Life, Arts & Society ED 20th

Comedy classic ‘My Son the Waiter’ coming to Boca Black Box Center

Chamber honors Andrea Virgin, Ananya Soni, with special business awards

The Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce honored two exceptional businesswomen with special honors at the 17th annual Diamond Award Luncheon held last month at the Woodfield Country Club, with hundreds of guests in attendance.

This year, Chamber members were excited to gather and honor Andrea Virgin, owner of Virgin Design, as the 2023 Diamond Award Recipient. Virgin, a professional ballerina turned land development engineer, is a native from Boca Raton.

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By Dale King

Brad Zimmerman’s newest show, My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy & Still Not Famous will make its South Florida debut March 22 and 23 at the Boca Black Box Center for the Arts, 8221 Glades Road, #10, Boca Raton.

Zimmerman’s hilarious and poignant story is still universal in its message: If you embark upon the journey to follow your dream, and demonstrate the grit and passion required to ‘make it’ as an artist, the rewards that come from never giving up are very much worth the ‘blood, sweat, and tears.’

“I have been working on this show for about six years,” Zimmerman said. “It is not a hybrid as the first piece was –which means half standup/ half theatre. This is more of a play. As the first one does, it chronicles my journey – starting when I was very young –and takes the audience right up to the present. But it is done in more of a play format. There is lots of humor but also poignancy.”

“The reason I started to work on this is that even while performing the first show it gave me a creative outlet –and without that, I wouldn’t

have known what to do with myself,” he continued.

“In this second piece I don’t glaze over things. I dive into them more deeply than in the first piece, which I think makes for a more universal and relatable performance. And even if the audience is familiar with my story in general, they will find this play to be nothing like the first one.”

“There are stories about my childhood and my education and my introduction to theatre and comedy and my social life …and naturally… my mother.”

Brad Zimmerman moved to New York and ‘temporarily’ worked as a waiter for 29 years while pursuing his career as an actor. Eventually he got a role on “The Sopranos’ and work as a comedian, opening for Joan Rivers for eight years, as well as for Brad Garrett and George Carlin. His first show, My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy has played throughout the United States for more than 10 years.

Tickets for the show are available online at https:// mysonthewaiter.com/ or by phone at 561-483-9036. Tickets range from $46.50 –$61.50.

George Snow Scholarship Hosts 29th Annual “Rhinestone” Cowboy Ball

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From left, Victoria Rixon, Jackie Reeves, Donna Biase, Barbara Cambria, Andrea Virgin, Clara Bennett, Margaret Mary Shuff, Sophia Eccleston

Show star Brad Zimmerman (Photo courtesy of Carol Kassie)

Show star Brad Zimmerman (Photo courtesy of Carol Kassie)

From left, Matthew Maschler, City Councilwoman Fran Nachlas, Dr. Melyssa Hancock, Nick Zeher. (Gina Fontana Photographic Services)

Troy McLellan, president of the Boca Raton Chamber and Andrea Virgin (2023 DIAMOND Award recipient)

Sherese James-Grow (YEA! program manager) and Ananya Soni (2023 PEARL Award recipient)

The George Snow Scholarship Fund hosted its 29th annual Rhinestone Cowboy Ball Feb. 11 at Boca West Country Club. Corporate Community Service Recipient Boca Raton Airport Authority was in attendance to accept its award, along with Dr. Nathan Nachlas, accepting the Community Service Award on behalf of Ed Ventrice.

Chamber honors Andrea Virgin, Ananya Soni, with special business awards

By Dale King

The Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce honored two exceptional businesswomen with special honors at the 17th annual Diamond Award Luncheon held last month at the Woodfield Country Club, with hundreds of guests in attendance.

This year, Chamber members were excited to gather and honor Andrea Virgin, owner of Virgin Design, as the 2023 Diamond Award Recipient. Virgin, a professional ballerina turned land development engineer, is a native from Boca Raton.

Virgin also co-founded and sits as chairman of the board of the Center for Arts & Innovation proposed for the north end of Mizner Park in Boca Raton. Virgin has served in leadership roles with Ballet Theatre

and the Cornell University Alumni Association and has dedicated her time and resources to organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and the George Snow Scholarship Fund.

In addition to celebrating Ms. Virgin, the Chamber announced the recipient of the Pearl Award, an honor given to a young female who is a graduate of the Boca Chamber’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA).

The 2023 Pearl Award recipient was Ananya Soni, owner and founder of Cosmic Child. A young and upcoming jewelry designer with roots in India, she upcycles old jewelry and also designs new jeweled items.

This young woman is achieving success and shines bright as a rising star in the community. The award celebrates an individual that we the Chamber believes stands out as a pearl of potential in the next generation of business leaders.

