Quail Valley Charities above-and-beyond efforts pay off

Mother Nature was a fickle femme during this year’s 22nd annual Quail Valley Charities fundraising weeks, but the Quail Valley team, members, sponsors, volunteers and guests adapted each time, not missing a beat in their efforts to raise funds to support local children’s related charities.

As in the past, the activity-filled weeks featured events at all three venues – the Quail Valley River Club, Quail Valley Golf Club and Quail Valley at the Pointe. Monies raised will fund the grant requests of 41 local agencies and be distributed on March 5.

Leading up to this year, Quail Valley Charities, founded in 2001, has distributed more than $11.3 million in grants to nonprofits whose programs cater to children and education.

“Once again, I think that the people who deserve credit are the Quail Valley members who supported every event in order for us to make the distribution on March 5,” said Wanda Lincoln, event chair since its inception.

“We had a very, very strong grants committee this year. And as we get more and more grants every year, that grants committee becomes more important. So they deserve kudos as well.”

Turnout at the annual 5K Run/Walk and Children’s Fun Run at the River Club was the largest to date, said Lincoln, with representatives from every charity they support participating in greater numbers.

“I think, for example, Crossover Mission brought 32 people,” said Lincoln.

Tournaments were all sold out, with golfers powering through rainy conditions and tennis needing an extra day because of inclement weather. Rain didn’t interfere with the indoor bridge and Mah Jongg tournaments, though, or the Pheasant Tower Shoot at the Blackwater Creek Ranch.

A planned Dinner Under the Stars needed to be moved inside at the Pointe, but it didn’t stop people from relishing every bit of the lovely wine pairing dinner.

Last year’s Alfresco Dinner prepared by Drs. Harold Cordner and Seth Baker was such a hit, the doctors opted to pair up once more. And, although it, too, required a move indoors, the doctor duo worked with Chef Joe Faria and his team to whip up another delectable feast.

“The chefs outdid themselves each time,” said Lincoln. “And the doctors, when they presented what they’d done, were highly entertaining. So these doctors are not only chefs, but they’re also entertainers.”

Festivities concluded with good weather as guests gathered for a Full Moon Cocktail Party at the River Club’s Garden Terrace, where the lucky winners were drawn for a 50/50 raffle, and a car raffle for a 2024 Cadillac Lyriq donated by Quail members Jim and Kathy Linus of Linus Cadillac Buick GMC.

“It’s just been a tremendous success over all these years. This year we’ll be over $12 million to support children and their educational well-being in Indian River County,” said Martha Redner, Quail Valley Charities executive director, thanking everyone involved.

Lincoln said she is especially pleased that the community’s enthusiasm to support children is something that has never dwindled.

“The people keep coming and they continue to be very concerned about the children and very interested in the organizations that help them,” she added.