The Future Of Sports Instruction
Star Athletes Aim To Breathe New Life Into An Old Wellington Park

By Mike May

While Wellington is firmly established as the premier destination for equestrian sports, it’s likely that Wellington will also soon become home to one of the finest training and instructional destinations for sports such as football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball and cheerleading.

The business entity pushing this new idea is Wellington Athletics LLC. It’s being spearheaded by three local athletes who went on to the big leagues: Jon Bostic, Devon Travis and Pat O’Donnell.

Bostic, a current NFL linebacker, has played in the NFL since 2013 for Chicago, New England, Detroit, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Washington. Travis is a former Major League Baseball player with the Detroit Tigers and the Toronto Blue Jays who is currently coaching for the Atlanta Braves organization. O’Donnell, meanwhile, is currently the punter for the NFL’s Green Bay Packers.

All three of these sports stars are also graduates of Wellington’s Palm Beach Central High School, and all three are committed to giving area residents, especially young athletes, the chance to get first-class coaching right here in Wellington, rather than travel far away to receive this high-level instruction.

Bostic, Travis and O’Donnell readily admit that they were fortunate, as they benefited from great coaches and mentors in their amateur athletic careers. Now, they want to extend that same option to other up-and-coming athletes in central Palm Beach County. Wellington Athletics is looking to fill a void.

“The mission is to close that gap by providing young athletes with a holistic approach to achieving their goals — on the field, in the classroom and at home,” explained Bostic in his proposal letter to the Village of Wellington.

The mission of Wellington Athletics is to transform the currently underutilized Wellington Community Park, located at 3401 South Shore Blvd., into a 91,784-square-foot multi-purpose sports training and coaching complex, as well as a youth sports academy. In order to build this complex and turn their sports training and coaching dreams into a reality, they need some assistance from the village.

Wellington Community Park was originally built as the home of the Wellington Boys & Girls Club in the 1980s and has not had major updates since that time. The club left in 2013 for a brand-new facility across town. Since then, the only structure at the park, the old club building, has been used for storage, and the fields are in poor shape.

The Wellington Athletics plan would knock down the current building and replace it with a state-of-art sports training facility. Meanwhile, the fields would get a major upgrade.

How is this new idea going to be financed? Enter the Village of Wellington. After putting out a request for proposals seeking a new use for the old park last year, the village has been working with Wellington Athletics to figure out how to make the finances work for the benefit of both Wellington residents and Wellington Athletics through a public-private partnership.

Wellington Village Manager Jim Barnes said that this public-private partnership is getting closer to reality, but it’s going to take some time for it to be finalized.

“When you are dealing with funds from the Village of Wellington, it just takes time to get matters approved,” Barnes said.

For a project of this magnitude, there is one big number to consider: $36 million. That is what it will cost to build the headquarters for Wellington Athletics, upgrade the fields and get the program underway. And that doesn’t include the initial $1.5 million required to dismantle the former Boys & Girls Club building.

Once the current structure is demolished, it’s going to take $36 million to build the new home of Wellington Athletics. This site will contain indoor baseball/softball batting cages, at least six indoor basketball courts, an indoor cheerleading training area, a fitness center/gym, and rooms to house a chiropractor and physical therapist, among others.

Outside, there will be state-of-the art lighted baseball and softball fields with dugouts and a large multi-purpose field, which will be big enough for a full-sized football, soccer or lacrosse field.

To get access to the coaches, instructors and sports specialists at Wellington Athletics, families will have to pay an annual membership fee. The fitness center/gym facility will have a separate pricing structure, which might be ideal for parents who can drop off their child for coaching and then visit the fitness center for a workout.

“The gym will be a huge revenue source for us,” Bostic predicted.

There will be many benefits for Wellington residents. They include access to at least one basketball court for use by local teams from 6 to 10 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, access to the outdoor baseball and softball fields every Saturday from 1 p.m. to sundown, and access to the outdoor multi-purpose field at all times, unless Wellington Athletics needs to use it for clients. And since Palm Beach Central High School does not have lighted fields for its baseball and softball teams, those squads will be able to use the lighted fields for home games.

