Wonder Twins

Ask the Docs

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December 1, 2016

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Ask the Docs

Wonder Twins

By Dr. Randy Laurich

As the Holidays draw near, I seem to always reflect on my childhood and how I was influenced by certain people, television shows, traditions, holiday performances and religion. Some of the most memorable experiences, continue to this day, to be the time spent with my twin sister. Oh, we didn’t always get along, and as siblings typically do, we did fight and disagree on some things. But, the one thing that we always did have was each other. A twins bond is different than the normal sibling. Studies show that the time spent in womb creates a connection that remains in place forever.

Over the years we pushed each other to be better. We were always involved in many activities together and separate. It seemed as when we were together we always excelled. She was the captain of the cheering squad, I was the captain of the basketball team, she would sing The National Anthem before each basketball game, which was more motivating than the music I would listen to before the game. Our senior year, she was the Vice-president of the student body and I was the president. We pushed each other with studies, helped each other with bad relationships, and always dusted off the dirt when one of us fell.

I knew in 7^th grade I wanted to be a chiropractor, but my twin, Richelle, was not even interested. After 2 years of being separated during college, I was in a Pre-Med program at Mount Union College and she went to Pre-pharmacy program at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh .

Richelle called me one day, from Pharmacy school, I had actually made it into Chiropractic school at this time, she said, “I don’t think I want to put pills in a bottle all day, I think, I want to be a History teacher.” I said to her you’ve done all the preparation for a healthcare profession, why don’t you consider Chiropractic. Next thing you know, she is at the school getting a tour and 1 month later started Chiropractic school so we were together again. The Wonder Twins. She ended up graduating 6 months after me and we had an amazing time learning together.

During school, she ended up falling in love and is now married to Dr. Daniel Knowles IV. They are both international speakers and educators. They have an amazing practice in Boulder , Co, which was established in 1999. They are a power team.

I am blessed to have my office here in Wellington and have been established since 2005. Each day I walk into my office I think about my sister, my twin, and how she has influenced me and has driven me to be the best I can be. She makes me a better friend, father, doctor and husband.

I am blessed to have my twin sister, Dr. Richelle Knowles, in my life. During school, we would always say “Wonder Twin Powers activate in the form of Chiropractors!”

So as we all reflect on the holidays think of that one special person that has made your life amazing, give them a call today and tell them you love them and thank them for everything they continue to do for you.

During this season, be kind, be courteous, be loving, and if you are looking for a Chiropractor, consider me, Dr. Randall Laurich of The Wellness Experience of Wellington, Inc. Wellness-experience.com.

CREATIVE JUSTICE

Cultural Corner

LoriB

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December 1, 2016

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Cultural Corner

CREATIVE JUSTICE

By Lori Hope Baumel

Let’s face it, those who consider themselves to be artists tend to be freethinkers. They require a degree of space around them to let their creative juices simmer. Thereafter, we get to enjoy the bounty of their labor. Unfortunately, many artists are more productive during difficult points in time. Carole King wrote her greatest songs during her most sorrowful days. Van Gogh created masterpieces throughout times of despair and some of the most scholarly philosophers, writers and poets wrote their best prose while imprisoned. Sounds somber?

Well, I do have a point here. After the most contentious election in my lifetime, I see a bit of hope when it comes to creativity. Art is rarely one-dimensional. A flat canvas can express the utmost in emotion. During tumultuous times, often it is the artist that helps us sort through our thoughts. Photojournalists will capture pleasing or provocative images as history unfolds. Filmmakers will produce thought-evoking screenplays and documentaries. Feelings will be conveyed and artists will cry out for those who can’t speak for themselves. As long as this country guarantees the freedom of expression, the freedom to create, the cry for justice (on both sides of the political aisle) at this point in time will be recorded.

I must admit, dear readers, I have to thank you for helping me get out of bed early the day after watching the election results. On November 9th, in preparation for this article, I attended at press conference at the Norton Museum featuring the work of the Rudin Prize candidates (see below). Although I arrived in a tired and confused state, I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation given by Norton photography curator Tim B. Wride. Viewing the work of the new artists was enriching. The pieces themselves were meaningful. For me, it was healing. I was reminded of the fact that in this country we still have the freedom to articulate a strong message.

