West Palm Beach, Fla.– On December 2, 2022, Palm Health Foundation’s 2022 scholarship recipients had the opportunity to meet and thank the donors who are supporting their education and their career goals in the nursing and behavioral health professions. Over 100 guests gathered at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens in West Palm Beach, FL, to honor the 61 undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate students, and listen to the heartfelt stories of the generous donors who are making their dreams come true. Frances Fisher generously underwrote the scholarship reception at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens where she serves as chairwoman.
Mrs. Fisher kicked off the evening by sharing how grateful she is to support local students dedicated to the health of the Palm Beach County community through The Frances Fisher Scholarship Fund at Palm Health Foundation where she serves as a board member and philanthropy committee chair. Fellow foundation board member and immediate past chair Denise Bober emceed the evening, sharing her personal story about what inspired her family to create The Sutton Kailey Nursing Advancement Fund. Named for her granddaughters, born just 24 weeks into her daughter Melissa’s pregnancy, Bober shared how “Kailey shined her presence on this earth for a mere 24 hours before God called her to come to heaven. Baby Sutton remained brave and strong, survived heart surgery, and spent 111 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.” Eight-year-old Sutton joined her grandmother at the lectern to recognize her family’s scholarship fund recipient, Victoria Ugalde.
Michael Dolce was invited to share the story behind The Joseph Dolce Surgical Nursing Scholarship Fund, named for his grandfather who was a doctor who served the poor of Palm Beach County, providing his medical services for free. With his son Luke by his side, Mr. Dolce spoke of his grandfather’s commitment to his patients and the deep respect he had for nurses. Luke held photos of his great-grandfather as his father spoke, sharing the image of the man whose legacy lives on through the Palm Health Foundation scholarship in his name.
Several other scholarship donors were recognized at the event, including Pam Gladstone and Elizabeth Rosenthal representing the B.J. & Paula Harris Fund Scholars, Jill Merrell and the John T. Merrell Scholarship Fund, and Charles Keys, representing the Valley Bank Scholarship Fund. Scholars also received awards from several other funds at Palm Health Foundation, including: The Andrew P. Barowsky Scholarship Fund; The Samuel & Sylvia Lamstein Nursing Education Fund Scholarship; The Debra Coffman Howe Nursing Scholarship Fund; The Charles Norton Adams Nursing Endowment Fund; The Helen K. Persson Nursing Education Scholarship Fund; The Peter and Elinka Ordway Nursing Scholarship Fund; and The Palm Health Foundation Nursing Advancement Fund.
Patrick McNamara, president and CEO of Palm Health Foundation closed the evening by thanking the donors who collectively awarded over $400,000 in scholarships in 2022 and recognized the importance of the scholars’ dedication to health care. “Our community needs care that only professionals, like all of you, can provide,” he said. “You are here because you’ve demonstrated dedication, perseverance, and a true desire to serve your neighbors. Palm Health Foundation is proud to support, honor, and uplift you as you continue your journey. Thank you for your service to our community.”
Palm Health Foundation has granted more than $3.5 million in nursing scholarships to over 1,000 nursing students for advanced education since its founding in 2001 and recently expanded its scholarships to include the behavioral health field. The scholarships are administered by the George Snow Scholarship Fund and encourage individuals with financial need to enter and advance in the nursing and mental/behavioral health professions. For more information, please visit www.scholarship.org.
