Life, Arts & Society ED 9th

Lynn University’s Gingerbread Concert raises $81,295 for Conservatory of Music

By Dale King

Lynn University’s annual Gingerbread Holiday Concert welcomed nearly 700 guests to the Keith C. and Elaine Johnson Wold Performing Arts Center on Sunday, raising $81,295 for the Conservatory of Music.

Gingerbread is the conservatory’s largest fundraiser each year, hosted by the Friends of the Conservatory—a dedicated group of volunteers and donors who champion Lynn’s high-quality music education through

fundraising initiatives and community outreach.

“Thank you to each and every person who committed to a sponsorship, bought a ticket or volunteered their time to make this year’s event possible,” said Lisa Miller, director of annual programs at Lynn.

“Every dollar we raise provides the resources we need to train world-class musicians and keep the arts alive right here in our community.”

Changing Lives boss praises volunteers for

Operating a service that provides aid to the homeless is a big job. “We can’t do anything without the volunteers,” James Batmasian, founder of the Changing Lives assistance organization in Boca Raton, told a crowd Saturday at the group’s third annual Unity Day Expo Fair at Hughes Park in the Pearl City neighborhood of Boca Raton.

Known to the needy as “Mr. B,” he told the crowd gathered on cloudy, cool day: “Please succeed in your life.” And paraphrasing a Biblical passage, he added: “Take the fishing rod and learn to fish.”

providing help to homeless

With a rally and ‘Fan Fest,’ lots of o -the-grid action preceded Tuesday night’s annual Boca Bowl

Friends of the Conservatory Board pose at concert. Seated, from left, Deanna Wheeler Alyce Erickson, Pam Coffey and Barbi Block. Standing, from left, Asa Loof, Mary Ann Milhous, Marilyn Nelson, Pat Thomas, Terry Fedele, Kim Champion and Kristen Oliver. Not pictured are Marlene Goldstein, Barara Gutin, Ben Heyward, Mary Anne Kull, Mary Lafferty, Caryn Levison, Rene Males, Linda Melcer, Robin Muir, Barbara Nassau, Ioulia Nikiforova, Isabelle Paul, Marilyn Swillinger, Pat Toppel, Elaine J. Wold and Donna Zoley. (Photo courtesy of Lynn University)

Friends of the Conservatory Board pose at concert. Seated, from left, Deanna Wheeler Alyce Erickson, Pam Coffey and Barbi Block. Standing, from left, Asa Loof, Mary Ann Milhous, Marilyn Nelson, Pat Thomas, Terry Fedele, Kim Champion and Kristen Oliver. Not pictured are Marlene Goldstein, Barara Gutin, Ben Heyward, Mary Anne Kull, Mary Lafferty, Caryn Levison, Rene Males, Linda Melcer, Robin Muir, Barbara Nassau, Ioulia Nikiforova, Isabelle Paul, Marilyn Swillinger, Pat Toppel, Elaine J. Wold and Donna Zoley. (Photo courtesy of Lynn University)

Lesly Morales of Changing Lives address the crowd at the third annual Unity Day at Hughes Park in Boca Raton, sponsored by the organization. (Photo by Dale King)

James Batmasian, founder of Changing Lives, addresses the crowd at the organization’s third annual Unity Day at Hughes Park in Boca Raton. (Photo by Dale King)

Pastor Tony Lowden addresses the crowd at the third annual Unity Day at Hughes Park in Boca Raton, sponsored by Changing Lives. (Photo by Dale King)

Charles Conklin addresses the crowd at the third annual Unity Day at Hughes Park in Boca Raton, sponsored by Changing Lives. (Photo by Dale King)

Changing Lives boss praises volunteers for providing help to homeless

By Dale King

Operating a service that provides aid to the homeless is a big job. “We can’t do anything without the volunteers,” James Batmasian, founder of the Changing Lives assistance organization in Boca Raton, told a crowd Saturday at the group’s third annual Unity Day Expo Fair at Hughes Park in the Pearl City neighborhood of Boca Raton.

Known to the needy as “Mr. B,” he told the crowd gathered on cloudy, cool day: “Please succeed in your life.” And paraphrasing a Biblical passage, he added: “Take the fishing rod and learn to fish.”

Batmasian sponsors Unity Day each year to connect families in need to a variety of resources to find solutions to their fundamental challenges. The goal is to help disadvantaged and underprivileged families struggling during these trying times and those at risk of being homeless by providing and informing them of all the available resources each nonprofit and other organizations have to offer.

