Page 1 - Hobe Sound Reflections - December '23

VOL. 24 NO. 12 www.seabreezepublications.com DECEMBER 2023

Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Big Taste Of Martin County

Returned To The Stuart Jet Center In Person

Big Brothers Big Sisters of
Palm Beach and Martin Counties
held their annual Big Taste of
Martin County on Oct. 12 at the
Stuart Jet Center as the first in-
person event of the season.
Known as the premier
food and wine festival of
the Treasure Coast, this year
the in-person event had 600
attendees raising money for Best Drink: Motorworks
mentoring programs. The new Brewing
outdoor layout was a big hit Best Dessert: The Dolphin Bar & Shrimp House
with guests who ate and drank from popular restaurants
and beverage companies located in Martin County. Best Entree and Best Presentation: Kork Big Taste Of Martin County on page 3
Shoot For The Moon Shatters All Records

By Elizabeth Farrar After a BBQ lunch expertly prepared by the Martin
The Mark Garwood Foundation hosted its Seventh County Sheriff’s Grill Team, Phoenix Scholarship
Annual Shoot For The Moon Sporting Clays Charity recipient Alexandria Dennison told her story of
Event, presented by Audi, Infiniti, Maserati, and Alfa overcoming substance misuse in preparation for Erica and
Romeo of Stuart, on Nov. 3 at the South Florida Shooting John Garwood’s introduction of the nine 2024 Phoenix
Club. Scholarship recipients.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Mark Garwood The Mark Garwood Foundation was founded in 2014
Foundation and its Phoenix Scholarship program. by Stuart residents Erica and John Garwood after they lost
Erica and John Garwood hosted 45 teams and over 70 their 24-year-old son, Mark to complications of substance
guests for lunch at this year’s event, breaking all previous misuse and Type 1 diabetes.
attendance records. Since 2015, the Mark Garwood Foundation Phoenix
Representative Toby Overdorf and Martin County Scholarship program has awarded 67 scholarships and
Chief Deputy Sheriff John Budensiek joined John educational grants totaling more than $435,000 to adults
Garwood in welcoming participants before they headed John Perillo, John Garwood, Alex Mingace, Dave
to the competition courses. Shoot For The Moon on page 7 Mingace, Rufus Wakeman
Champions Of Change: United Way Of Martin County

Celebrates Community Leaders

United Way of Martin County celebrated the kickoff of its Bryan Garner ,
annual campaign with the Community Leaders’ Celebration senior marketing and
Luncheon held at Sailfish Point Country Club on Oct. 20. communications director for
The event served as a platform to honor the outstanding NextEra Energy/FPL, served
achievements of the past year while highlighting the as event emcee.
organization’s goals for the future. At the luncheon, which “Alt hough we’ve
was attended by nearly 200 people, United Way thanked the experienced a lot of turmoil
dozens of organizations and thousands of individuals who this past year causing
raise millions of dollars every year to help Martin County
residents meet their basic needs and build better, more stable Champions Of Change
lives for themselves and their families. on page 4

Champion sponsor and No. 2 most generous workplace, Seacoast Bank. Left to right: Philip
Dasch, Seacoast Bank wealth management assistant; Chuck Shaffer, Seacoast Bank chairman
and CEO and United Way of Martin County board member; Justin Neighbour, Seacoast Bank
senior vice president; Amy Bottegal, United Way of Martin County past campaign chair;
Denise Anderson, Seacoast Bank benefits administrator; Penny Morin, Seacoast Bank senior
market manager; Lisa Vasquez, Seacoast Bank small business banker; Sara Lynch, Seacoast
Bank commercial lender; Austen Carroll, Seacoast Bank chief lending officer