Initially, as observers or listeners, art patrons benefit in stillness. If they are moved by a creative experience, they will tell about it to others and so on. I truly sense that 2017 will be “the year of the blank canvas.” In the midst of a divided nation filled with as much love as there is vitriol, artists will probably flourish and create more than ever before. As my wise husband often says, “There’s a bright side to everything.”

Live…Go…Do!

Top 5 for December 2016

1) Norton Museum of Art

2016 Nominees – Rudin Prize for Emerging Photographers Exhibition

Diverse Works By Nominees Clare Benson, Elizabeth Bick, Alexandra Hunts, and Wesley Stringer Offer Varied Perspectives on Contemporary Photography

Visitors Invited to View and Vote From Nov. 10, 2016 – Jan. 15, 2017

48 photographs, videos, and installation works by Clare Benson, Elizabeth Bick, Alexandra Hunts, and Wesley Stringer, who were nominated by Arno Minkkinen, Shirin Neshat, Rineke Dijkstra, and Michael Kenna, respectively. The exhibition is curated by Tim B. Wride, the Norton’s William and Sarah Ross Soter Curator of Photography. “The 2016 Rudin Prize nominees’ bodies of work encapsulate their continued growth as photographers and curiosity as observant artists,” said Wride. “We look forward to revealing to both the jury and visitors how these young artists have pursued in-depth discovery of ideas ranging from femininity and performance to the environment and childhood.” Each artist is individually showcased within the group show. The Rudin exhibition will showcase the complexity of their ideas and the inventiveness of their visual communication to express them.

Clare Benson’s artistic practice includes still-photography, performance, video, and sculpture. On view in the Norton’s exhibition will be selections from the artist’s ongoing series The Shepherd’s Daughter through which she poetically investigates gender roles, the capriciousness of memory, tradition, and mythology. Benson’s single image of the same title features her trekking across the starkly rural Michigan landscape, hoisting a massive antelope head upon her back. What could be read as a subsistence hunting scenario is complicated by the anomaly of the artist’s burden being a taxidermy trophy of an African beast.

Elizabeth Bick trained as a dancer before turning to photography. Her hard-won understanding as a performing artist still pervades her work as a visual artist. She is drawn to those situations that isolate yet simultaneously reinforce placement and gesture. Among her works on view will be an example of her Street Ballet series in which she uses the camera to organize and “choreograph” the random placement of urban pedestrians and Every God XXV (2016) from her series of the same name, which was made within the depths of the Roman Pantheon. The figure and her biblically expressive gesture is spotlighted against a deeply shadowed interior by the light streaming in from the central oculus.

Alexandra Hunts is intrigued with the interaction of digital and analog photography; consumed with the seeming inability of photography to show—not merely describe—abstract concepts; and obsessed with using photography to define the invisible. As a result, she has brought all of her creative powers and technical expertise to bear on the concepts of time and mass. Examples of her visual mediation of each will be on view in the Norton’s exhibition. A work such as Substance of Time and Space (2015) studies both a shifting object and time by documenting the evaporation of a glassful of water. Every 12 hours, the artist made a photograph of her subject: a glass and the water it contained until the glass was empty. She then folded and assembled all 154 photographs into a single image of a glass of water transitioning from being filled to being empty.

Wesley Stringer is a traditional photographer who also crafts handmade books. Both undertakings derive their significance and meaning from the artist’s subtlety of sequencing and empathetic understanding of the exponential accumulation of meaning available through visual haiku. His work is highly contemplative and populated by environmental imagery that recalls his home-schooled upbringing in rural Oklahoma. His search for quiet moments within a rapidly developing landscape results in expressive images of abandoned areas and hidden spaces. His most recent body of work traces the seasonal cycle and will be on view with three of his hand-bound books.

