Wycliffe Charities Foundation Community Raises Money For Many Great Causes

The Wycliffe Charities Foundation has been a fixture for more than 20 years, putting one community’s philanthropic efforts to work for nonprofit organizations across the western communities and beyond.

“The people of Wycliffe are very generous. They sponsor a number of events that we hold during the year,” Wycliffe Charities Foundation President Gerry Ranzal said. “It’s all very exciting. If you go to the different charities we sponsor, and you talk to the people that they help, and the love and respect and gratitude that they convey to you, it is a wonderful feeling.”

Today, the Wycliffe Charities Foundation continues to honor the goals of supporting community nonprofits serving central Palm Beach County. The foundation has signature annual events it continues to hold in order to raise money for the long list of charities it donates to every year.

“That’s an ongoing thing all year, so even though the golf tournament is in March and the shredding is in April, and we have raffles in January, the tributes are collected all year,” Treasurer Harriet Ross said. “That’s how I started out on the board, just doing the tributes for about three or four years, and then I elevated to the treasury.”

This year, the charity broke its record for annual money raised — $158,500.

Sue Webber, past president of the organization, said the foundation has donated about $1.8 million over the past 20 years to the nonprofit organizations it supports.

“We embrace the charities, and they embrace us,” Vice President Gail Horowitz said.

The foundation’s annual golf tournament continues to be its largest event of the year. The tournament hosts approximately 300 people who support the foundation’s mission.

“It takes all of us,” Horowitz said. “It’s not one person. It’s not two people. It’s the whole community that does it, coming together and being able to pull it off… every year, and saying, ‘Are we going to be able to do it?’ ‘Can we do it?’ ‘Is it going to be ok?’ And, every year, it gets bigger and better.”

The Wycliffe Charities Foundation has the world “charity” in it, but it’s the word “foundation” that speaks more to its mission.

“We’re really not a charity. We are a foundation,” Webber said. “Again, making us unique, because it’s the community, and I have to say that the Wycliffe staff who work here are the most generous people. So, this is truly a whole community, the employees, the staff at the country club and the residents who live here [who make it happen]. It’s amazing how really generous and supportive they are.”

When the foundation is not fundraising through its major golf tournament, shredding and bike/walk events, it has an active tribute program that allows people to raise money individually for the foundation.

“People in Wycliffe typically will donate money in memory of or in honor of someone, or celebrating a birthday,” Horowitz said.

There is a strict foundation policy for a nonprofit to be considered eligible to receive donations from the Wycliffe Charities Foundation. All of the money raised is donated to local health-related, educational and children’s organizations in Palm Beach County, as written in the foundation’s mission statement.

“Every charity has to write a grant request. The board of governors then goes through all the grant requests, and we decide which charities to give to,” Webber said. “Usually, by the time the golf tournament is over, we’ve raised all the money for the year, and we need to decide how we are going to divide it. We’re very strict about what we do.”

Another way the charity makes money is participating in community events, and this year it won additional money through the Great Charity Challenge by placing eighth in the equestrian competition. That money helped the foundation break its annual donation record.

“We go out and visit the charities that we give money to, and they come here,” Horowtiz said. “They come and they participate in the bike/walks and the golf tournament. So, they become an integral part of who and what we are.”

This year, the foundation donated money to 25 charities. This was up from the 18 charities it usually makes donations to each year, due to the extra money.

The 2017 grant recipients were: Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse, the Alpert Jewish Family and Children’s Service, the Caridad Center, the Center for Child Counseling, the Center for Trauma Counseling, the Children’s Home Society of Florida, Clinics Can Help, Faith-Hope-Love-Charity Inc., Families First of Palm Beach County, Grandma’s Place, Home Safe, Horses Healing Hearts, the Hospice of Palm Beach County Foundation, the Kids Cancer Foundation, KidSafe, the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County, the Mental Health Association of Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach Habilitation Center, the Palm Beach School for Autism, Paws 4 Liberty, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, the Quantum House, the Sari Center, Speak Up for Kids and the West Palm Beach Library Foundation.

The main operations of the foundation are between December and April, Ranzal said. After the shredding event in April, there are meetings and preparations for the next year.

“It was a wonderful year. I really enjoy raising money for these charities,” Ranzal said. “It’s always a challenge, and everything happens at the last minute, but we all work through it, and the people who are involved work hard and get everything done on time.”

To learn more about the Wycliffe Charities Foundation, visit www.wycliffecharities.com. To contact the foundation, call (561) 434-2918 or e-mail wycliffecharities@hotmail.com.

Dance Marathon Program Grows Into A Student Fundraising Tradition At WHS

Over the course of the last five years, the students at Wellington High School have raised $164,829 to help the Children’s Miracle Network through the Dance Marathon program.

