Kudos!

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus...

...and it just so happens that her name is Virginia, too. On February 26, Charlotte Community Foundation announced that Virginia Andes, a resident of South Port Square in Port Charlotte, had made a $1 million donation to St. Vincent DePaul Community Health Care's free clinic on Gibralter Drive in Port Charlotte.

Andes provided an initial gift of $250,000 to purchase the modular building that houses the clinic, which will now be known as the Virginia B. Andes Volunteer Health Clinic. The remaining $750,000 will be placed in the Virginia B. Andes Foundation, an endowed fund at the Charlotte Community Foundation. Annual revenues from the fund will then be used to support the clinic's operating expenses.

"Ms. Andes' contribution is such a wonderful gift to our community," said Ronald Monck, chairman of the Charlotte Community Foundation. "She has lived in our community for only 14 years, and yet she is committed to making sure that those in need have the care they require to maintain their health and not have to rely on our hospital's emergency rooms."

To learn about how you can contribute to the Virginia B. Andes Volunteer Health Clinic, call the Charlotte Community Foundation at (941) 637-0077. The clinic is located at 21450 Gibralter Drive in Port Charlotte.

Racing to Save Lives

Throughout the month of March, more than 600 people participated in the 5th annual Charlotte Harbor Leukemia Cup Regatta at Isles Yacht Club, one of 47 such events across the country, raising $60,000 to help The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society fund life-saving cancer research and provide services to blood cancer patients.

"It means so much to me that these sailors are out there raising money and awareness to give help and hope to blood cancer patients," said Dr. Chris Webb, founder and chairman of the Charlotte Harbor Leukemia Cup Regatta. "And they get to do something they enjoy while making a difference in the lives of others." Skip Mansfield of IYC co-chaired the event along with Webb.

In addition to the main events, which took place on March 21 and 22, IYC joined forces with St. Andrew's South Golf Club and "Q" Billiards Lounge to plan additional fund-raising events throughout the month. St. Andrews hosted a best ball golf tournament while 96 players competed in a two-day tennis tournament at IYC. A mystery bike ride throughout Punta Gorda and two-day pool shoot at "Q" Billiards rounded out the month of events.

Visit www.leukemiacup.org to learn more about the Leukemia Cup Regatta. To learn about other LLS fundraising programs, visit www.lls.org.