The winner, who will receive a $20,000 cash prize, will be selected by the Norton’s Photography Committee, comprised of the Norton’s Executive Director, photography curator, collectors, and trustees, and announced on Jan. 5, 2017 during Art After Dark. Visitors will be able to vote for a “People’s Choice” selection which will also be announced on that date.

The Rudin Prize, named in honor of the late New York City real estate developer Lewis Rudin, was initiated by Norton Museum staff and Beth Rudin DeWoody, who is a member of the Photography Committee at the Norton and President of The Rudin Family Foundations and Executive Vice President of Rudin Management Company. Past winners of the award include Argentine Analia Saban, nominated by John Baldessari, in 2012; and Israeli Rami Maymon, nominated by Adi Nes, in 2014. – Norton Press Release

Admission is free! For more information go to Norton.org

2) Mounts Botanical Garden – The Pavilion

Stories in the Garden: Shapes All Around

Friday, December 9 – 10 to 11:30 am

Admission is free!

Speaker: Stacey Burford, Youth Services Librarian

Celebrate the 13th year of Stories in the Garden by bringing young ones (ages 2-6) to these FREE nature-themed programs co-sponsored by the Palm Beach Library System. They’ll love the interactive stories, songs and learning activities in the Garden. Programs are held rain or shine in the sheltered Pavilion. No reservations required, except for parties of six or more. A craft activity to culminate each day will be reserved for the first 30 registrants. (Note: To pre-register, call the Director of Programs at Mounts at 561.233-1751 or Stacy Burford at 561.649.5439.)

3) Cultural Council of Palm Beach County

ART + MEDICINE

“Putting the ‘STEAM’ in ‘STEM’

An educational medical art exhibition

featuring the medical illustrations of artist and designer

Pamela Boullier Ross in collaboration with Dr. Dror Paley,

The Paley Institute and The Paley Foundation

Hosted by the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County

Now through January 21, 2017 | CC North Gallery

601 Lake Avenue, Lake Worth, Florida

For more information go to pambeachculture.com

4) Kravis Center For The Performing Arts – Rinker Playhouse

The Other Mozart: Written and Performed by Sylvia Milo

December 9 and December 10, 2016

7:30 PM

Tickets $32

The Other Mozart is the true and untold story of Maria Anna Mozart, nicknamed Nannerl, the sister of Amadeus. She, too, was a child prodigy – a keyboard virtuoso and composer who toured Europe with her brother to equal acclaim. But then she turned 18. This poignant one-woman play, which puts Nannerl back on stage where she belongs, reveals a world of extraordinary beauty and overwhelming prejudice. This PEAK performance is made possible by a grant from the MLDauray Arts Initiative in honor of Leonard and Sophie Davis

For tickets go to Kravis.org

5) Free Event – Bring Blankets and Picnic Baskets:

Palm Beach Opera

Opera @ The Waterfront

Presented by Palm Beach Opera at Meyer Amphitheatre

Saturday, December 10, 2016

2 pm – 5 pm

Join us on the Waterfront for an afternoon of beautiful music, in a beautiful setting. We’re bringing together more than 100 musicians together to present an enjoyable afternoon of live opera at the Meyer Amphitheatre in downtown West Palm Beach.

Bring a blanket and picnic basket and enjoy opera’s most recognizable arias and ensembles performed by Palm Beach Opera’s Benenson Young Artists, Orchestra, and Chorus for an unforgettable afternoon of music. Please continue to check back for more more information about Opera @ The Waterfront as artists are confirmed for this special community concert. This community event is FREE, and no tickets are required.

For more information call 561-833-7888

Cherish Your Chai

Miscellaneous

Sabeen Faquir

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December 1, 2016

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Natural Insight

Cherish Your Chai

By Sabeen Faquir

This time of year, I really enjoy my chai lattes. But what is chai? Chai is the Hindi word for tea! Although Starbucks Chai Lattes are made from concentrate, you might enjoy a freshly brewed cup of tea when you’re feeling under the weather. I’m here to give you reason to drink it more often!