They started out slowly, raising $11,710.39 in 2013, the first year WHS participated in the program. They raised a bit more in 2014, bringing in $11,802.67, and raised the stakes further in 2015, bringing in an impressive $14,648.25.

In 2016, the goal was set at $25,000. The school surged through that goal, raising a record $42,223.52 and earning the recognition of raising the most money of any Florida high school, noted Student Government Association sponsor Melissa Varvarigos.

In 2017, following the previous years’ expectation, the students not only achieved their goal of raising $50,000, they soared past it, raising an astounding $82,444.17, including $3,450.40 contributed by students at Wellington Landings Middle School.

Dance Marathon started out as a college fundraiser through the University of Florida. They call the high school Dance Marathon events “mini marathons.” WHS now ranks as the No. 1 school in Florida, the No. 1 school in the southern United States, and the No. 5 school in the entire nation, Varvarigos said.

And it wouldn’t be possible without the passion and drive that her students have displayed, with two students in particular, Sam Weingart and Jake Anders, rallying the students and acting as the driving force behind the growth of the Dance Marathon program at WHS.

For the first three years, approximately 100 students attended the seven-hour event. Last year, the number doubled to 200, thanks to the efforts of Weingart. In 2017, there were 300 attendees, Varvarigos said.

Weingart ran the event in 2016, and Anders took over in 2017. He will once again be running it in 2018, during his senior year. “This is an organization that I love,” said Weingart, now a student at UF.

Dance Marathon, he added, was the deciding factor for him choosing UF over other schools he considered, such as Emory University. “I couldn’t give up Dance Marathon,” Weingart explained. “At the end of the day, it all came back to Dance Marathon.”

He hopes to become a captain, working marathon relations for high schools. “It all started freshman year when I was in the auditorium,” Weingart recalled.

He saw a video about Dance Marathon and the children impacted by the money raised. “It really sunk in to me, and when they turned on the lights, I was in tears,” Weingart said.

Weingart is confident that if everyone works together, following their passion, it is entirely possible for the school to raise $100,000 in 2018.

“You just need one person to ignite the flame — one person who is really passionate about something,” he said.

And that person is his successor, Anders, joined by the rest of the SGA team.

Anders is already setting up a busy calendar of events for Dance Marathon 2018.

Last year, the students held car washes, restaurant food nights, a carnival and the move-a-thon at Wellington Landings. This year, they’re looking at adding other events, perhaps even a golf tournament, he said.

“It’s a huge group effort, and it’s run through our Wellington High School student government,” Anders said. “We not only work with our student government and within our school, but we also work with the Wellington Chamber.”

Dance Marathon had a booth at the chamber’s Winterfest.

“There are a lot of people who come together to put on Dance Marathon, even if it’s not for the actual event on that exact day,” Anders said.

The day of Dance Marathon is special. “Miracle Children,” those who the fundraising is really for, come and take part. In 2017, three Miracle Children attended.

“One of the best parts for me is that everyone who walks in the room leaves saying it was the best night of their life,” Anders said.

It’s personal for Anders, as well. He has gone to the Shands Children’s Hospital in Gainesville, the nearest Children’s Miracle Network hospital, walked the halls and met with sick children. He has seen personally what they, and their families, go through, and how money from Dance Marathon helps.

“Being able to be someone who can advocate, and not only raise money, but raise awareness and support and comfort to these families, is a feeling that is like no other,” Anders said. “It has honestly changed the way I’ve thought about life, and changed the way I want to live my life. It has definitely given me what I want to do when I’m older — become a pediatric cardiologist and hopefully work at Shands.”

In the background, always supporting the SGA students, is Varvarigos.

“Mrs. Varvarigos is honestly amazing. She is a mother to two kids, a wife and our SGA sponsor, and basically a mother to all 28 kids in that room. She is incredible. She is there from the start of everything to the end of everything,” Anders said. “We couldn’t have done it without her.”

Varvarigos is proud of her students and their ability to engage others with their passion. This year, more than 25 students raised more than $1,000, earning them a spot in the “Comma Club.”

Their accomplishments, their passion and their drive, leave her proud of her students, current and former.

“There are so many things that the SGA does, whether it’s the $82,000 or bikes for Rosenwald [Elementary School] or the homecoming events, they put their all into it. You look at that, and you’re really proud,” she said. “They’re just awesome kids.”

The students display a special sense of selflessness working on SGA projects.

“The kids often say we’re like a little family, and it’s true,” she said. “We have different facets of personality, some crazy, some funny, some quiet. We have kids who run the gamut, but at the end of the day, they’re right. We are a family.”