According to Barnes, the Village of Wellington will use money from a bond to finance $33 million, while Wellington Athletics will contribute the remaining $3 million to the overall project. The timetable for making payments to the Village of Wellington to reimburse the village for its $33 million investment has yet to be determined, but the proforma business model for Wellington Athletics indicates that this concept will not be profitable until its third year of its operation.

However the final numbers work out, the $33 million will be returned to the Village of Wellington based on the terms of a 30-year lease. The agreement will also give Wellington Athletics the option to accept two additional 25-year leases after the initial 30-year lease has expired.

According to Assistant Village Manager Ed De La Vega, the Village of Wellington will always remain in control of the land. “We never relinquish ownership of the property,” he said.

If, for some reason, the business model for Wellington Athletics fails, then the Village of Wellington would take control of the project.

Based on comments from Barnes, the Wellington Village Council has at least three more meetings to fully discuss and approve all actions needed to officially start the process.

“The best-case scenario is that the old Boys & Girls Club building gets removed starting in the first half of 2023 and that construction of the new building will be finished about 14 months later,” Barnes said.

To ensure that the Village of Wellington is making a financially sound decision, it has consulted with an outside source with experience in dealing with sports groups like Wellington Athletics. That expert is Don Schumacher of DSA Sports. Schumacher, who has extensive experience in working with sports facilities, will assist in a comprehensive market analysis.

“We are in the process of evaluating all of the hard work Wellington Athletics has put into this project,” Schumacher told the council in June. “I don’t have any information in front of me that says this is a bad idea.”

While Bostic, Travis and O’Donnell are the face of Wellington Athletics, they will not be running the day-to-day affairs of the operation. That is expected to be delegated to Clearwater-based Sports Facilities Companies, which has years of experience in running operations similar to Wellington Athletics. Sports Facilities Companies’ Jim Arnold is very optimistic that Wellington Athletics will be a success.

“I’m very bullish that a complex like this will be successful,” Arnold told the council in June. “This [facility] is a one-of-a-kind along the east coast of Florida.”

The economic impact of the presence of Wellington Athletics being operational could be as much as $6.4 million in its first year. It could be as high as $10 million by the fifth year.

“This is the new wave of sports,” Bostic said. “This is something which has taken countless hours to piece together. This is a lot more than athletics.”

Time will tell if Bostic, Travis and O’Donnell are right. But the Village of Wellington appears willing to make that initial first investment.

A Focus On Community Service
New Wellington Rotary Club President Tiffany Rodriguez Aims To Get More People Involved In The Well-Known Service Organization

By Mike May

While Wellington is firmly established as the premier destination for equestrian sports, it’s likely that Wellington will also soon become home to one of the finest training and instructional destinations for sports such as football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball and cheerleading.

The business entity pushing this new idea is Wellington Athletics LLC. It’s being spearheaded by three local athletes who went on to the big leagues: Jon Bostic, Devon Travis and Pat O’Donnell.

Bostic, a current NFL linebacker, has played in the NFL since 2013 for Chicago, New England, Detroit, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Washington. Travis is a former Major League Baseball player with the Detroit Tigers and the Toronto Blue Jays who is currently coaching for the Atlanta Braves organization. O’Donnell, meanwhile, is currently the punter for the NFL’s Green Bay Packers.

All three of these sports stars are also graduates of Wellington’s Palm Beach Central High School, and all three are committed to giving area residents, especially young athletes, the chance to get first-class coaching right here in Wellington, rather than travel far away to receive this high-level instruction.

Bostic, Travis and O’Donnell readily admit that they were fortunate, as they benefited from great coaches and mentors in their amateur athletic careers. Now, they want to extend that same option to other up-and-coming athletes in central Palm Beach County. Wellington Athletics is looking to fill a void.

“The mission is to close that gap by providing young athletes with a holistic approach to achieving their goals — on the field, in the classroom and at home,” explained Bostic in his proposal letter to the Village of Wellington.

The mission of Wellington Athletics is to transform the currently underutilized Wellington Community Park, located at 3401 South Shore Blvd., into a 91,784-square-foot multi-purpose sports training and coaching complex, as well as a youth sports academy. In order to build this complex and turn their sports training and coaching dreams into a reality, they need some assistance from the village.

Wellington Community Park was originally built as the home of the Wellington Boys & Girls Club in the 1980s and has not had major updates since that time. The club left in 2013 for a brand-new facility across town. Since then, the only structure at the park, the old club building, has been used for storage, and the fields are in poor shape.

