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Venice Yacht Club Charitable Foundation
Charting a course to a better community…
Message from the Chairperson:
Updated December 2024
Dear Venice Yacht Club Members:
This year has been memorable in so many ways, filled with fun activities at the club, as well as two devastating hurricanes. Seeing so much suffering and damage around us, we are thankful for the resilience of our community. And thank you to the volunteers, and the yacht club team, who worked hard in chaos to bring the club back so quickly.
Throughout the year, no matter what happens, Venice Yacht Club members, family and friends continue to help us support local organizations. We are grateful for your generosity.
As of the end of the VYCCF fiscal year, October 31, we completed the 2024 Grant Cycle, and made gifts and donations of $154,000, to 27 organizations. We had a very successful Bike Ride, plus a walk, despite terrible weather. In April we had our ever-popular Jazz under the Stars event. It was disappointing having to cancel our last big event, the Jimmy Buffet Parrot head party, in October due to the hurricanes. However, the best news is that we have moved that event out a year, to Saturday October 11, 2025. It was delayed by a year, but it will be a great party! Lastly, our Donor Appreciation event on November 7, when we awarded the last three grants, one to Operation Warrior Resolution, and two new organizations, Toys for Tots and Sea Scouts Ship 1777.
As we start our new year, and the 2025 grant cycle, I am very pleased to announce some changes to our organization. Don Healy and Bob Scholten retired from the VYCCF board, and two committee members have now joined the board. Those members are Sandy Welch, and Haydn Fusia. In addition, Haydn has become the VYCCF Outreach Committee chair for 2025. We look forward to an exciting new year.
And of course, our next big event, the 8th Annual Bike/Walk Ride for a better Community, February 16, 2025. This is our biggest fundraiser, and always fun for participants of any age, and a great fun program for the whole community! Thank you, Dave Slaman and Steve Bieglecki, for making the past 7 years so successful.
Sincerely,
Sylvia Hollister – 2025 VYCCF Chair
Together we are Charting a Course for a Better Community
Our mission is to “mobilize the collective goodwill of our community, to improve the lives of our neighbors, including those who are most vulnerable”.
Your 2024 Volunteer VYCCF “Committee of Leaders”
Sylvia Hollister, Dave Slaman, Haydn Fusia, Sandy Welch, Fran Jeffrey, John O’Donnell, Joi Nemke, Kevin Collins, Pamela Phildius, Barbara Isaacson, Noni Lavelle, Barbi Richardson, Beth Piel, Anne Van Cott, Cherie Major, Karla Olson, Kimberly Spearman, Joyce Mierzejwski, Steve Selbo.
Please feel free to reach out to any of these committee and board members with questions regarding projects and programs of the VYCCF.
Happy New Year!
With the recent start of our new Fiscal Year, we are busy reviewing our first grant requests, and look forward to keeping everyone informed about this exciting process, which also involves some first-time applicants.
We are fortunate to have two new VYCCF members: Joyce Mierzejwski and Steve Selbo. Joyce joined VYC in 2021 having moved to Venice from New Jersey where she was a teacher, business owner and counselor working with children and adolescents. Steve hails from Vermont with a background in business and finance; he joined VYC in 2022. Welcome to both! We are sad to see Bob Scholten and Don Healy as well as Cheryl Cook leaving as members of the foundation board and outreach committee. Many thanks to them for their hard work and dedication to making our VYCCF what it is today.
We are pleased to announce that Haydn Fusia was elected as Chair of the Foundation Outreach Committee. Haydn has a background in charitable work as well as running a successful construction company. Sylvia Hollister will remain as Chair of the Foundation Board of Directors.
Planning for our 8th Annual Ride or Walk for a Better Community is in full swing. Please register online at www.vyccf.com. Last year, we raised $109,000! You can walk OR ride, so come on out for this wonderful cause. Bring family and friends, too!
Thanks to all and we look forward to a wonderful 2025!
Appreciatively,
Barbi Richardson, VYCCF Currents Editor
Please follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VeniceYachctClubCharitableFoundation/
updated: January 2025 Currents
Dear Fellow Club Members:
Thanks so much to those of you who came out for our Donor Appreciation Night at the Club last month. Because without your support, we would not have such a vibrant Charitable Foundation able to help our SW Florida region and neighbors. At this annual event, we presented checks to Sea Scouts, Operation Warrior Resolution and Toys for Tots.
With the start of our new Fiscal Year, we are excited to begin reviewing grant requests, and we look forward to keeping everyone informed about this exciting process.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for our highly anticipated Bike/Walk for a Better Community. This is being run, once again, by our own inimitable Dave Slaman, and is on for Feb. 16, 2025. You can register online at www.vyccf.com. Last year, we raised an amazing $109,000; and this event has become a looked-forward to staple in our community. Since we added WALKING as well as biking, it is even more inclusive. So, bring family and friends and register for this important event which is so crucial to helping those in need in our own community!
Appreciatively,
Barbi Richardson, VYCCF Currents Editor
Please follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VeniceYachctClubCharitableFoundation/
updated: December 2024 Currents
$1,279,325
| Venice Yacht Club ~ 1330 Tarpon Center Drive ~ Venice, FL 34285 ~ Phone: (941) 488-7708 Copyright ©2025 ~ All Rights Reserved |
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