To learn more about the children impacted by Dance Marathon, visit www.floridadm.org/meet-the-kids.

Wellington’s Ahmmon Richards Making Waves At The University Of Miami

Wellington High School graduate Ahmmon Richards wanted to make an impact as a freshman at the University of Miami. Mission accomplished.

Richards, the former superstar wide receiver for the Wolverines, produced an ascendant first season for the resurgent University of Miami football team. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder set a freshman record for receiving yards with 934, breaking Hall of Famer Michael Irvin’s mark that had stood for 31 years.

Richards started 11 of 13 games and caught 49 passes, averaging 19.1 yards per catch for the Hurricanes. His 934 receiving yards led all freshmen nationally and were the sixth most in a single season in UM history. His outstanding efforts earned Richards freshman All-American honors from numerous national organizations, including ESPN and the Football Writers Association of America.

Richards, who was heavily recruited and had more than 20 Division I offers before choosing Miami, has already put his record-setting freshman season behind him and looks to the future.

Along with his amazing athletic ability, Richards has received unwavering support from his parents.

“My dad always pushes me. Both my parents, actually, and they always pushed me to never settle,” said Richards, who turned 19 on May 20. “And that’s a big thing for me. I never settle. What happened last year, that’s last year.”

Richards enters the 2017 season as the Hurricanes primary receiver and expects more attention from defenses, similar to what he experienced during his standout career with the Wolverines. He has improved in numerous areas since arriving on the Coral Gables campus. His speed and catching ability give Miami a deep threat — a game-breaker that will help its inexperienced quarterback.

If Miami can balance Richards with elite running back Mark Walton, the Wellington native has a chance to overcome the inevitable double-teams and flourish. The Hurricanes open up their second season under head coach Mark Richt on Sept. 2 against Bethune-Cookman University, followed by road games at Arkansas State on Sept. 9 and rival Florida State on Sept. 16 at 8 p.m. in a nationally televised contest.

Richards is ready for the bright lights and top competition.

“When I got here, I was probably running around 4.4, and since I got here, I am running like 4.31,” said Richards, who also added about 20 pounds. “So, the strength staff has definitely gotten me faster and stronger.”

Richards has also adjusted to the transition between high school and the university setting, with the biggest difference being the speed of everything.

“College is just a different speed, different workouts, time with classes,” Richards said. “I have class right after this [interview]. It’s different from high school.”

Wellington head football coach Tom Abel strongly believes in Richards.

“He was probably the most dominant high school player I have ever coached,” Abel said. “He was the hardest-working player I have ever been around… When he got the ball, magic happened.”

Richards led the Wolverines in most offensive categories and finished his senior year with 73 catches for 1,278 yards and 14 touchdowns. He received the prestigious 2015 Palm Beach County High School Player of the Year award presented by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. He was also named the Palm Beach Post All-Area Football Large Schools Offensive Player of the Year.

“My favorite memory of him is when he received a hit in a game, and I wanted to take him out because I thought he was injured,” Abel said. “After talking to him, he told me he was OK. We were on offense. I called his number right after his non-injury, and he caught a slant and took it to the house about 70 yards full speed, and then came off the sideline and asked if he could get the ball again to help his team out.”

Abel said Richards would do everything he could to contribute to the team and support his teammates.

“That mental attitude has carried with him to this day,” Abel said. “He is special, and we love him. He always stayed after practice every day to help the quarterbacks get timing. It worked out great for all of us.”

Richards said he enjoyed his time with the Wolverines, which included an 11-2 record and a trip to the Class 8A regional finals as a junior, the most successful season in school history.

“It’s a brotherhood,” said Richards, whose team lost in the first round of the playoffs in his senior season. “Most kids transfer to other schools, but I am from Wellington, and I just wanted to play with my brothers. And that is something that lasts a lifetime.”

Richards, who has a younger sister, as well as an older and younger brother, grew up playing in the Western Communities Football League, where players are on a different team each year. He started out as a running back, but a coach switched him to wide receiver several years before his final season. His brother, Mark-Anthony, is currently one of the top high school receivers in the county.

Abel said the elder Richards, as a person, is very humble, spiritual and thankful for everything.

“He is always willing to do the right thing for everyone,” Abel said. “He is a pleasure to be around. He always stays hungry and focused.”

Richards said that playing at UM has been everything he thought it would be.

“With the coaches and everything, I believed in them through recruiting, and everything they said is coming to life,” he said.

And, hopefully, that will continue as his sophomore season gets underway.

Cheerleading Dream Team Brings State Championship To Wellington High School

The Wellington High School cheerleading team’s journey to win the 2017 state championship was both magical and challenging.