For 17 years, the Chamber has presented the Diamond Award to the following deserving women: Mary Wong (2007), Rocki Rockingham (2008), Victoria Rixon (2009), Cheryl Budd (2010), Margaret Mary Shuff (2011), Dr. Marta Rendon (2012), Jackie Reeves (2013), Yvonne Boice (2014), Mary Sol Gonzalez (2015), Susan Saturday (2017), Barbara Cambia (2018), Ethel Isaacs Williams (2019), Clara Bennett (2020), Sophia Eccleston (2021) and Donna Biase (2022).

A 501(c)6 non-profit organization and the most influential Chamber in Palm Beach County, with a membership presently composed of more than 1,500 companies representing more than 120,000 employees in South Palm Beach County. The Boca Chamber’s mission is to promote and sustain economic prosperity in South Palm Beach County and beyond.

Visit www.bocachamber.com to learn more.

From left, Troy McLellan, Andrea Virgin, Victoria Rixon

Sherese James-Grow (YEA! program manager) and Ananya Soni (2023 PEARL Award recipient)

Leah Gonzalez (2022 PEARL Award recipient) and Ananya Soni (2023 PEARL Award recipient)

George Snow Scholarship Hosts 29th Annual “Rhinestone” Cowboy Ball

By Dale King

The George Snow Scholarship Fund hosted its 29th annual Rhinestone Cowboy Ball Feb. 11 at Boca West Country Club. Corporate Community Service Recipient Boca Raton Airport Authority was in attendance to accept its award, along with Dr. Nathan Nachlas, accepting the Community Service Award on behalf of Ed Ventrice.

More than 300 guests enjoyed a country-themed buffet dinner and dancing, live music, open bar, casino play, whiskey tastings from Warren American Whiskey Kitchen and alligator wrestling featuring a mechanical alligator.

Longtime George Snow Scholarship Fund supporter Jan Dymtrow said that while attending the Cowboy Ball “you are immediately part of something bigger than an evening event – you become a part of the passion and compassion of raising money that will truly change the trajectory of a student’s life.”

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office was the title sponsor, bringing along the horses of their Mounted Unit to greet guests upon arrival at the valet. Additional Cowboy Ball sponsors included Amy & Mike Kazma, Babione-Kraeer Funeral Homes, Robin & Charles Deyo, Pink Palm at Douglas Elliman, James & Marta Batmasian Family Foundation and Paradise Bank.

Also: Fairman & Associates, NCCI, Office Depot, Kaufman Lynn Construction, Boca Raton Airport Authority, Signature Real Estate Finders, Presidential Auto Sales & Leasing, Boca Raton Magazine and Warren American Whiskey Kitchen.

Live auction items were donated from The Boca Raton, Warren American Whiskey Kitchen, A1A Limos, Blueprint Yachts, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Tricho Salon Boca Raton, Casa de Montecristo and Red Meat Lovers Club.

Emceed by Paige Kornblue of Paige Kornblue Media and WPBF 25 First Warning Meteorologist Glenn Glazer, accompanied by auctioneer and Snow Scholar alumnus Mike Pontillo, the Rhinestone Cowboy Ball set a new fundraising record, netting more than $150,000. All proceeds from ticket sales, raffle ticket sales, auction items and sponsorships go to the George Snow Scholarship Fund and its efforts to provide scholarships and support services to its students.

“We really can’t thank our sponsors enough,” said Snow. “The Cowboy Ball was first started in 1982 with a nod to my father’s love for horses, and over the years has become one of Boca’s favorite events. Our sponsors’ continued support, along with our donors and event guests, has allowed us to award more than $2.2 million in scholarships and support services in 2022. Their commitment to the George Snow Scholarship Fund and our events has changed the lives of hundreds of deserving students.”

The George Snow Scholarship Fund was founded in 1982 as a 501(c)3 organization, whose mission is to help hardworking students in South Florida graduate from college by providing financial aid and wrap-around support services. The Fund’s goal is to ensure that no student is deprived of an education due to a shortage of funds or a lack of support.

A family pact that began as a memorial fund to one philanthropic and devoted man has become a community asset – a family of individuals, corporations, private foundations and community service organizations who share the belief that education is the key to a better life for the young people of Palm Beach and Broward counties.

To learn more about The George Snow Scholarship Fund, contact the GSSF office at 561-347-6799 or visit www.scholarship.org. Connect on facebook.com/snowscholarship or twitter.com/snowscholarship.

From left, Mike Pontillo, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, Paige Kornblue, Glenn Glazer. (Gina Fontana Photographic Services)

From left, Andrea Virgin, Bonnie Halperin, Justin Ely, Rochelle LeCavalier. (Gina Fontana Photographic Services)

From left, Georgia Williams, Scott Kohut, Clara Bennett, Lisa Kaufman, Tim Snow. (Gina Fontana Photographic Services)