Todd E. Gates and Wayne O. Smith have been elected to the Disabled Veterans Insurance Careers operating board. (Photo: Photos special to news-press.com )



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Gates, Smith elected to DVIC board


Todd E. Gates and Wayne O. Smith have been elected to the Disabled Veterans Insurance Careers operating board.


Gates founded Gates in 1993, which specializes in construction management, general contracting and design build with offices in Florida and the Republic of Panama.


He is an active alumnus of Leadership Florida, serves on the board of directors for Bonita Springs Chamber of Commerce, Naples Area Chamber of Commerce and Naples Zoo, is a Hodges University trustee, and Lee County Economic Development Horizon council member.


Smith was a weapons test pilot at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. He was deployed to Southeast Asia and flew 90 F-4 Phantom jet fighter missions over North Vietnam and Laos before being shot down in January 1968. He survived five years and two months as a POW and was repatriated in March 1973. After flying for Eastern Airlines, he joined Air Products and Chemicals and was appointed to a number of executive assignments over a 16-year period. In 1999, Smith retired as chief operating officer of MidAmerican Energy after serving as president and COO of B.F. Goodrich Company.


Smith lives in Naples and has served as a director of a number of institutions and foundations, and is currently involved in various philanthropic endeavors such as Naples Spirit of '45 and the Peter Thomas History Fund.


Disabled Veterans Insurance Careers is a nonprofit organization with the mission to educate, train and create meaningful employment opportunities within the insurance industry for disabled veterans. For information, call 433-8523 or visit DVIC.us.


Online voting campaign can result in $60,000


The public can help the Harry Chapin Food Bank win a $60,000 grant from Walmart as part of the "Fight Hunger. Spark Change." nationwide campaign. This campaign will provide a total of $3.7 million to Feeding America, participating food banks and local partner agencies that provide hunger relief to millions of people in need of food assistance.


Through Oct. 5, customers can visit http://ift.tt/1qRaKPt to cast one vote per day that will help direct funds to participating Feeding America food banks such as the Harry Chapin Food Bank. The 50 winning food banks will each receive a $60,000 grant. The campaign also provides information on how customers can donate or volunteer to take direct action in the fight against hunger in their local communities.


The Harry Chapin Food Bank solicits, collects and distributes quality food to families in need through a network of 150 nonprofit agencies in Lee, Collier, Hendry, Charlotte and Glades counties. These partner agencies operate food pantries, soup kitchens and other feeding programs that serve 30,000 Southwest Floridians each month. The food bank distributes more than 1 million pounds of food every month to its partner agencies.


Proceeds from Bennett's to benefit breast cancer care


Bennett's Fresh Roast is unveiling a new doughnut to support local breast cancer care during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.


On Wednesday, Bennett's will launch a month-long fundraiser with a portion of the proceeds from the sales of its Pink Strawberry Iced doughnut going to support Partners for Breast Cancer Care.


The organization provides complimentary breast-care procedures such as screening, diagnostic testing, surgery and treatment for underserved Lee County women and men.


Both Bennett's Fresh Roast locations in downtown Fort Myers and Sanibel Island will offer the Pink Strawberry Iced doughnut for $1.99 Monday through Sunday while supplies last.


Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease.


For information, visit BennettsFreshRoast.com or pfbcc.org.


Spiro named to Voices for Kids board


Christopher T. Spiro, CEO and creative director of Spiro & Associates, has been named to the Board of Directors for Voices for Kids of Southwest Florida.


Spiro launched his advertising career as an art director more than 25 years ago and furthered his expertise as a designer and creative director.


Voices for Kids is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the abused, neglected and abandoned children in Southwest Florida by securing and training Guardian ad Litem (GAL) volunteers who become the child's "voice" in court, school and the community. Voices for Kids is the GAL agency for the 20th Judicial Circuit.


For information, call 533-1435 or visit voicesforkids.org



Guardian Angels for Special Populations President Vince Marcucci, Special Populations Supervisor Sara Sansone and Cape Coral Parks and Recreation Director Steve Pohlman accept the 2014 Voluntary Service Award from FRPA President Gina Peebles and President-Elect Joan Byrne. Pictured from left to right: Peebles, Sansone, Marcucci, Byrne and Pohlman.(Photo: Special to news-press.com)



Cape Coral Parks & Recreation, Guardian Angels receive awards


The City of Cape Coral Parks & Recreation Department recently received a 2014 Public Relations Excellence Award from the Florida Recreation and Park Association for the electronic version of the department's program guide. The interactive, "flipping book" version of the program guide has more than 300 direct links to pages on the Cape Coral Parks and Recreation website and to online program registration making it easier for the public to get information and sign up for activities on the spot. FRPA Public Relations Awards are presented annually to individuals and agencies that have significantly impacted the public's awareness and recognition of public parks, recreation and leisure service programs through marketing and public relations.


The winner of the FRPA 2014 Voluntary Service Award is The Guardian Angels for Special Populations. This volunteer support group received the award in recognition of its ongoing support of Cape Coral's Special Populations programs for persons with intellectual and physical disabilities.


For more information about the Cape Coral Parks and Recreation Department, visit CapeParks.com or call 573-3128. In addition, anyone who is interested in getting involved in The Guardian Angels for Special Populations volunteer support group and/or making a monetary or in-kind donation may contact the Freida B. Smith Special Populations Center at 574-0574.



Cape Coral Parks and Recreation staff accepted a 2014 Public Relations Award from FRPA. Pictured from left to right are: Gina Peebles, Keith Locklin, Michelle Dean, Joan Byrne and Steve Pohlman.(Photo: Special to news-press.com)



Junior Achievement launches 5-8-Graduate


Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida has developed a new strategic initiative called 5-8-Graduate. This new plan will focus the group's attention and resources on fifth grade, eighth grade and high school students in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties.


"While JA is a nonprofit, we must operate like a business and maximize our investments and resources so that we will have the greatest impact on our local youth, economy, and educational system," said Anne Frazier, president and CEO, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida. "5-8-Graduate will allow us to focus our JA programming around our three main pillars at key transitional times in the lives of our students. 5-8-Graduate will help make JA available to more schools therefore impacting more students."


JA's fifth-grade curriculum focuses on entrepreneurship while the eighth grade lessons teach financial literacy. The JA high school curriculum prepares students for workforce readiness as these students make plans for future education or careers post-graduation.


Under the new 5-8-Graduate program, JA will continue to rely on volunteers and businesses to support the program, and to offer the JA Job Shadow program for high school students.


Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy.


For information, visit JASWFL.org or contact Anne Frazier at 225-2590 or info@jaswfl.org


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