Ryan Cobb, Dr. Deborah Taylor-Long, Freddie Woolfork, Angelia Perry and George Nagy [Photo: Denise Ritchie]

Close to 400 people gathered at the John’s Island Club last Monday evening for a cocktail reception to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the John’s Island Foundation and honor its founder and first president, Eleonora (Ellie) McCabe. The event was a bittersweet one, as McCabe was unable to attend due to the illness of husband Bob. Both were very much missed.

Emily Sherwood, serving as its 10th president, noted that the foundation has donated more than $11 million to local charities since its 1999 founding. At the time, McCabe had recognized a need to fund capital expenses, complementing the efforts of the John’s Island Community Service League, which provides grants for nonprofit programs and operating budgets.

Sherwood shared just a small sampling of the types of capital expenditures they fund, such as vans to take children to afterschool programs, computers and technical equipment, delivery vehicles to bring nutritious meals to homebound seniors, and housing units for the working poor.

“The support of all of you in this room means so much to us. Your unparalleled outpouring of generosity allows us to provide dozens and dozens of significant grants each year,” said Sherwood. “You open up your hearts to those less fortunate, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

In addition to the generosity of residents, Sherwood noted that sponsors had underwritten the reception in its entirety.

Having personally visited most of the charitable organizations the foundation assists, Pat Brier, grant review chair, said, “I can assure you that you truly do make a difference in the lives of the clients they serve.”

Speaking on behalf of McCabe, Brier said, “She wanted all of you to know how grateful she is to be honored tonight, and how proud she is of the good work that the John’s Island Foundation has done for the past 20 years. She also wanted me to thank all of the supporters of the foundation, because none of these good works could have been done without you. We are all in this together; we are a community.”

Calling McCabe “kind, intelligent and beautiful inside and outside,” Brier said that her focus has been on providing mental health counseling, and a desire to “create environments that make children, adults and families feel safe and loved, so they can feel free to talk about their concerns.”

To honor that legacy, the foundation provided a special $50,000 grant, which McCabe chose to give to the Gifford Youth Achievement Center to continue their efforts in the area of counseling and mental health.

Before presenting the check to GYAC representatives Angelia Perry, Freddie Woolfork and Deborah Taylor-Long, Brier read a note from McCabe, in which she noted that GYAC received one of the first JIF grants 20 years ago. McCabe envisions the grant to enable a mental health counselor in a welcoming and comfortable office, with the latest technology and reading materials, where young people can receive counseling to help them navigate the difficult teenage years.

No anniversary is complete without cake, and the three 20th anniversary co-chair couples – Warren and Virginia Schwerin, Ned and Sherry Ann Dayton. and Ron and Nancy Rosner – joined Sherwood to symbolically ‘blow out’ a brightly sparkling candle.