Now, it’s true that you can find many types of tea. Just go to Teavana and you’ll know how accurate that is. But, true tea comes from only one plant, Camellia sinensis. Most commonly, you’ll find three forms of tea made from this plant: white, green, and black. They are named for levels of oxidation achieved by the leaves before brewing. I want to talk to you about black tea. This is the tea most commonly drunk in the subcontinent of Asia.

What is tea oxidation? Think of it as a drying process. Some consider it a process of biological degradation. But, just like healthy oxidation is a necessary process balanced by the body, healthy oxidation of tea leaves releases different beneficial compounds of the leaves. The level of oxidation of tea marks its flavor and smell. Each tea (white, green, and black) has characteristic chemical compounds.

For instance, green tea is lauded for its EGCG component. EGCG or epigallocatechin-3-gallate has been known to have supportive effects when fighting different forms of cancer (Lecumberri et al). The characteristic chemical compounds of black tea are theaflavins and thearubigins. They contribute to the color of black tea. These unique flavonoids have a unique effect on arterial health. In a randomized controlled trial, it was found that drinking 3 cups of black tea a day for 6 months lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 2-3 points (Hodgson et al).

Also, black tea is associated with the lowering of high cholesterol levels. How? Essentially, it prevents your gut from taking up cholesterol in the first place (Vermeer et al). In fact, theaflavin-enriched green tea was found to have cholesterol-lowering effects, too (Maron et al). Thearubigins, the other beneficial constituent of black tea commonly studied, is another pigment. In 1969 it was identified as a polymeric proanthocyanidin (Brown, et al). It is characteristically red and also found in pine bark and grape skin, among other things. Thearubigins are strong antioxidants.

I’ve only discussed a few of the known benefits of black tea, here. Understand it is for more than just a rainy day. Consumption of black tea could benefit your vascular health, your cholesterol levels, and help annihilate oxidation. If you’re concerned about interactions with medication or underlying conditions, talk to your doctor. So, the next time you have a hankering for a warm drink this holiday season, reach for the tea!

Disclaimer: The content of this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure disease.

Elena Lecumberri, Yves Marc Dupertuis, Raymond Miralbell, Claude Pichard. Green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) as adjuvant in cancer therapy. Clinical Nutrition. December 2013Volume 32, Issue 6, Pages 894–903

Jonathan M. Hodgson, PhD; Ian B. Puddey, MD; Richard J. Woodman, PhD; Theo P. J. Mulder, PhD; Dagmar Fuchs, PhD; Kirsty Scott, BSc; Kevin D. Croft, PhD. Effects of Black Tea on Blood Pressure: A Randomized Controlled Trial. ARCH INTERN MED/ VOL 172 (NO. 2), JAN 23, 2012

Mario A. Vermeer*, Theo P. J. Mulder and Henri O. F. Molhuizen. Theaflavins from Black Tea, Especially Theaflavin-3-gallate, Reduce the Incorporation of Cholesterol into Mixed Micelles. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2008, 56 (24), pp 12031–12036

David J. Maron, MD; Guo Ping Lu, MD; Nai Sheng Cai, MD; Zong Gui Wu, MD; Yue Hua Li, MD; Hui Chen, MD; Jian Qiu Zhu, MD; Xue Juan Jin, MS; Bert C. Wouters, MA; Jian Zhao, PhD. Cholesterol-Lowering Effect of a Theaflavin-Enriched Green Tea Extract: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Arch Intern Med. 2003;163(12):1448-1453

A.G. Brown, W.B. Eyton, A. Holmes, W.D. Ollis. The identification of the thearubigins as polymeric proanthocyanidins. Phytochemistry. Volume 8, Issue 12, December 1969, Pages 2333-2340

Tenth Annual Scroogie Awards

Cantankerously Yours

Wendell Abern

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December 1, 2016

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Cantankerously Yours

Tenth Annual Scroogie Awards

By Wendell Abern

Dear Holiday Revelers,

Scroogies are awards I inaugurated in 2006, as an homage to my idol and favorite role model, Ebenezer Scrooge.