The Wellington Athletics plan would knock down the current building and replace it with a state-of-art sports training facility. Meanwhile, the fields would get a major upgrade.

How is this new idea going to be financed? Enter the Village of Wellington. After putting out a request for proposals seeking a new use for the old park last year, the village has been working with Wellington Athletics to figure out how to make the finances work for the benefit of both Wellington residents and Wellington Athletics through a public-private partnership.

Wellington Village Manager Jim Barnes said that this public-private partnership is getting closer to reality, but it’s going to take some time for it to be finalized.

“When you are dealing with funds from the Village of Wellington, it just takes time to get matters approved,” Barnes said.

For a project of this magnitude, there is one big number to consider: $36 million. That is what it will cost to build the headquarters for Wellington Athletics, upgrade the fields and get the program underway. And that doesn’t include the initial $1.5 million required to dismantle the former Boys & Girls Club building.

Once the current structure is demolished, it’s going to take $36 million to build the new home of Wellington Athletics. This site will contain indoor baseball/softball batting cages, at least six indoor basketball courts, an indoor cheerleading training area, a fitness center/gym, and rooms to house a chiropractor and physical therapist, among others.

Outside, there will be state-of-the art lighted baseball and softball fields with dugouts and a large multi-purpose field, which will be big enough for a full-sized football, soccer or lacrosse field.

To get access to the coaches, instructors and sports specialists at Wellington Athletics, families will have to pay an annual membership fee. The fitness center/gym facility will have a separate pricing structure, which might be ideal for parents who can drop off their child for coaching and then visit the fitness center for a workout.

“The gym will be a huge revenue source for us,” Bostic predicted.

There will be many benefits for Wellington residents. They include access to at least one basketball court for use by local teams from 6 to 10 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, access to the outdoor baseball and softball fields every Saturday from 1 p.m. to sundown, and access to the outdoor multi-purpose field at all times, unless Wellington Athletics needs to use it for clients. And since Palm Beach Central High School does not have lighted fields for its baseball and softball teams, those squads will be able to use the lighted fields for home games.

According to Barnes, the Village of Wellington will use money from a bond to finance $33 million, while Wellington Athletics will contribute the remaining $3 million to the overall project. The timetable for making payments to the Village of Wellington to reimburse the village for its $33 million investment has yet to be determined, but the proforma business model for Wellington Athletics indicates that this concept will not be profitable until its third year of its operation.

However the final numbers work out, the $33 million will be returned to the Village of Wellington based on the terms of a 30-year lease. The agreement will also give Wellington Athletics the option to accept two additional 25-year leases after the initial 30-year lease has expired.

According to Assistant Village Manager Ed De La Vega, the Village of Wellington will always remain in control of the land. “We never relinquish ownership of the property,” he said.

If, for some reason, the business model for Wellington Athletics fails, then the Village of Wellington would take control of the project.

Based on comments from Barnes, the Wellington Village Council has at least three more meetings to fully discuss and approve all actions needed to officially start the process.

“The best-case scenario is that the old Boys & Girls Club building gets removed starting in the first half of 2023 and that construction of the new building will be finished about 14 months later,” Barnes said.

To ensure that the Village of Wellington is making a financially sound decision, it has consulted with an outside source with experience in dealing with sports groups like Wellington Athletics. That expert is Don Schumacher of DSA Sports. Schumacher, who has extensive experience in working with sports facilities, will assist in a comprehensive market analysis.

“We are in the process of evaluating all of the hard work Wellington Athletics has put into this project,” Schumacher told the council in June. “I don’t have any information in front of me that says this is a bad idea.”

While Bostic, Travis and O’Donnell are the face of Wellington Athletics, they will not be running the day-to-day affairs of the operation. That is expected to be delegated to Clearwater-based Sports Facilities Companies, which has years of experience in running operations similar to Wellington Athletics. Sports Facilities Companies’ Jim Arnold is very optimistic that Wellington Athletics will be a success.

“I’m very bullish that a complex like this will be successful,” Arnold told the council in June. “This [facility] is a one-of-a-kind along the east coast of Florida.”

The economic impact of the presence of Wellington Athletics being operational could be as much as $6.4 million in its first year. It could be as high as $10 million by the fifth year.

