‘Friends of Wheels & Keels’ fete whets appetite for real deal

PHOTO BY KAILA JONES

The Wheels & Keels Foundation recently hosted an inaugural Friends of Wheels & Keels wine and cheese reception at the Moorings home of Marcia and Gavin Ruotolo, W&K founder and CEO, to thank longtime friends of the nonprofit, welcome newcomers, and garner excitement for the upcoming Wheels & Keels Weekend, April 22-23.

During the garden reception, guests got their engines revving by getting an up-close-and-personal look at the Ruotolos’ vintage car collection. The evening was perfectly suited for strolling among the classic cars while nibbling on sumptuous hors d’oeuvres by Wild Thyme catering.

“Wheels & Keels has been here for 12 years,” said Ruotolo to the crowd, who gathered in one of his pristine garages.

“We started as a rag-tag gang putting on a show in the parking lot of the Moorings. It worked out very well through the good graces of our volunteers and the support of the Moorings Yacht & Country Club.”

Ruotolo said the volunteer-driven Wheels & Keels event initially had just one nonprofit, the Youth Sailing Foundation of Indian River County, which benefited from the $1,200 raised at that first event.

“We’ve been able to expand the venture to what it is today. We have been able to raise $500,000 in the last 10 years. It would not happen if it weren’t for the support of people like you,” said Ruotolo. He noted that the Moorings has “one of the best venues in all of Florida. On a real golf course surrounded by water.”

Board president Vince DeTurris shared a retrospective video highlighting the roots of the car and boat show, which later evolved into a foundation to support charities that “needed a little kickstart.”

The number of charities that benefit has since grown to seven: Youth Sailing Foundation of Indian River County, Arc Oyster Reef Restoration, Navy SEAL Trident House Charities, Vero Beach Rowing and Lines in the Lagoon. New this year are Special Equestrians of the Treasure Coast and Crossover Mission.

The Wheels & Keels Foundation provides funding to selected local charities whose activities strive to improve the lives of children and adults in the Treasure Coast community, with special interest in organizations less able to secure funding from other sources.

“We wanted to make sure that our money touched the actual individual at each of these charities,” said DeTurris.

After the presentation guests were able to mingle with representatives from each of the respective nonprofits to learn more about their programming and services.

Wheels & Keels Foundation of Vero Beach will host its 11th annual Charity Fundraiser Weekend on April 22-23. The Dinner and Auction event is April 22, and the Car and Boat Show at the Moorings Yacht & Country Club is April 23. For more information, visit wkvero.com.

Photos by Kaila Jones

Comments are closed.