Among those on hand for the Dec. 17 event was Marie Hester from DISC (Developing Interracial Social Chains). For 32 years, she said, she has “been helping the poor create a dialogue with the community.” Her group is currently doing a survey of Pearl City, Boca Raton’s oldest neighborhood, originally platted in 1915, so it can get more recognition.

DISC also operates the Pearl City Family Gardens, located across Glades Road from Hughes Park

in front of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Twenty-one students from Dixie Manor take care of the crops, collect vegetables and donate them to the poor. The group just harvested collard greens for an elderly woman who can no longer cook. Marie said she is going to prepare the delicacy for her.

The organization collaborates with several master gardeners, including Lynn Russell, who was just named to the Boca Raton Historical Society’s Walk of Recognition.

Organizers expected 20 nonprofits to attend the event which offered free food and beverages donated by Rebel House Boca, along with entertainment, health screenings, prizes and activities for kids.

Among the non-profits attending were:

First United Methodist Church, which started the men’s shower and laundry program for the homeless.

Homeless Hearts Food International, which provides food relief, housing assistance and mentoring.

Breaking the Chains Outreach Ministries, which works with at-risk children, the elderly, homeless and the needy.

AVDA (Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse, Inc.), which promotes violence-free relationships and social change by offering alternative choices to end violence and domestic abuse.

Several speakers also offered the crowd words

of encouragement.

“We have a divided nation, but we are all in this together,” said Pastor Tony Lowden from Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga., who was chosen for the post by former President Jimmie Carter. “You never know when you could end up homeless.”

The minister admitted he has seen the seamy side of life, growing up in a “speakeasy house” where he had to pick up discarded needles and liquor bottles. “I was thrown out. I was homeless. I had to sleep in a park.”

God intervened, he noted, and he urged the homeless in the crowd to believe in the Lord. “I pray with all that’s in me that you will continue to have hope.”

Charles Conklin, assistant pastor at Ebenezer Church, led a prayer, calling on everyone in the crowd to connect with God, “whose name is the name above all names. I’m glad to see people of all ethnic groups who have come here to seek love and connection.”

Changing Lives of Boca Raton, Inc is a 501C3 nonprofi t organization dedicated to enriching the lives of those experiencing homelessness. Its programs aim to prepare clients for gainful employment and support individuals’ return to independent and self-sustaining living.

The organization also aids with scholarships for sober living facilities and detox, housing stipends, costs for mental and physical care, personal documentation and endowments for business start-ups.

For more information visit https://changinglives.me/, Facebook page @changinglivesBR, Instagram page @changinglivesbocaraton or call 561961-4635.

The third annual Unity Day at Hughes Park in Boca Raton, sponsored by Changing Lives.

The third annual Unity Day at Hughes Park in Boca Raton, sponsored by Changing Lives.

Photos by Dale King

Lu Dussin paints a child’s face during the third annual Unity Day at Hughes Park in Boca Raton, sponsored by Changing Lives.

The third annual Unity Day at Hughes Park in Boca Raton, sponsored by Changing Lives.

With a rally and ‘Fan Fest,’ lots of o -the-grid action preceded Tuesday night’s annual Boca Bowl

By Dale King

There’s always plenty of action on the field when the annual RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, now in its ninth year, draws a major crowd and a couple of college grid powerhouses to the Florida Atlantic University Stadium each December.

This year’s competition Tuesday night didn’t disappoint as the Rockets from the University of Toledo squeaked out a two-point victory over the Liberty University Flames, 21-19.

But fans didn’t have to wait until the evening’s head-to-head slugfest to enjoy some football-related activities. Patrons gathered outside the stadium Tuesday afternoon for the annual Fan Fest filled with tailgating spirit that led up to opening ceremonies and kick-off of Palm Beach County’s only annual NCAA-sanctioned college football bowl.

The popular Fan Fest featured family-friendly interactive games and activities for fans of all ages, rides, food trucks, giveaways and contests, a live band and an entertaining face-off performance between the two college bowl team bands and cheerleader squads.

Tuesday afternoon’s event was the second get-together in two days for local gridiron enthusiasts and those who traveled to Boca for the competition between Lynchburg, Virginia-based Liberty University and the team from Toledo named for its hometown in Ohio.

On Monday evening, a crowd got together in and around the Mizner Park Amphitheater for a different kind of competition – one which pit the bands, spirit squads and cheerleaders from each of the schools against each other.

The ensembles from Liberty, boasting 250 bandmembers, and Toledo, touting a sizable 120-man band of its own, performed their fi ght songs and other melodies, and the cheerleader teams enlivened the show with acrobatics. School mascots Sparky the Eagle and Rocky the Rocket also joined in the festivities to pump up the crowd.

