Quail Valley Charities accepted a tough challenge this year – raising money to provide grants to local charities that focus on children and education – but having to do so with limited fundraisers due to the pandemic. Challenge accepted, and challenge met.
Wanda Lincoln, Quail Valley Charities Week event chair, and Martha Redner, Quail Valley Charities executive director, recently handed out checks totaling a whopping $705,000, bringing the overall total since the inception of the nonprofit to just over $9 million.
“We’re just really grateful that everybody did their part; it was a coordinated effort. The nonprofits did their part about keeping open and keeping their operations going, and we did our best to raise the funds,” said Lincoln.
“One of the things we’ve noticed is how hard the nonprofits worked this year to stay open, to still help the kids, to be creative. It’s really a tribute to the nonprofit leadership and the nonprofit boards to say, ‘It’s not the same, but we know the need is even greater and we’re going to do it.’ It makes me very excited that we can fund them,” said Lincoln.
“I think this year the members were even more generous,” added Redner. “If we canceled an event, they still donated their money. I think they really respect us vetting all the nonprofits and feel good about where their money is going.”
“Nobody knew what it was going to be like,” said Lincoln, citing concerns over holding the events and funding the charities.
Those events that did take place were modified somewhat to ensure safety, such as limiting the number of guests during a week’s worth of Chef Wine Dinners, and staggering tee times for the two-day golf tournament.
Others, including the 5K Run/Walk, the bridge tournaments, and the online auction of 31 ‘over the top’ items, were virtual affairs. New this year was a raffle for a Toyota Venza donated by Bob and Joanne Quaile of Toyota of Vero Beach.
And two more events are still to come – an art show and sale for members, and the tennis tournaments which were pushed into the spring.
Checks were distributed to representatives of 37 charities, including the Quail Valley Employee Education Fund.
“This year particularly, the people who work here have worked really hard to stay safe and to have the members feel safe. So, I think that it’s good to support them, because it helps them to look forward,” said Lincoln.
There were also four new recipients this year – the Indian River Golf Foundation, Ocean Research & Conservation Association, Sea Turtle Conservancy and Vero Beach Rowing.
“We’re just so excited that our membership stepped up and really generously donated to the cause for this year. It was a little bit harder to raise the funds, but it all worked out,” said Redner.
“This has definitely been a different year and the need of our nonprofits are greater than ever. As I’ve said many times before, we are blessed to have so many generous members.
And this year they have gone above and beyond with their philanthropy,” said Trudie Rainone, who oversaw the auction donations. “I look forward to visiting our nonprofits to see how our grants are being used and how people can help them going forward.”
Photos by Kaila Jones
