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The Boca Raton Tribune C O M M U N I T Y

Comedy O ff The Green S ummer Series Announced for May 21 and June 25

The producers of Comedy on the Green return to Mizner Park with Comedy Off the Green, an indoor summer series, set for Saturday, May 21 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; and Saturday, June 25 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at the Mizner M u l t i c u l t u ral Center, 201 W. Plaza Real.

“With the Florida heat a r o u n d t h e c o r n e r a n d m o r e p e op l e i n B o c a f e e l i n g s a fer, we are taking Comedy on the Green OFF the green and into the a i r c o n d i tioning,” said Dave Sieg el, co-producer. “There’s been a lot of buzz from the first round of shows. Instead of us trying to convince quality comedians from New York and Los Angeles to come to Boca…they are now reaching out to us. This brand is quickly becoming a destination for comics.”

New York City-based comedian Jon Fisch will open the limited engagement on May 21.

Fisch is one of only a handful of comedians who has appeared on both T h e L a t e S h o w with David Letterman and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He was the host of the widely popular podcast In the Tank. With his current podcast, Spiraling Up, Fisch talks with people from the comedy world about handling daily struggles and digging themselves out of life’s major ruts. Sounds heavy, but it’s funny too. You may recognize him from Comedy Central or NBC’s Last Comic Standing 4, where he was the New York City Capital One Audience Favorite. Fisch has performed at multiple comedy festivals including the HBO Comedy Arts Festival, the Great American Comedy Festival and Montreal’s prestigious “Just for Laughs” Festival. Based in New York City, Fisch can be seen regularly at the Comedy Cellar and

Gotham Comedy Club. Comedy Off the Green is the brainchild of Boca Raton residents Siegel, a standup comic by night, and his wife, Stephanie Tsoflias Siegel, a former broadcast journalist in New York City and talent develo p m e n t e xecutive, who c o n c e i v e d and produced C o m e d y o n the Green at t h e M i z n e r Park Amphitheater during the lockdown. “Like any new venture, we’re pivoting for the Summer based on ticket holder needs and interests,” said Stephanie. “The space we’ve selected will be enhanced to reflect our unique Comedy on the Green brand. The energy inside the theater will feel very similar to our successful first round of outdoor shows. People can expect really good comedy, a young energized crowd and a night out you can’t find anywhere else in this city.” Siegel is a news writer/producer out of New York City but his roots are in s t a n d - u p c o m edy. Prior to his big move to Boca RaComedy Off the Green ton in March 2020, is set for Saturday, May he’d been a writ er for Diane Saw 21 and June 25 at the yer and Anderson Mizner Multicultural Cooper among ma ny others. Current Center ly, he’s a writer/prod u c e r a n d o n - a i r talent for Ashleigh Banfield’s NewsNation show ‘Banfield.’ He headlines comedy clubs across the country, has appeared on Comedy Central on two occasions and has been the opening act for the likes of David Alan Grier, Richard Lewis and Kevin Nealon, among others. Tickets for the shows range from $30$45. They go on sale on March 1, 2022 and can be purchased at https://miznerparkculturalcenter.com/events-tickets/. For more information visit www.comedyonthegreen. org or reach organizers by phone at 610659-8583.

Rotar y Club Downtown Boc a Raton Extends Deadline for Ser vice Above Self Grant Applic ations

The Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton “Service Above Self ” Grant Fund is the granting arm of the Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton that allows community organizations within the Boca Raton service area to apply for grants up to $5,000 to assist in funding their programs and initiatives. Proceeds raised from the Boca Raton Mayors Ball fund these grants.>

T h e R o t a r y C l u b Downtown B o c a R at o n “ S e rvice Above S e l f ” Grant Fund enables the Rotar y Club Downtown Boca Raton to grant funding to organizations that render services within our mission focus areas of Health and Wellness Needs. Requests for support are considered based on the following criteria:

The maximum award per applicant is $5,000. Multiple projects may be considered up to this maximum. >

Funds must be used within the geographic ser vice area of the Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton, DEFINED AS THE DESIGNATION OF BOCA RATON. >

Applicants must have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, be in the process of obtaining this status or be under the umbrella of an agency with 501(c)(3) status. >

Requests will NOT be considered for fundraising events or expenses, political expense, travel, or to individuals that are not part of an organized non-profit service program. >

A grant application must be completed and returned with all the requested supportive materials.>

Applicants may receive funding ONLY once a year. >

Other Rotary Clubs are not eligible to apply. > A p p l icants must p r ov i d e a written final repor t and include receipts on the use of granted monies within 60 days of disbursement to be submitted to the Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton “Service Above Self ” Grant Fund

Administration and shared with the RCDBR Board of Directors. > (SAS) grant applications are reviewed and funded during the Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton’s administrative year. T he RCDBR requests that 2021-2022 applications be received before June 1, 2022. Any >applications submitted after June 1st, will be held until the following review process after July 1, 2022. Special consideration may be exercised at the discretion of the Fund Board for emergency health and wellness needs that are time sensitive.>

To Request an application, email: sas@rotaryboca.org or call Jon Kaye at 561-392-5166 x 2.