Among the list of tunes attendees got to hear were “U of Toledo,” the fight song the Rockets’ marching band performs at every home sporting event. Liberty’s fight song, “Fan the Flames,” also reverberated when the Flames’ marching band took the stage.”

“We encouraged everyone to come early because we didn’t want anyone to miss a minute of the fanfare,” noted Doug Mosley, executive director of the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl. “It was a great opportunity for our Palm Beach County community to roll out the red-carpet welcome for these visiting teams and their fans gathering in celebration of Boca’s annual holiday-timed Bowl tradition.”

The community, Toledo Rockets fans, Liberty Flames devotees and college football fans of all stripes filled the Mizner Park grounds to cheer their respective squads. Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer welcomed the crowd, addressing them from the amphitheater stage.

“On behalf of the entire city, 100,000 residents and 13,000 businesses, it is our pleasure to welcome two of the best universities in the nation and two of the most outstanding football teams to play in our city in the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl for the Howard Schnellenberger trophy,” Singer said.

Athletic directors from both schools addressed the fans and expressed gratitude at the opportunity to compete for the Schnellenberger Trophy, named after the college coach who founded the foo-

tball program for Florida Atlantic University in 1999 and was its first field mentor. He also gained an iconic reputation for his work with the universities of Miami, Oklahoma and Louisville in addition to holding a variety of assistant coaching positions. Schnellenberger, who died in 2021, was also on staff of the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins.

The Flames finished the regular season 8-4, with three straight losses to close out play. Toledo finished its regular season as the victor of the MAC Conference for the 2022 season with an overall record of 8-5.

The teams left the FAU Stadium Tuesday night with overall season totals of 8-5 for Liberty and 9-5 for Toledo.

Again, this year, the Roof.Claim.com Boca Raton Bowl Charity Partner Spirit of Giving offered free tickets to nonprofits, schools and veterans groups who registered in advance of game day. The tickets were offered on a first-come, first-served basis with no area or section of the stadium guaranteed for seating. Those who got complimentary tickets also received complimentary snacks and refreshments.

The Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl is one of 17 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN. The RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl debuted in 2014 and twice held the distinction of matching up two conference champions – Marshall University vs. Northern Illinois University (2014) and UAB vs. Northern Illinois (2018).

In all, six conference champions and another three conference division champions have played in the game. Among the Bowl’s alumni who have moved on to the NFL are current New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (BYU, 2020), Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary (FAU, 2017) and Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott (Memphis, 2016).

Liberty University cheerleaders perform at pep rally at Mizner Park Monday night.

University of Toledo band at pep rally Monday at Mizner.

Activities Tuesday at Fan Fest outside FAU Stadium.

Activities Tuesday at Fan Fest outside FAU Stadium.

University of Toledo band at pep rally Monday at Mizner.

Activities Tuesday at Fan Fest outside FAU Stadium

Activities Tuesday at Fan Fest outside FAU Stadium.

Liberty University band and cheerleaders perform at pep rally at Mizner Park Monday night.

From left, Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer, with City Council members Monica Mayotte and Yvette Drucker, welcome fans to pep rally at Mizner Park Monday night.

Pep rally at Mizner Park Monday in advance of Tuesday’s RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl.

University of Toledo cheerleaders at pep rally Monday at Mizner Park.

Lynn University’s Gingerbread Concert raises $81,295 for Conservatory of Music

By Dale King

Lynn University’s annual Gingerbread Holiday Concert welcomed nearly 700 guests to the Keith C. and Elaine Johnson Wold Performing Arts Center on Sunday, raising $81,295 for the Conservatory of Music.

Gingerbread is the conservatory’s largest fundraiser each year, hosted by the Friends of the Conservatory—a dedicated group of volunteers and donors who champion Lynn’s high-quality music education through fundraising initiatives and community outreach.

“Thank you to each and every person who committed to a sponsorship, bought a ticket or volunteered their time to make this year’s event possible,” said Lisa Miller, director of annual programs at Lynn.

“Every dollar we raise provides the re-

sources we need to train world-class musicians and keep the arts alive right here in our community.”

Jerry and Terry Fedele.

Donald and Helen Ross. (Photo courtesy of Lynn University)

Kevin Ross and Phoebe Chapman.

Photos courtesy of Lynn University

Jon Robertson.

From left, Asa Loof and Jay and Marilyn Nelson. The Lynn Philharmonia in concert.

A musician in the Lynn Philharmonia.