While the memories of exquisite automobiles and yachts featured during the annual Wheels & Keels Antique & Exotic Car & Boat Show may have since faded, the impact of the successful April fundraiser made its mark when 12 nonprofit organizations were invited to the Moorings Yacht & Country Club last week to receive their checks from the Wheels & Keels Foundation.

The foundation is an all-volunteer nonprofit whose success has been “revved” up over the years by its ability to funnel its collective talents into creating successful fundraising events. Since its inception, the funding organization has channeled nearly $1 million back into the community, primarily funding youth programs.

This year’s recipients included the Arc of Indian River County, Crossover Mission, Float Hope of Indian River County, Hibiscus Children’s Center, Lines in the Lagoon, the Music Angels Education Fund, the Navy SEAL Trident House Charities, Sebastian River Rowing, Special Equestrians of the Treasure Coast, the Vero Beach Choral Society, Vero Beach Rowing and the Youth Sailing Foundation.

“All of our raised money is targeted towards events or services that help children,” said Sam Gagliano, W&K president.

“We focus on charities that will do things for children,” he added, noting that they support charities within the tri-county area.

He explained that their funding philosophy prioritizes experiences over infrastructure.

“We have a focus on giving away grants or scholarships, rather than funding bricks and mortar.

We want to help people create good for children. We focus on providing opportunities that a lot of kids might not otherwise get, whether it’s learning how to sail or swim, or learning music.”

The selection process is intentional, with committee members inviting local charities that align with their mission to submit proposals outlining how the funds will be used. This oversight ensures the money raised is distributed effectively and for its intended purpose.

“They’ll come back and say, ‘We’d like $10,000 because our plan is to bring in 10 new students who require this.’ They tell us exactly how they plan to spend the money,” he explained.

The approach allows Wheels & Keels to support a dynamic range of programs, from long-standing partners to emerging nonprofits addressing new challenges.
One of their earliest is the Navy SEAL Trident House, which provides a respite for the families of fallen, injured and active-duty special operations personnel.

“They were one of our very first beneficiaries, and there’s some loyalty in both directions with that,” Gagliano shared.

At the same time, the organization seeks out new charities that are making a difference.
“It’s important that we don’t get locked into just the same charities every year, because there are new ones coming up all the time,” he said.

One of their newer agencies is Music Angels, which provides music education to underprivileged children and has since expanded its outreach to include children with autism.

“That was one of the reasons why we brought in Music Angels,” Gagliano said.

He adds that they prefer to partner with charities that are willing to take on a more collaborative relationship by participating in their annual Wheels & Keels Charity Fundraiser and in other ways.

Gagliano said the support of the Moorings has also been crucial, providing staff, resources, and the golf course fairway where they showcase the cars during the April event.

“We are probably luckier than most because our home base is the Moorings, and they have been 100 percent supportive. It takes 100 people to pull off one of those events, and they’re in there with their manpower and resources,” said Gagliano.

“There’s a great deal of satisfaction in watching the finished product. Whether it’s seeing the work of the Arc, kids enjoying Lines in the Lagoon, or the discipline of Vero Beach Rowing, the finished product is very, very satisfying,” he added.

With the 2025 funds now in the hands of the recipient charities, Wheels & Keels is already looking ahead, planning a new fundraising event, Cocktails & K9s at the Navy SEAL Museum on Oct. 15. For more information, visit wkvero.com.

Photos by Joshua Kodis