Fundraising home run at Moorings’ ‘Habitat Classic’

Members of the Moorings community closed out their 16th annual Habitat Classic Weekend of activities to benefit Habitat for Humanity with a rousing Habi-Cocktail Party last Monday evening at the Moorings Yacht & Country Club.

The party celebrated the culmination of three days of fun, fundraising and fitness with a Hab-A-Heart Shopping Day, bridge, croquet, golf and tennis tournaments, as well as a putting contest, Mah-jongg, 5K run/walk/bike event and, new this year, pickleball.

More than 450 sun-kissed members gathered in the Governor’s Lounge to peruse more than 100 silent-auction items and chat about their collective experiences, while enjoying cocktails and a beautiful sunset.

Guests then adjourned to the dining room to feast on a bountiful buffet prepared by Chef Ben Tench and his staff, and later to bid on live-auction items.

“One of the things that Habitat for Humanity seeks to do with all of our hearts is to break the generational cycle of poverty for families in need of an affordable house here in Indian River County,” said Sheryl Vittitoe, Habitat president/CEO. “Thank you for your generosity; thank you for all of your participation this weekend. I have been overwhelmed.”

David Sommers, Moorings Habitat committee chairman, said that their fundraising and volunteer support of Habitat’s mission has grown over the years. In addition to more than half of the residents participating in the Presidents Day weekend festivities, roughly 40 residents regularly volunteer to help build houses and work at Habitat’s ReStore.

“It’s become the thing that the Moorings does. It’s a Moorings’ tradition,” says Sommers. “People like the Habitat model, which is not just to write a check and then hope the charity did something good with it. But to write a check and then go work on the house that that check helped to fund – and meet the people that will live in it – because they’re working there with you. Getting to know them and seeing the difference it makes in their lives and in the community is very powerful.”

Event chairs Jean Hyde and Pat Allex thanked everyone for their overwhelming generosity and the Moorings staff for all of their hard work, before passing the reins over to next year’s event chairs, Karen and Randy Sones.

In a letter to participants, Hyde and Allex noted that the Moorings community epitomizes the concept of a grassroots approach to bring about positive change.

Sommers said the event was on track to raise more than $350,000. When paired with an additional $150,000 from the club itself through a sales tax incentive program targeting affordable housing organizations, the committee hopes to fund three houses, 20 rehabs and 20 scholarships.

The foundation of the Moorings’ Habitat relationship was laid 20 years ago by two Moorings members. It was the first private country club to collectively recruit volunteers and raise funds to support Indian River Habitat for Humanity programs. To date, Moorings residents have provided the funding and volunteers to build 68 Habitat homes and 45 home revitalization projects, and have also funded 58 scholarships to Habitat families.

Photos by: Denise Ritchie and Kaila Jones
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