I award Scroogies only to those who have proved themselves worthy through acts of inconsiderateness, boorishness, stupidity, arrogance, or any other trait that just plain rankles me and deserves my curmudgeonly wrath.

And each year, I confront the same major problem: hundreds of candidates, limited space to include them all. Following are this year’s deserving winners:

1 – Ma Barker, bridge opponent

You’re right, that is not her real name. Even though she has earned it.

It is impossible to describe to non-bridge players just how seriously the participants take the game. The game! It’s a game! And great fun. At least it’s supposed to be.

Most of my opponents are women in the 70s and 80s; a few in their 90s. Sweet, innocent-looking grandmothers and great-grandmothers, who turn into vicious predators as soon as they pick up their cards.

I have played against Ma Barker many times. When she is not carping at her partner, she’s doling out cranky, unsolicited lessons to her opponents. Last week, her Wednesday partner, withering under a blistering attack, finally retaliated. “Stop it already! I came here to enjoy myself!”

Ma Barker said, “If you’re here to have fun, you came to the wrong place!”

2 – The Chicago White Sox

I have been a fan of this “other” Chicago baseball team since I was ten years old. This year’s bumbling, indifferent, underachieving clowns committed the one sin we White Sox fans consider unforgivable: they turned us into Cub fans.

3 – Miguel

My experience with this young man became a perfect example of how absurdly I react when frustrated to the point of anger. Miguel is the young man I finally reached when calling DirecTV, waiting through three different menus and being on hold for eight minutes.

“DirecTV. This is Miguel.”

“Miguel, I just need a couple of new remotes,” I said, gritting teeth tightly.

“Yes sir,” he said. “Let me just verify some things.”

“But I just want – “

“We have protocols, sir.”

We went through my address, my zip code, my phone number, my cellphone number, my Social Security number, my account number and my mother’s maiden name before he said, “You need to call Access Media. They’re the company that provides technical service to your condo association.”

“What! What? I’ve just wasted fifteen minutes on the phone, and you couldn’t have told me that earlier?”

“I’m sorry, sir. Those are our protocols.”

“Okay, Miguel?”

“Yes?”

“I’m calling your mother!”

And I hung up on him.

4 – Jessica

This young lady works for Spirit Airlines. I have more than 70,000 free miles accumulated with Spirit. I’ve taken eight round-trip flights to Chicago in the past four years. Each flight was free. Each flight cost me $187.

After 22 minutes on hold with Spirit and listening to countless menus, Jessica finally answered the phone. I told her I have many free miles and wanted to know about flights to Chicago next summer.

“Of course, sir,” she said. “Let me just verify some things.”

Verify. Again. A new protocol. A new endless litany of questions. Again. Six minutes later, Jesssica said, “Fine. Now, did you say Chicago?”

“Yes. Let me give you my Free Mileage number.”

“Oh sir, since this is a free flight, I’ll have to transfer you.”

Fuming, I said, “Jessica?”

“Yes?”

“You can expect a phone call from Miguel’s mother!”

Then I hung up on her, too.

5 – AT&T

Dear AT&T Bigwigs:

I wish I could have been there when you made your initial presentations to corporate America.

First, obviously, you showed them how to create communications systems where no one would have to communicate with anyone. Everything could be handled electronically, with machines delivering messages to other machines.

Then you probably segued to handling phone calls from pesky customers who had the nerve to want answers to questions. You demonstrated the beauty of menus. Sub-menus. Alternative phone numbers. Recorded answers to oft-asked questions.

My guess is you wrapped up your presentation by guaranteeing that even a company with 20,000 employees internationally, 25 million global customers, and a main office staffed by at least 1,200, needed only a Miguel and a Jessica to answer incoming phone calls.

Brilliant. Must have been one of the finest presentations in history, You have earned a nomination to my Scroogie Hall of Fame.

6 – My post office

My local post office in Tamarac is being managed by disciples of Benny Hill.

On August 2nd, I sent out checks to eight companies. Monthly bills. Put them in my mailbox, as I do every month, to be picked up by our mailman.

