INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Tropical Night Luau to benefit Youth Guidance had all the makings of a traditional Hawaiian party right here in Vero Beach: fruity drinks with umbrellas, people in floral print dresses and shirts and plenty of humidity outside of Grand Harbor Golf Club.
Some 225 guests enjoyed a buffet of Polynesian foods, live music by Gypsy Lane and bidding on items during a live and silent auction at the 37th annual event Saturday evening.
Greeting guests at the door with leis was Doug Borrie, executive director of Youth Guidance – a movement of adult volunteers with a shared goal to step into the lives of Indian River County’s underprivileged youth.
“The annual tropical party is a real local party,” he observed. That is, “it’s a local party with local people supporting a local agency.”
While brightly clad guests and upbeat music set the tone for a fun night, the event felt very much a celebration of the agency’s mission that is to empower needy youth in the county through mentoring relationships, and broadening their horizons with educational, cultural and recreational opportunities.
“We have a chance to change kids’ lives through mentoring,” Borrie explained. “They start off on such a difficult path.”
Each year, Youth Guidance mentors about 300 children from 5 to 18 years of age. These youths often grow up in broken homes and in poverty. Having a positive adult role model can greatly benefit a child under those circumstances. The annual Tropical Night Luau is the organization’s largest fundraiser each year and helps support its programs.
Organizers hoped to raise nearly $50,000 from this year’s event.
Among the guests were Rebecca and Mark Hornbuckle, who have two grown children and have carved out time each week over the last decade to mentor two youths.
Rebecca Hornbuckle, the organization’s board chairwoman, beamed when talking about her experience over the last decade mentoring Dainesha Hill, who went from being a shy, little 8-year-old to a very confident, outgoing 18-year-old approaching her senior year of high school at Vero Beach High School.
“We do the same kinds of things we did with our kids – go to the beach, go out on the boat, garden, cook, go to the annual Firefighter’s Fair,” said Hornbuckle.
“It’s very rewarding to me,” she said. “And they get exposure to a world that would have not been available to them. It’s been a huge thing in our lives.”
Mark Hornbuckle agreed, adding, “We’ve had so many great experiences mentoring.”
He has mentored Andre Young over the years. Once 3 feet tall at age 8, Young is now 18 years old standing 6 feet 2 inches and plans to enlist in the military.
“He’s moving into a phase of his life that he feels confident about,” he said. “It’s great to see that.”
Guests enjoyed a buffet of coconut shrimp and jasmine rice, mango pork and grilled teriyaki chicken breast while seated at tables decorated with palm fronds and bougainvillea; and vases of birds of paradise.
Robert Modica, who has 25 years of law enforcement experience, put aside his uniform for the night to don a Hawaiian shirt and white lei in support of Youth Guidance at the benefit co-chaired by his wife, Michele, and Laurie Connelly.
“Youth Guidance gets kids involved at an early age, giving them direction and value in themselves,” he said.
Michele Modica has witnessed the benefits of Youth Guidance during tennis clinics for the children.
“Giving them activities to engage in is a very good thing for them,” she said. “It opens their minds to a lot of other possibilities and can keep them from getting into trouble.”