“This is the new wave of sports,” Bostic said. “This is something which has taken countless hours to piece together. This is a lot more than athletics.”

Time will tell if Bostic, Travis and O’Donnell are right. But the Village of Wellington appears willing to make that initial first investment.

Every Day Brings Something New Tree’s Wings General Manager Erin Townsend Enjoys The Challenge Of Keeping The Popular Local Restaurant And Bar Running Smoothly

Story By Deborah Welky | Photos By Denise Fleischman

Erin Townsend had three children, all under age four, when she went looking for a part-time job in 2008. Little did she know, that part-time job would change her life.

“I just wanted to work a couple of evenings a week, just to maintain my sanity,” she recalled.

Townsend approached Andy and Linda Maynard, co-owners of Tree’s Wings & Ribs, a popular restaurant at the south end of Royal Palm Blvd. She asked to be hired as a delivery driver. Unfortunately, no delivery positions were open, but the Maynards asked if she would like to try her hand as a server instead.

“I had never served before, but I said I’d give it a try,” Townsend said. “I loved it. I loved interacting with different people every day, having different conversations. It still tickles me.”

The job soon pivoted into a full-time position, and before too long, the Maynards approached Townsend about becoming the restaurant’s general manager.

“I was hesitant,” Townsend said. “I had absolutely no experience managing a restaurant. But they needed some help, and I do love a challenge. It was trial by fire, sink or swim. I accepted the job, and very quickly realized that I was in over my head.”

But the Maynards wanted Townsend to succeed. They sent her to Philadelphia to attend a restaurant management seminar headed up by John Taffer, star of the TV show “Bar Rescue.”

“It was really cool,” Townsend recalled. “Unlike his TV persona, John is a really sweet guy. When he found out I was from Tree’s Wings, he shouted it out to the whole banquet hall and said, ‘They have the best ribs!’ Turns out he was local then and had our ribs delivered all the time.”

Townsend is still learning every day, but that’s part of what makes the job fun. Designing menus, writing advertisements and creating signage was all new to her, but she embraced the tasks.

“I had to learn things as I went along,” Townsend said. “It was a crash course but, to me, even that was fun.”

Tree’s Wings has been a fixture in the western communities for 27 years. Townsend’s children are now 17, 16 and almost 15. Her eldest daughter is now a server at Tree’s Wings, following in mom’s footsteps.

“We serve typical American food — wings, ribs, mahi, salads, hamburgers and a ton of good appetizers,” Townsend said. “We stick to what we know, and we do it right.”

Located in the Royal Plaza just north of Southern Blvd., Tree’s Wings features a main dining room and two full bar areas. They also offer take-out, delivery and catering services.

“We’ve seen a shift in habits since the pandemic,” Townsend said. “It used to be 60 percent dine-in customers, and 40 percent split between delivery and take-out. These days, our take-out is closer to 60 percent, while dine-in is 30 percent and delivery is 10 percent.”

Townsend noted that Tree’s Wings has a sizable delivery area, including all of Royal Palm Beach and Wellington, parts of Loxahatchee and parts of West Palm Beach. And they make ordering catered platters as easy as they can.

“We have a whole menu of easy-to-order party trays,” Townsend said. “You can just call up and say, ‘Give me 100 wings, four racks of ribs and all the sides.’ When the Dave Matthews Band is in town each year, that’s just what they do. They call and say, ‘We’ve got 60 people. Be ready.’ Many of the fairgrounds performers stay at the Royal Inn across the street, and we become part of their tradition.”

Tree’s Wings also has its cast of regulars.

“Some people have been coming in for years,” Townsend said. “If we don’t know them by name, we certainly know them by their order.”

Townsend prides herself on giving customers what they want, even if it’s only the flat side of the wing or chicken that has been fried twice to achieve the crispiness they desire.

“We try to be accommodating,” she said. “We want people to be happy with their order. Our primary customer base is made up of hardworking, local people. They’re very loyal.”

Even without a culinary background, Townsend learned a lot growing up in The Acreage. “My mother, Mary Jo, is an amazing cook. I’m the middle of nine children and, on any given day, there could be 20 for dinner,” she said. “We’re super close-knit and every meal cooked is enough to feed an army.”

That said, her parents were slightly surprised at the turn Townsend’s life has taken.

