Representatives of five local nonprofit organizations left the Moorings Yacht and Country Club with an added spring in their step after having received a combined $100,000 from Wheels & Keels Foundation board members, representing funds raised during this year’s 10th annual Charity Wheels & Keels fundraiser, held at the Moorings the second weekend in April.
“We started Wheels & Keels about 11 years ago but, of course, unfortunately in 2020 we had to cancel out,” said Vince DeTurris, board vice chairman. “We’ve grown from putting cars in a parking lot with the help of Craig Lopes, our (Moorings Club) general manager here, to now putting on a phenomenal show.”
DeTurris said that they raised roughly $1,700 that first year to benefit the Youth Sailing Foundation, and since 2009 have donated $454,000 to charity.
“The growth of Wheels & Keels is because of the support we have from the Moorings Yacht and Country Club,” said Gavin Ruotolo, Wheels & Keels Foundation president. “We’ve partnered indirectly with the Yacht Club, and with their help and their support we’ve been able to build this. It’s completely volunteers and it’s a joint effort. We’re here because of them.”
This past April, a sold-out crowd of more than 200 had attended the Friday evening dinner and auction, followed on Saturday with approximately 700 people who came out to view magnificent antique and exotic cars gracing the first hole of the golf course and boats tied up at the nearby docks.
DeTurris said that checks in assorted amounts made up the $100,000 distributed, based in part on the Friday night auctions.
“We actually give the charities a platform on Friday night to bring in items that we could auction off,” DeTurris explained. “For example, we sometimes get weapons from the SEALs of Trident House, we get boat naming from the Sailing Club, and what have you, and that’s one of the ways we generate the money for them. Whatever they bring in goes right back to them. We also have Gifts from the Heart, which deals with giving scholarships to all five of the different charities and that works out significantly.”
The Youth Sailing Foundation offers free sailing classes to children beginning at age 8, adding to self-confidence and a greater appreciation for our local waterways. Wheels & Keels funding supports programs that enroll some 180 youngsters in two 10-week sessions.
Vero Beach Rowing develops physical fitness, character and the spirit of cooperation through the sport of rowing. Wheels & Keels donations provide financial assistance to disadvantaged youth, and its programs that support recovering cancer patients, veterans and others.
Funding to the Arc of Indian River County, which provides programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, supports the employment of individuals through the Arc Oyster Mat Project, which improves the health of the lagoon through the oysters’ natural water filtration.
Donations to Trident House Charities support the Navy SEAL Trident House, a haven on the lagoon that provides a tranquil respite for SEALs and their families and serves as a place of healing for grieving families who have lost loved ones in training or combat.
Wheels & Keels provides the youth-founded fishing tournament Lines in the Lagoon with supplies to help them carry out their mission of raising awareness about the health of the lagoon and developing younger environmental stewards through lagoon-oriented improvement projects.
DeTurris said they look for “under-the-radar types of charities” and organizations, particularly those that deal with improving the quality of life of people and the lagoon.
In addition to fundraising events and monetary donations, the foundation accepts donations of cars and boats, with proceeds from their sale added to the funds for distribution.
Plans are already underway for next year’s Wheels & Keels weekend, tentatively scheduled for April 22-23, 2022. For more information, visit wkvero.com.
Photos by Kaila Jones