Palm Health Foundation Spotlights Brain Health Innovation at Home of Frances Fisher

Over 80 philanthropists, scientists and community leaders gathered at the Palm Beach, FL, home of Palm Health Foundation trustee and philanthropy committee chair Frances Fisher on April 13, 2022, for a fascinating “Brain Health Innovation” cocktail reception. The event highlighted the foundation’s vision to make Palm Beach County a national leader in brain health advancement and celebrated the cutting-edge research resulting from its $1 million gift to the Florida Atlantic University Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute. The gift helped establish a new program in computational brain science and health, supports four graduate fellowships under the program per year, and funds faculty pilot research projects.

As guests enjoyed cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and Mrs. Fisher’s beautiful home, they met with three of the Ph.D. students who received t h e Pa l m H e a l t h Foundation fellowships, Yosun Yoon, Jo s e p h M c K i n l e y and Jasmine Chan, and learned about their research targeted at understanding the underpinnings and treatment of various brain disorders. Dr. Randy Blakely, executive director of the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, noted that the outstanding fellows excel in their fields of research, which target data-intensive investigations underlying Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and depression, among others, that benefit from computational approaches.

“Palm Health Foundation is honored to support these fellows in their contributions to the brain health field,” said Patrick McNamara, president and CEO of Palm Health Foundation. “We know that over-

all wellbeing is intimately connected to the good health of the brain. Our partnership with the Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute is an example of the foundation’s commitment to fostering partnerships among philanthropists, brain science, community members and care settings that will lead to local and national impact.” Mrs. Fisher spoke to guests about her own personal commitment to brain health through the establishment of the Frances Fisher Scholarship Fund at Palm Health Foundation to encourage individuals to enter and advance in the mental and behavioral health professions fields. She also praised the foundation for stewarding philanthropic donations toward funding significant research and brain health advancements. “I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside Palm Health Foundation in propelling The event highlighted Palm Beach County toward being a nathe foundation’s vision tional leader in the to make Palm Beach brain health field,” she said.

County a national Guests included: Dusty and Joyce leader in brain health S a n g , M a r g a r e t advancement Donnelly, Earnie Ellison, Chris Siegrist, Margie Betton, Beth E l g o r t , M i c h a e l Dolce, Maggie Gill, Jessica Merrell, Jill Merrell, Clovis Moodie, Allan and Jill Shore, LeeAnne Stiles Nicholson LaBanz and Joe LaBanz, Anna Ewing and John Capotosto, Lisa Williams-Taylor, Senator Gayle Harrell, Representative David Silvers, Palm Beach County Mayor Robert Weinroth and his wife Pamela, Vice Mayor Gregg Weiss, Commissioner Maria Marino, and Palm Health Foundation trustees David Wisehaupt (chair), Dr. Alina Alonso, Greg Quattlebaum, Denise Bober, Barbara James, Nat Nason and Stephen Zaloom.

Delray String Q uar tet May 22 at St. Paul’s Delray

On Sunday, Sunday, May 22, 2022 at 5pm, Music at St. Paul’s concludes its 33rd season with a concert by the Delray String Quartet. Titled “Romantic Power and Poetry,” the program includes Luigi Boccherini’s Piano Quintet in E minor, Op. 56, No. 1: Hugo Wolf ”s Italian Serenade; Alexander Glazunov’s Quartet in D minor, Op. 70 ; Giacomo Puccini’s I Crisantemi; and Robert Schumann’s Quartet in F major, Op. 41, No. 2.

The concert begins at a special time of 5pm. Tickets for the concert are $20 (18 and under are FREE) and are only available at the door on the day of the concert. For more information on this event and Music at St. Paul’s 32nd Season, visit http://www.musicstpauls.org or call 561278-6003. Music at St. Paul’s concerts are held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 188 S. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach. St. Paul’s is handicapped accessible.

