Beaches Rotaract raises $14,000, collects over 600 items for PACE Center for Girls with ‘A Night at the Alhambra’

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The Rotaract Club of Jacksonville’s Beaches put Rotary’s official motto, “Service Above Self,” into action in a big way last week. 

After months of preparation, the local young professionals service organization — also known as Beaches Rotaract — hosted their fourth annual holiday fundraiser at Alhambra Theatre & Dining’s production of “Elf” last Thursday, Dec. 13. “A Night at the Alhambra” ultimately raised $14,000 for the event’s beneficiary, PACE Center for Girls. Through a supply drive, Beaches Rotaract also collected over 600 items — including beauty and craft items, blankets, clothing and more — and $500 in gift cards for the local nonprofit. 

“I just can’t help but be so thankful to everyone who supported our event, from our sponsors to our individual patrons,” said Nicole Hamm, the Alhambra event chair and coordinator for Beaches Rotaract. “It means a lot to see people coming together for a good cause.”

PACE provides girls and young women an opportunity for a better future through education, counseling, training and advocacy. Starting with one center serving 10 girls in Jacksonville in 1985, the nonprofit today includes 19 centers throughout Florida that serve over 2,000 girls each year, according to the PACE website. The organization began as a community response to the realization that girls involved with the justice system were either being placed in programs designed for boys or placed further into the system for their own protection.

PACE President and CEO Mary Marx said the funds raised by the Beaches Rotaract event will be used to support some of the extracurricular activities for the girls, such as the organization’s holiday prom that took place last week. 

“I thought it was a tremendous effort,” said Marx, a Rotarian, about the efforts of Beaches Rotaract, “and it really spoke volumes about their commitment to ‘Service Above Self.’”

The local Rotaract Club’s fundraising goal for the event was a bit over $10,000. The organization exceeded that goal due to ticket sales that led to a sold-out show, sponsorships and proceeds from a silent auction. Sponsors of the event included The CSI Companies (title sponsor), Kilashee Investments, Beachside Wealth Partners, Joni Zwick, P.A., Neil and Kristina Powell, SmithBooks Accounting, Inc., Aegis Pension Services, Eastern Quality Foods, Brightway Insurance Ponte Vedra Beach and Forcura. In addition, members of the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach joined the “Rotaracters” for the holiday outing and contributed to the effort.

“It was very humbling,” Hamm said. “It meant that this program that started from such small beginnings can continue to serve the girls of this community and of the state. 

“I think that’s very important because we have so many great nonprofits, but children are our future,” Hamm continued. “So, for someone to be specifically looking out for them and to take whatever situation they’re in and try to make it better is so awesome.”