These eight checks never arrived, I discovered in September when I received eight bills with “overdue” notices printed in red, and two months of fees now due.

I spent an entire day calling all eight companies. None of them had received a check. I went to my bank and gave them the check numbers to cancel in case someone tried to cash them.

Finally, I went to the post office. After fifteen minutes, I had worked my way to Bernice. I arrived just as her phone rang.

“Can I help you, sir?” she asked.

“Your phone is ringing,” I said.

“Can I help you, sir?”

“Your phone is ringing.”

“Sir, how can I help you?”

“Your phone is ringing off the hook!” I shouted.

The supervisor appeared. “Is there a problem here?” she asked.

“No,”I said, “Bernice and I are working on bringing back Vaudeville.”

“Sir, there are other people waiting.”

“Tell you what, Bernice. This time you be Abbott and I’ll be Costello.”

“Sir! Please!”

The phone stopped ringing.

I explained my problem to the supervisor. She said she would check with my carrier and get back to me. I gave her my card with my phone number, cellphone number and e-mail address.

That was on October 14^th. Thanksgiving is coming up soon, and I’m still waiting to hear from her.

Cantankerously Yours,

Wendell Abern

Winter Kind Kamp

Press Releases

admin

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November 29, 2016

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Winter Kind Kamp at the Good Earth Farm

Blue Friday

Amanda

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November 28, 2016

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Blue Friday

This year, Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s annual Blue Friday event will provide alternative family-friendly activities to the usual Black Friday traditions, encouraging community members to lend a hand.

Set for Nov. 25 beginning at 8 a.m., Blue Friday will include off-campus coastal environment clean-ups, a Wasteland Interactive Exhibit and free on-campus programming.

Guests can meet LMC staff members at various off-campus locations to assist* in cleaning up coastal environments. After the clean-ups, each clean-up participant will receive one ticket to redeem at LMC for a free complimentary continental breakfast beginning at 10 a.m. on LMC’s back deck. Breakfast provided courtesy of Another Broken Egg Café in Jupiter.

New Mini Golf Course Tees Up Major Conservation Effort – Ribbon-Cutting Event Opens Science Center’s Newest Attraction

Jennifer Cope

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November 28, 2016

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New Mini Golf Course Tees Up Major Conservation Effort – Ribbon-Cutting Event Opens Science Center’s Newest Attraction

New Mini Golf Course Tees Up Major Conservation Efforts

(West Palm Beach, Fla.) – South Florida Science Center and Aquarium leadership, board members, hole sponsors, project developers and community VIPs were on hand for an inaugural round of play at the Science Center’s Conservation Course, a new miniature golf course now open to guests.

Gary Nicklaus and Jim Fazio, sons of two local icons in the golf community, collaborated on the custom-designed course – a first for the typical competitors. Fazio was in attendance to officially open the course, leading attendees in a ceremonial opening round. Jim Walton of Southwest Greens was responsible for course construction.

According to SFSCA CEO Lew Crampton, the course was developed as a green space to provide recreational and environmental benefits to visitors while educating people about Florida’s native habitats. Each hole is named for a plant or animal found in the Everglades and has signage with educational language. The course was designed with science in mind, with a goal toward fostering interest in golf and conservation initiatives. “It’s a golf course laid out in a huge butterfly garden,” Crampton said.

“This is an important milestone for the Science Center,” Crampton said. “This course represents our ever-expanding programming that is geared toward inspiring the community to keep exploring. This is a one-of-a-kind, ‘destination’ course with no windmills or clown’s mouths to hit through. It’s a 100%, real golf layout designed by local legends and we are very proud of the results and grateful to our supporters who helps us bring these greens to life!”

Science Center educators will host putting clinics and tournaments and use the course layout to teach elementary principles of force, motion and angles. Students will learn how the course’s features, such as the use of native and pest-resistant plants, protect the environment all while learning the camaraderie of the sport. Players of all ages can enjoy the course and its babbling brooks, butterfly gardens and lush landscaping.