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FAU S econd in Florida on List of Best Value Colleges and Universities

Florida Atlantic University ranked second in Florida in the College Consensus “2022 Best Value Colleges and Universities” and ranked No. 24 out of 100 overall.

College Consensus combines respected college ranking systems produced by U.S. News, Wall Street Journal and Forbes, among others, with the averaged ratings of thousands of student reviews. The list examined the colleges and universities with the lowest full-time, out-of-state tuition rates.

“Florida Atlantic is proud to be recognized for keeping the cost of attendance down while providing access to transformative educational experiences,” said Maura Flaschner, executive director of undergraduate admission at FAU.

This latest ranking echoes FAU’s message of Success for All. As the most diverse public university in Florida, the university has made great strides to ensure that higher education is accessible for everyone. At FAU, students from historically marginalized populations, such as those who identify as black/African American or Hispanic/ Latinx and those who are Pell-eligible, outpace the overall student graduation rates at the university.

C mina B ana C mina B anaTalk About Drama...

It’s the one you’ve been waiting for!

Friday, May 6, 2022 8pm Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church | Fort Lauderdale Sunday, May 8, 2022 4pm University Theatre FAU | Boca Raton

Rarely performed chamber arrangement of Carmina Burana highlights the choral parts with an opportunity to hear the chorus like never before. Master Chorale accompanied by the Girl Choir of South Florida and the University of Miami Percussion Ensemble perform a wildly rambunctious, shamelessly popular, yet powerful performance. Purchase Tickets masterchoraleofsouthflorida.org

Funding for this organization is provided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council; Funding Arts Broward (FAB!); and the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

PBSC student helping foster c are youth learn their rights

From age 6 to 15, Palm Beach State College student Tierra “Tee” Lamore suffered physical and mental abuse in Florida’s foster care system. Now, she has made it her mission to help improve what she calls a broken system as a statewide board delegate in Florida Youth SHINE’s (FYS) Palm Beach Chapter, a youth-led foster advocacy group.

Lamore, the Dr. Floyd F. Koch Honors College Student of the Year for the Palm Beach Gardens campus, is pursuing an Associate in Arts degree and plans to graduate this summer. She joined the FYS chapter two years ago to help foster youth know their rights.

“Unfortunately, my foster care experience was mostly negative,” said Lamore, who moved multiple times between group homes, shelters and families while in the system. “My rights were violated and everything that should not have happened happened.”

Lamore was adopted at age 15 but it failed, and she became homeless at 18. “I didn’t know that I had a right not to be abused or that I had a right to have money or certain things,” said Lamore, who now lives in a transitional homeless youth facility.

As part of FYS, she is helping legislation pass not only to help foster youth know their rights but to make life in general and in college easier.

Lamore testifi ed earlier this year during a Florida Senate hearing to advocate for recently passed Senate Bill 1708 that helps homeless youth get motor vehicle insurance and a driver’s license, as well as requires colleges and universities to have a knowledgeable and responsive person to assist homeless youth with the tuition exemption process.

“A lot of future and current foster youth and homeless youth could really benefi t from this,” Lamore said during her speech. “I want to have a better life. I want to do better and be better. I don’t want to be another statistic. I feel like this bill would make it easier for that.”

While in Tallahassee, she and other FYS statewide delegates, also advocated for House Bill 563 and Senate Bill 792, which, if passed, would have designated a children’s ombudsman within the Department of Children and Families (DCF).

The ombudsman would, in consultation with the department, develop standardized information explaining the rights of children and young adults placed in outof-home care. It would also require a statewide toll-free number for those who wish to contact the ombudsman, among other initiatives.

“I had the honor of working with Tee as my honors student assistant on the Gardens campus and experienced her inspiring and altruistic personality, but she also struck my ‘soft spot’ for moving poetry,” said Associate Professor Robin Fiedler.

Lamore won third place in the 2022 Florida Collegiate Honors Council Dr. Janet Haavisto writing contest for her poem titled “The Hardest Thing” which was a message to people who struggle with codependency and the process of overcoming it.

“When she read her poem out loud to her peers during the conference, eyes fi lled with tears,” Fiedler said.

Another one of her poems, “Safety Isn’t Real,” won second place in Fostering Families Today magazine’s Youth Voice Contest. It was published in the May/June 2022 issue.

This summer, Lamore plans to intern as a social media marketer with Florida’s Children’s First which is the organization that funds FYS. She will be learning marketing skills to build and organize websites, including writing articles for social media. She also plans to attend Florida State University this fall, where she will pursue a bachelor’s degree in criminology with a minor in African American studies.