard, a trial consultant introduced Bruce L. Scheiner to the treadmill desks a few years ago as a way to help him further his commitment to a healthy lifestyle, and the idea caught on.
The firm set up two shared treadmill desks and accommodated workers who asked for treadmill desks in their own offices, like Sherri Soyk, supervisor for the Inbound-Outbound Document Department. Soyk quit smoking about five years ago, and since she started using her treadmill desk, many of the health issues that lingered from her days as a smoker have disappeared, she said.
“Plus, I just feel more energized in the afternoon than I used to,” Soyk said.
Leslie Fattorusso, a supervisor in the Trial Coordination Department, noticed that walking and working on a treadmill desk gives her a similar boost in alertness and productivity.
“I’m not as sleepy throughout the day as I might be if I were just sitting there,” Fattorusso said. “It helps me be more alert, as opposed to sitting in a desk all day and getting groggy.”
Fattorusso also views the treadmill desk as a timesaver, since she doesn’t have to stay as long when she goes to the gym. Others have seen a weight-loss benefit. Using a treadmill desk four or five times a week for 15-30 minutes at a time has helped Trial Coordinator/Legal Assistant Gregory McMurrin shed 10 pounds on the way toward his goal of losing 30-40.
“It just feels better to be active,” McMurrin said. “I do feel better about my day, and I feel better in general when I use it.”
The treadmill desks took some getting used to at first for firm employees, since it’s a challenge to type and walk at the same time, they said, but they found that certain tasks lend themselves to the treadmill desks better than others.
McMurrin does his to-do list, emails and draft motions while he’s walking. P.J. Scheiner writes his emails on a treadmill desk, too, and he’ll also do editing work.
“Surprisingly, it’s not difficult,” Scheiner said. “Everybody has a natural cadence or pace. Taking the steps becomes second nature.”
Not everybody at the firm uses the treadmill desks, but there are enough people on the shared workstations for Scheiner to feel confident they’ve become popular tools that help employees get their work done and live better lives.
“The fact that I see them used pretty regularly tells me all I need to know,” Scheiner said.
Visit blslaw.com to see how the work of Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, is helping people who have been injured through the negligence of others.
Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, was founded in 1971 by Bruce L. Scheiner and his wife, Cheryl Scheiner. Both continue to work alongside their son, P.J. Scheiner, who joined the firm as a trial attorney in 2007.
Today, Bruce and P.J. work side by side in the negotiating room and the courtroom, where they fight to secure full and fair restitution for each and every client they have the privilege of representing. Bruce Scheiner still hand selects each case the firm accepts, personally assembles the team best able to see the case through to settlement or trial, and oversees every case from intake to resolution.
Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, has the knowledge, experience and resources to handle all types of personal injury and wrongful death claims for clients across the state of Florida, including trucking accidents, boating accidents, airplane accidents, nursing home neglect and abuse, construction accidents, defective product claims, premise liability claims and injuries to children.
Call 800-283-2900 or visit www.blslawyers.com.
 
 