“Managing a restaurant was never one of my goals. I wanted to be a teacher or something to do with nature,” Townsend said. “I was volunteering at the Grassy Waters nature preserve, planting trees. I think one of the reasons this place feels like home to me is that Andy and Linda are tremendously community minded. When we were short-staffed during the pandemic, I sometimes had to step in as a server, even though I was earning a salary as general manager. I told the Maynards that it didn’t seem fair, so I was going to donate my tips to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. They matched me, dollar for dollar.”

Townsend said interacting with people is her favorite part of the job.

“I particularly like when they try to guess the secret recipe for our house dressing,” she said. “Our customers call it ‘the green stuff.’ It’s iconic. In addition to what we serve our customers, we sell it by the pint — 150 pints a week! We produce it every day, and it just flies out the door.”

While working at Tree’s Wings was once something to get Townsend out of the house, nowadays she can’t see her life without it. “I’m hoping to stay here until the day I retire,” she said.

To learn more about Tree’s Wings & Ribs, visit www.treeswingsandribs.com.

A New Approach To Education
Mandala World Academy Is Making Waves In The United States Teaching System

Story And Photos By Cassidy Klein

Making waves in today’s online and interactive learning systems, the Mandala World Academy is on a mission to provide students an advanced education and create a paradigm shift from the current educational teaching system in the United States.

Establishing roots in Wellington with the purchase of an equestrian center on Indian Mound Road several years ago, the Mandala World team is motivated to make a difference in the community to enrich today’s youth by providing higher education to students inside and out of the equestrian community.

Mandala World’s integrated curricula are customized and precisely crafted around extensive research conducted by Johns Hopkins University on “Brain Targeted Teaching” fueled by neuroscience, cognitive and psychological sciences, the science of learning and education to instill long-term retention.

As an institution, Mandala World Academy is transforming the process of teaching and learning to offer students the opportunity to embark on a new path in their educational careers to elevate their academic achievements.

Dr. George Hutchinson, the founder and CEO of Mandala World Academy, believes that “together, we can transmit the Mandala World Academy advanced educational system of methodologies and philosophies to all students throughout the nation and the world to achieve excellence for all our children.”

Mandala World Academy believes in a humanitarian approach to online learning. With its academic institutions focusing on the training of students in various subjects, Mandala’s experts offer students the opportunity to steer a more effective and rewarding life through education.

Driven by the brain-focused teaching model of Dr. Mariale Hardiman, Mandala World Academy addresses and emphasizes the offline and online teaching systems, including economic and environmental stability, development of advanced building architecture, cutting-edge online technologies and ongoing research relative to educational changes within the global society.

With a focus on building successful generations to come, the Brain Targeted Teaching model has all grade level core classes available, interactive environments and even an equestrian-based curriculum, making the Mandala World Academy the future of education.

The Mandala World Equestrian Academy uses an educational program that is unique and advanced, designed to utilize notable teaching and learning methods, allowing the students to neurologically utilize all aspects of their cognitive ability. This learning method is presented in relation to an environment that is melodic with nature.

The Wellington equestrian center, updated with all the latest, top-tier improvements for horse enthusiasts and equipped with a fully functional learning center on site, is ready to welcome community members. Its advanced educational program offers students a well-rounded curriculum built upon Brain Targeted Teaching to take into consideration the emotional aspect of a student.

The Mandala World Equestrian Academy has an online curriculum and in-person innovative programs designed to teach students the basic skills needed for their equines, all the way up to riders embarking on professional careers in the industry.

Courses range from Riding & Horsemanship, Equine Management, Hoof Anatomy & Maintenance, Mental Skills and Contemporary Equestrian Learning; all the way to Management of an Equine Business & Marketing, Training Courses, Equine History and Course Design within the Industry.

In company to learning the ins and outs of horses, the courses allow students to develop necessary life skills such as care-taking, understanding sport psychology, decision-making, intricate training techniques, business and communication skills, critical thinking and dedication.

In addition to learning all about the equine industry, students will be presented hands-on opportunities for learning with the equestrian academy horses.

Students will be responsible for the nutrition, fitness and all-around well-being of the horses while receiving a high level of instruction during riding lessons. The staff at the equestrian academy is able to teach and inspire students from those who are new to equestrian sports, all the way up to athletes competing on the highest level looking to make a career out of their lifelong dedication.

