The 39th annual Tropical Night Luau Saturday evening at the Grand Harbor Golf Clubhouse drew close to 200 Hawaiian-attired guests in support of the Youth Guidance Mentoring and Activities Program. As they arrived, board members and volunteers placed colorful flower leis around their necks before ushering them in to enjoy the delightful island-themed event.
A wide array of appealing silent-auction items lined the hallways to the dining room, where guests were enjoying refreshing tropical drinks and dancing to the high-energy beat of the Gypsy Lane Band.
The YG Luau traditionally marks the start of Vero Beach’s quiet season by embracing summer and going full tilt with the festive party. Many of the community’s nonprofit organizations celebrate their successes at the annual bash, with agency leaders, volunteers, donors and staff partying together and letting go of the stress built up over the year.
All of the money raised through ticket sales, silent- and live-auction items and sponsor donations directly benefits the Mentoring and Activities Programs that form the base of the organization’s mission to serve the children of the community.
“Our goal this year is to net anywhere near $45,000 to $50,000,” said Laurie Connelly, event co-chair with Bonnie Brown. “The money we raise tonight will go to our new programs, which just started up in the last eight months.”
The new group mentoring programs incorporate a more revitalized focus than previous activities which paired one adult with an impoverished or single-parent child.
“The new Mentoring Academy is kind of like an adult ed program for kids from 5 to 18 years old,” said YG Executive Director Doug Borrie. “We have a 3-D game creation group where the kids create their own videogame and characters, an equestrian group where the kids learn to care for the Vero Beach Equestrian animals, and even a Harry Potter group for the younger kids where they make swords and dragons.”
Borrie said their programs follow the philosophy of Ruby K. Payne, author of the bestseller “Building Bridges Out of Poverty,” which is designed to teach future generations the secrets of the middle class.
“It’s about teaching social skills from A to Z incorporated in everything – in their manner of speaking, how to dress for an interview, the way to act properly at dinners and social occasions. The results are that our kids will be graduating with the assets they need to get ahead,” said Borrie.
As for the Luau partiers, the focus was simply about having fun while helping the children in our community.
“We call this the party of the year,” said Connelly with a laugh. “It’s a local event that people know and have come to love.”
“This is our largest fundraiser, it’s a festive event,” said Brown. “I look forward to watching people dancing and having a very good time. It’s a night to get away and for those who cannot get out of town for a vacation right now, we are bringing the vacation to them.”