FORT MYERS, FLA., January 21, 2019 – A new non-surgical option to correct facial wrinkles has been introduced in Florida by Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon Dr. Stephen Prendiville.
“Genius,” a radio frequency micro-needling device that was recently approved by  the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), will be explained at a free seminar conducted by Dr. Prendiville Friday, Feb. 15, in Fort Myers.
Dr. Prendiville is the first facial plastic surgeon in the state of  Florida to offer the new Genius, which was developed by Lutronic, a global aesthetic laser medical device manufacturer.
Genius delivers radio frequency energy to a variety of depths, regardless of skin type.  It can be used for several facial rejuvenation treatments, including skin tightening, acne scarring, stretch marks, scars and improvements in skin texture, according to Dr. Prendiville.
Dr Prendiville will explain the advantages of Genius as well as other facial rejuvenation procedures during the free seminar February 15.
The seminar begins at 11:30 a.m. with a light lunch at Gulf Harbour Yacht & Country Club on McGregor Boulevard in South Fort Myers. The seminar is free, but reservations are required by calling 239-437-3900.  Space is limited.
“We’re excited to be the first in Southwest Florida to offer this new treatment.The advantage of Genius radio frequency micro-needling is that patients can get these dramatic results without laser resurfacing and virtually no downtime,” said Dr. Prendiville, who also is the medical director of the Assuage Luxury Spa in Fort Myers and Naples.  “Patients can apply makeup after just 24 hours and it is safe for all skin types.”
Using before and after pictures of actual patients, Dr. Prendiville also will discuss the latest advances in facelifts, eyelid lifts, nose surgery, lasers, and reconstructive surgery.  He also will review injectable wrinkle fillers Botox®, Sculptra®, Juvederm®; Restylane®, Restylane Silk®, Radiesse®, Voluma®, Vollure®, and Revanesse Versa® for deeper wrinkles and lines.
Another recent advance that Dr. Prendiville will discuss is SculpSure®, which is approved by the FDA as the world’s first non-invasive fat-melting laser device to treat stubborn fat in just 25 minutes.  SculpSure is available at the Assuage Luxury Spa in Naples.
In addition to a light lunch, attendees will be able to make an appointment for a free consultation with Dr. Prendiville.
Dr. Prendiville is the only Fellowship-trained facial plastic surgeon in Fort Myers who is certified by both the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.  He has performed more than 3,000 surgical procedures.
He is recognized nationally as a facelift expert with more than 20 articles published in medical journals and he has served as guest editor for Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America.
Dr. Prendiville is one of only 10 doctors in the U.S. to be honored as an Elite Inductee into the RealSelf 100 and RealSelf 500 Hall of Fame for excellent patient service and his willingness to answer patient inquiries on the RealSelf website, which is the leading online community that helps people make confident choices in elective cosmetic procedures.  To achieve Elite Inductee status, surgeons must be among the top 1 percent of more than 1,000 surgeons reviewed.
Dr. Prendiville is the past president and secretary/treasurer of the Florida Society of Facial Plastic Surgery, an association consisting of 250 facial plastic surgeons in the state.
Dr. Prendiville graduated with his M.D. degree with high honors from Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., and served his residency at Georgetown University.
He was awarded a Fellowship in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at St. Louis University in Missouri, where he was a clinical instructor in the St. Louis University Department of Otolaryngology.
All surgeries are performed at Dr. Prendiville’s state-of-the-art Surgical Center adjacent to his office in South Fort Myers at 9407 Cypress Lake Drive..  The Surgical Center is accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities (AAAASF), which is the largest accrediting body for outpatient surgical facilities in the United States. For more information about Dr. Prendiville, please visit his website at www.drprendiville.com.
 
 

Southwest Florida Epilepsy Awareness Walk
4^th year of the Walk that promotes Epilepsy Awareness.
Saturday, April 27, 2019 at Lakes Regional Park.
Southwest Florida Epilepsy Awareness Walk is a 2 mile Walk at Lakes Regional Park, 7330 Gladiolus Dr. Fort Myers, FL 33908.  Registration is on-line at www.epilepy-services.org.
Adults $25, children under 12 $10.  A t-shirt, lunch and parking are included with registration.
Sharon Keen
Community Outreach Coordinator
[email protected]

FORT MYERS, FLA., January 17, 2019– SalusCare’s Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) clinic celebrated its grand opening with an open house on January 15 that attracted more than 50 community leaders, healthcare professionals and interested residents.
Medication Assisted Treatment is treatment for opioid addiction disorders that includes the use of medication along with counseling and other support. The clinic treats individuals age 18 and older who meet criteria for substance use disorders such as opioids and alcohol.
“We are thrilled to bring this much-needed service to our community,” said SalusCare President & CEO Stacey Cook.  “Research shows that a combination of medication and therapy can successfully treat substance use disorders and, for many, can help sustain recovery.”
The clinic is led by addiction psychiatrist Dr. Zaheer Aslam who supervises a psychiatric advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) and other medical staff.  In addition, the clinic is staffed by licensed clinicians and care coordinators to link patients with community resources, provide case management and needed therapy.
The clinic operates Monday – Friday at SalusCare’s Evans Avenue campus  (3763 Evans Ave. ) in Fort Myers and patients are seen by appointment only.  Treatment is funded by several sources, including grants through the state of Florida and Lee County.  The clinic also accepts self-pay and insured patients as well.
For more information about the MAT Clinic, please call SalusCare’s Welcome Center at (239) 275-3222.
 