According to Crampton, there are even plans for the course to host the Conservation Cup putting tournament this spring with cash prizes for professionals and silver cups for amateur winners.

Now open for play during normal museum hours, rain or shine, the Conservation Course tickets are $5 for members and $7 for non-members. Student groups already attending the Science Center for another program will be charged a $2 fee to play. Members receive a complimentary allotment of passes depending on membership level.

The mission of the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium is to “open every mind to science” and the indoor/outdoor venue features more than 50 hands-on educational exhibits, a 10,000 gallon fresh and salt water aquarium- featuring both local and exotic marine life, a digital planetarium, conservation research station, Florida exhibit hall, Pre-K focused “Discovery Center” and an interactive Everglades exhibit.
For more information about the Conservation Course or other Science Center programming, please call 561-832-1988 or visit www.sfsciencecenter.org. Like the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Instagram @SFScienceCenter.

Palm Beach County Teachers Have Some Fun, Win Prizes at the Third Annual Educator Night Hosted By the Kravis Center

Heather Graulich

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November 28, 2016

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Palm Beach County Teachers Have Some Fun, Win Prizes at the Third Annual Educator Night Hosted By the Kravis Center

(West Palm Beach, FL) – The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts recently hosted nearly 100 Palm Beach County school teachers for the third annual Educator Night, a fun and relaxed evening highlighting the Kravis Center’s 2016-2017 Main Stage Season. The annual event gives teachers the chance to see how the arts can enhance their classroom efforts, while offering them exclusive ticket opportunities and treating them to live performances throughout the evening.

The Kravis Center will be offering the S*T*A*R (Students and Teachers Arts Resource) Series of presentations for young people during the 2016-2017 season, ranging from Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny to Much Ado About Nothing. Teachers of all grade levels are encouraged to find productions to help support their classroom curricula and to provide complementary programming.

Teachers attending Educator Night were treated to exclusive ticket opportunities while socializing over wine and cheese and enjoying a performance by members of Soul Crooners, one of the 2016-2017 featured shows in the Rinker Playhouse. Students from The Broadway Artists Intensive, a Broadway training program held each summer at the Kravis Center, performed “At The Ballet” from A Chorus Line, and Lauren Nicole Chapman, a star in the Broadway and touring companies of Kinky Boots, sang a selection from the musical, which comes to the Kravis Center in April. Chapman later helped give away a pair of tickets to Kinky Boots while teachers enjoyed a video greeting from the Tony Award-winning Director and Choreographer of Kinky Boots, Jerry Mitchell. Teachers won prizes, including tickets to other Kravis On Broadway hit shows. The event was free of charge to all Palm Beach County educators and was hosted by WPEC (CBS 12) contributing reporter and host of Good Sports on WXEL South Florida PBS and The Education Network, Ric Blackwell.

Since it opened in 1992, the Kravis Center has helped students of all ages fuel their imaginations and expand their lives through comprehensive arts education programs. Last season, nearly 60,000 children from Palm Beach, Broward, Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties attended performances, such as Click Clack Moo, presented in Dreyfoos Hall through the S*T*A*R Series. The Center’s Admission Waiver Program ensures that no child is denied access to a performance based on ability to pay.

To learn more about education opportunities, please call the Education and Community Outreach Department at 561-651-4251 or visit the Kravis Center’s official website, kravis.org, and click on Education and Community Outreach, where you also can view and print a 2016-2017 Kravis Center Education Brochure. To help support the Center’s education mission through membership or sponsorship opportunities, please call the Development Department at 561-651-4320.