The squad didn’t have a coach until former Wolverines cheerleader Dan Tyrie took over a few weeks before the start of the fall season. He stepped in to lead a team still reeling from the sudden passing of beloved cheerleading coach Matt Mounts in February 2016.

“At the beginning of the season, we were nervous and hesitant, but we were excited to meet our new coach,” recalled rising senior Jessica Pass, who has been on the team for two seasons. “Without coach Tyrie, we wouldn’t have a team. We were so thankful that he stepped up for us. We were already a difficult group to deal with and gave him a hard time. Coach Tyrie deserves a lot of credit.”

Tyrie was a member of Wellington’s 1995 co-ed state championship team before the sport was officially recognized and sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA). However, he had never coached before and didn’t intend to stay for more than one year.

“Coming in after the team had been selected and practices were already occurring was overwhelming,” recalled Tyrie, who was working two jobs before agreeing to lead the cheerleading squad. “Initially, I silently attended a few practices. I didn’t speak to the girls, but I’m sure they knew why I was there. I did not commit right away, as this was something that I had never even considered doing. It’s something that I never even could have seen myself doing. I was beyond hesitant. I was well-aware that it was a massive commitment, and once I agreed to do it, there was no turning back… The first football game was just weeks away.”

Although Tyrie knew it was a huge commitment, he didn’t realize how much time it really would take. He is very thankful for the help of the choreographers and parents.  

“I did not realize until a few weeks into the school year just how large a commitment it was,” he said. “The time commitment alone was more than double what I had anticipated.”

There are two seasons for cheerleaders — football season and competition season.

During football season, the team practices their cheers and band dances. New team members are coached by the veterans. They are also broken down into stunt groups and practice their basic stunts, which are performed after touchdowns and during timeouts.

The squad practiced as a team two afternoons each week for two hours, and some also attended private coaching sessions with Stephanie Brodbeck and Robbie Gregory of Pro Cheer International. There’s an occasional Saturday practice and some strength and conditioning workouts are included during practices.

During competition season, the same schedule is maintained, except instead of Friday night games there is a Friday afternoon practice.

“At that point, the intensity gets cranked up,” said Tyrie, referring to the road to the state championship. “Their routine is choreographed, and they begin practicing more advanced stunts, a fast-paced dance and routine transitions.”

Throughout the season, Tyrie said the girls talked about Mounts and honored him continuously.

“They loved that man, and I’ve never heard an ill word spoken about him,” said Tyrie, who had never met Mounts and didn’t raise the topic himself. “They had their own thoughts and feelings about him, and I respected it and left it alone, aside from telling them that he would have been extremely proud of them, as was I.”

Mounts’ initials were monogrammed into each of their matching team backpacks and practice T-shirts, as well as a stuffed cat that was the team’s personal mascot. His initials were also written on their white shoes in permanent marker.

In addition, the team had a special chant that they would do before each competition. It was a chant that Mounts did with them. One of the team captains, Courtney Kleino, led it. The competition music that was custom-prepared for them also centered on the late coach and referred to them as “Coach Mounts’ Dream Team.”

The love for Mounts goes beyond the cheerleaders. His famous “Rule No. 4” — “Love Each Other” — is painted high on the wall of the high school courtyard for all to see every day.

At the finals in Gainesville, the Wellington cheerleaders were excited and nervous. Tyrie told them that they were going to do great and to do their best to enjoy it. The Wolverines had finished second the year before.

“We knew it was going to be difficult [to win],” Pass said. “Hearing our name when they called first place was a relief and one of the best moments of my life as a cheerleader. I felt that all of our hard work and dedication for the team had finally paid off and that we had made coach Mounts proud.”

Jhona Navarrete was a senior and on the varsity squad for three years.  

“Coming together as a team definitely was what won it for us,” Navarrete said. “It wasn’t individuals on the floor, it was one team. Winning states meant the world to me with it being my senior year. All the work we put in throughout the season paid off, and it was a great way to end my last year with the team.”

The Wolverines scored 70.70 points and were crowned champions in Class 2A Medium Non-Tumbling Division. Ocoee High School placed second with 63.50 points. It was Wellington’s first competitive cheerleading championship sanctioned by the FHSAA, and Tyrie believes the Wolverines will win again.

“We all started screaming and crying as soon as we heard our name called,” Navarrete said. “Jessica [Pass] and I hugged immediately and didn’t stop crying. We were all hugging each other. Winning states was a major goal.”

Pass said all the work they put in was worth it.

“Competition season was stressful, but we were definitely rewarded for our hard work, and I wouldn’t trade this team for any other,” she said. “The past seasons have brought us closer as friends, and this team really does feel like a family.”

And Wellington High School’s cheerleading dream team honored Mounts in perpetuity by inscribing his initials on their state championship rings.