ABOUT SALUSCARE:  SalusCare, Inc. is a Fort Myers, Florida based not-for-profit mental health and substance abuse service provider incorporated in 2013 after the merger of Lee Mental Health Center and Southwest Florida Addiction Services (SWFAS).  SalusCare has seven locations throughout Southwest Florida and serves 16,000 people each year.  Our fees are affordable and may be adjusted to the means of our patients based on household income.  SalusCare accepts Medicaid, Medicare, Visa, MasterCard and some major health insurance providers.  SalusCare provides services for all regardless of disability or handicap. All substance abuse programs and most mental health services are accredited by CARF International, an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services.

(Fort Myers, FL – January 16, 2019) – $565,000 was raised at an intimate concert at The Heights Center in Fort Myers on November 10, 2018. Funds raised support The Heights Foundation/The Heights Center programs that help at-risk families in Harlem Heights attain self-sufficiency.    The concert featured GRAMMY award-winning musicians Hillary Scott & The Scott Family and Billy Dean.
Hillary Scott is a founding member of one of the world’s most popular groups, Lady Antebellum.  The Scott Family includes Scott, her mother Linda Davis, her father Lang Scott and her sister Rylee. The track “Thy Will” from their 2016 two-time GRAMMY award-winning album “Love Remains” hit No. 1 on the National Christian Audience Chart, Billboard’s Christian Digital Songs Chart and Hot Christian Songs Chart. A modern day American troubadour, Billy Dean has released 11 albums and has been recognized with awards and nominations from the GRAMMYs, CMA and ACM.
The concert was underwritten by local philanthropists Dave and Cheryl Copham, and sponsored by Stilwell Enterprises, Youngquist Brothers, and FineMark National Bank and Trust.
The theme of the event was “Family, Faith, Friends and Paying It Forward.”  110 guests enjoyed the evening featuring songs from The Scott Family’s Christian album “Love Remains,” a VIP meet and greet with the artists, a farm-to-table dinner prepared by Chef Harold Balink and an after-concert music jam under the stars.
“The Copham’s hosted this concert to commemorate Dave’s 75^th birthday and to pay it forward for all the blessings in their lives,” said Kathryn Kelly, founder and CEO of The Heights Foundation/The Heights Center.  “It was an unforgettable evening of music with a message of love and hope.  And because of their generosity, all sponsorships and ticket sales directly benefit the families we serve.”
Harlem Heights was originally settled as a rural agricultural community.   Approximately 780 children live in a mixture of single-family homes and multi-family apartments. Demographically, the population is approximately 70% Hispanic, 20% African-American, and 8% Caucasian. The poverty rate for children in Harlem Heights is more than twice the county average, with family income 40% below the county average. Families are not able to easily access family support services located in downtown Fort Myers, and benefit greatly from programs located within the neighborhood.
The Heights Center, supported by the Heights Foundation, is a place for education, opportunity, and enrichment. The Heights Foundation works to build strong, self-sufficient families in the Harlem Heights neighborhood. As a 501(c)3 grassroots organization, the Center’s mission is to promote family and community development, support education, health and wellness, and provide the benefits of enrichment, expressive and cultural arts.  The Heights Center is home to The Harlem Heights Community Charter School.
For more information visit www.heightsfoundation.org/copham or call (239) 482-7706.

Note to Media: Every child at Tice Elementary School will have enough food each weekend for more than a year thanks to a $70,000 donation Champions 4 Children will make to Blessings in a Backpack. Austin Shanfelter, founder and chairman of the organization that brings elite athletes together to help children in need, will present a check to Blessings in a Backpack SWFL Executive Director Cecilia St. Arnold.
WHAT: Check presentation from Champions 4 Children
WHEN: Friday, Jan. 18, 1 p.m.
WHERE: Tice Elementary, 4524 Tice St., Fort Myers, FL 33905
WHY: To further the work Blessings in a Backpack does to fill in the gaps of the federal free and reduced-price lunch program for children. The aid is a continuation of the fundraising support Champions 4 Children has provided Blessings in a Backpack over the past several years.
CONTACT: Josh Milton, Vice President of Media Relations at CONRIC PR & Marketing, 239-690-9840, [email protected]
 
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