Mandala World’s commitment to the community and the younger generation has continued to aid in its growth over the last 10 years with an unwavering commitment to methodological Brain Targeted Teaching, setting it apart from other competing institutions throughout the world.

“Together, we can overcome the challenges of today’s school environments and prepare our children for greater opportunities now, for their future success,” Dr. Hutchinson said.

For more information about the Mandala World Academy, visit www.mandalaworldacademy.com or www.mandalaworldequestrian.com.

Donor Involvement Fuels Community Support Philanthropy From Wellington Supports Exceptional Care At Bethesda Hospital West

Serving patients in Palm Beach County since 1959, Bethesda Hospital has been at the forefront of healthcare in an area that has expanded rapidly over the past six decades. In 2013, the hospital opened the doors of its second campus, Bethesda Hospital West, to meet the needs of a growing population in western Boynton Beach.

Bethesda Hospital West is an 80-bed, state-of-the-art, medical/surgical and ICU community hospital, with a 24-hour emergency department for adults and children. The facility provides general medical, surgical and intensive care services, as well as diagnostic imaging and rehabilitation. It offers all private rooms; a 10-bed intensive care unit; advanced cardiac CT imaging; and an advanced endovascular and interventional surgical suite for minimally invasive cardiovascular procedures.

“We are very proud of the range of services we provide at Bethesda West,” said Nelson Lazo, CEO of Bethesda Hospital. “But it’s the personal, compassionate care we give our patients that makes this hospital such a valued part of the community.”

Bethesda Hospital West is part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 12 hospitals, 25,000 employees, more than 4,000 physicians, and more than 150 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to its faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence, Baptist Health has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America and by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies.

From its inception, Bethesda Hospital West has been designed for growth, and the hospital can eventually expand to become a 400-bed facility in the future. This expansion will help support the wide-ranging healthcare needs of the county’s growing western suburbs in Boynton Beach, Lake Worth, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach and beyond.

Philanthropy has always played an essential role at Bethesda Hospital. Donors have supported the development of new facilities, state-of-the-art equipment for minimally invasive cardiac procedures, COVID-19 emergency response needs, education programs at the Bethesda College of Health Sciences and much more.

“Philanthropic support is absolutely vital for us,” said Barbara James, vice president of development and development support at the Baptist Health Foundation. “As more people move to the county, there is a growing need for premium healthcare. Fortunately, we’ve been able to expand our donor base over the past several years, for which we are very grateful.”

This dedicated community of donors includes Marie and Steve Bedner of Wellington, who are among South Florida’s leading vegetable growers. They are owners of an 80-acre farm that produces about 50 different types of vegetables, as well as three Palm Beach County farmer’s markets.

The couple, who have been supporting Bethesda Hospital West since 2011, were part of the hospital’s initial building campaign.

Marie is a former foundation board member and a current hospital trustee who is an enthusiastic advocate for her community.

“Few things matter more than the health of our loved ones and friends, along with the well-being of the community where we live,” she said. “That’s what prompted us to step forward and fully support Bethesda Hospital West. We need to keep nurturing this first-rate facility and continue to support its mission.”

As any business owner knows, a company’s success is largely based on the dedication of its employees. Marie has been impressed with how Bethesda Hospital West has been able to recruit and retain its exceptional staff.

“In my first year as a trustee, I was asked to give out the five-year pins at the employee appreciation party,” she recalled. “They didn’t warn me ahead of time not to wear heels — I stood there for so long! There were so many team members who had been there five years and longer. It says a lot about an organization that people want to stay, and that they’re well taken care of.”

The Bedners are also helping support the hospital’s caregivers with vegetable giveaway days, which began during the early days of the pandemic and are still greatly appreciated.

Marie believes that the involvement of donors like herself and Steve is having a positive impact on philanthropic support for Bethesda Hospital West, which will continue to build in the future. “It puts a face on the hospital, and people in the community respect that,” she said. “Therefore, they’re happy to lend their support — and that makes a big difference.”

For more information about the Baptist Health Foundation and supporting Bethesda Hospital West, visit www.baptisthealth.net/giving, e-mail giving@baptisthealth.net or call (561) 737-7733, ext. 84445.