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Thanksgiving in our Community: Quantum Foundation Gives Away $750,000 To 80 Local Nonprofits

Jennifer Cope

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November 28, 2016

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Thanksgiving in our Community

Quantum Foundation awards $750,000 to grassroots nonprofits
Palm Beach County organizations receive funds for basic needs

RIVIERA BEACH, Florida (Nov. 18, 2016): On Friday, Nov. 18, Quantum Foundation hosted a celebratory breakfast at the Riviera Beach Marina to award grants totaling $750,000 to 80 grassroots organizations in Palm Beach County. In a season of Thanksgiving, the annual Quantum in the Community initiative provides funds for operating support in amounts up to $25,000 to qualifying nonprofits that help meet the basic needs of the county’s most vulnerable residents. The grantee organizations represented all four corners of the county, from Tequesta to Boca Raton and from Belle Glade to Riviera Beach. The atmosphere was spirited and filled with gratitude as these organizations received funds to continue their good work in the community.

“We want to make a real difference in Palm Beach County,” said Quantum Foundation President Eric M. Kelly. “We are empowering organizations to provide for people’s basic needs. Good nutrition, proper clothing, housing and a healthy community can equip a person to do great things. We’re so inspired by what these organizations do on a limited budget and we are proud to be able to continue supporting them.”

Quantum Foundation is a private grantmaking organization with a mission to inspire and fund initiatives that improve the health of Palm Beach County. According to the latest data compiled by the Florida Philanthropic Network (FPN), Quantum Foundation is the largest Palm Beach County-based health funder with 100% of grant dollars used to support local communities. Since its founding in 1995, Quantum Foundation has given away more than $120 million in grants to more than 450 organizations.

During the breakfast, a few of the grant recipients were invited to address the gathering to share how the funding would impact their organization. Parents Pam and Hector Morales told their story of what one of the grant recipients, Hope for Mobility, provided their family. Their son, Lenix, who was born with special needs, received equipment and support from Hope for Mobility so he could go to daycare.

“When you have a child with special needs, you want to do everything you can to help them, and sometimes finances prohibit that,” said Pam Morales. “Without this organization, we could not have worked full time and provided for our other kids. Hope for Mobility provided us the help and support we needed and the Quantum Foundation’s funding for them is priceless.”

Their testimony drew tears from those in attendance as the day would have been Lenix’s 5th birthday. He passed away in 2015.

Suits for Seniors is an organization that provides tailored suits to graduating high school seniors in exchange for completing an eight-week program to empower the young men with leadership skills and a professional image.

“Through my own mistakes in life, I know we need mentors and role models,” said Jervonte Edmonds, founder of Suits for Seniors. “These funds will give us more tangible resources like scholarships. So far, funds have allowed 300 seniors to receive suits to date, 60-70 of whom have graduated and moved on to college.”

Denis Coleman, a Quantum board member, thanked the organizations for their work and dedication to the community. “This is a great payback for us with all of these organizations who do great work,” Coleman said.

Applications for Quantum in the Community grants open in the spring every year and funds are awarded each November. To qualify, applicant organizations must be based in Palm Beach County and have annual operating budget of less than $500,000. The board of Quantum Foundation approved the Quantum in the Community initiative in 2011 when economic surveys showed local nonprofits were to struggling to keep their doors open in the troubled economy. Since then, the Quantum Foundation has awarded a total of $4 million to this initiative in addition to the millions it invests each year in other major health-related initiatives.

To learn more about the Quantum in the Community initiative, please visit the organization’s website at: www.quantumfnd.org/quantum-in-the-community

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The Grinch who Stole Christmas

Press Releases

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November 27, 2016

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The Grinch who Stole Christmas

As our gift to the community, Wellington Ballet Theatre is excited to present its original production The Grinch Who Stole Christmas on Saturday, December 10^th at 7PM and Sunday, December 11^th at 4PM at the Wellington High School Auditorium. This is a family-friendly show! Tickets are free and can be picked up on a first-come first-served basis at the Dance Arts Conservatory Studio Box Office (11120 S. Crown Way, Unit 4, Wellington FL 33414) or by calling 561-296-1880. Tickets may also be picked up at the Wellington High School Theater, an hour prior to showtime.

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Palm Beach County Teachers Have Some Fun, Win Prizes at the Third Annual Educator Night Hosted By the Kravis Center

Thanksgiving in our Community: Quantum Foundation Gives Away $750,000 To 80 Local Nonprofits

The Grinch who Stole Christmas

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