Blue Dog At Bijoux

Bijoux Restaurant & Spirits in Miramar Beach offers an elegant and intimate setting for any event and on February 3, Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) supporters gathered for a luncheon with Wendy Rodrigue Magnus. Sharing her love for others and the art of her late husband, George Rodrigue, Wendy’s stories were a hit from the first spoken word.

For almost 20 years Wendy’s presentations have reached tens-of-thousands of people and during the Blue Dog At Bijoux event Wendy talked about facing her fears; fears which in many cases arose before or during her tours. Fears ranging from navigating through Dallas, Texas to dealing with a broken tooth, to breaking her kneecap just before she departed for a tour. Learning from these events, Wendy realized that everyone has fears and can relate to what each other is going through.

Zandra Wolfgram, Director of Marketing and Communications, Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, introduced Wendy by explaining the reason for the event. “Our art-education foundation supports events like this one today and other dynamic performances and visual art initiatives. These initiatives support K-12 students, special-needs adults, and military; all in our local community.” Zandra continued, “Every MKAF concert, every festival, every artfuldining experience supports the ArtsReach program.” Empowering and inspiring people, the ArtsReach program brings the arts directly to community members that may not have the opportunity to attend regularly scheduled events.

Interview with President Dennis Fields

OCSO Sheriff’s Star Charity

What is the OSCO Sheriff’s Star Charity?

The OCSO Sheriff’s Star Charity was founded in 2014 by members of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Of ce. We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonpro t organization dedicated to assisting members of local law enforcement with unplanned life-changing events as a means of giving back to those that work so hard serving our great community.

The charity also provides nancial and labor assistance to other charities and charitable causes in our community as determined by our Board of Directors.

How did this organization come about?

The OCSO Sheriff’s Star Charity was created and implemented by leadership at the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Of ce. Our charity was created so there was a plan in place to serve those that serve our community.

What impact does the Sheriff’s Star Charity have on the community?

Most certainly, we have a positive impact on the community. We are involved in a number of wonderful events that occur in our community that many people may not be familiar with. For example, we have an agency member who started the ‘Hospice

Tree’ program. We help purchase miniature Christmas trees that she will give out to be decorated. Once complete, the decorated trees are turned back in where they are given to Hospice patients. In addition to that, our Charity partners with School Resource Of cers for the ‘Angel Tree’ program where they identify students whose families may be facing nancial hardship. They make sure each child is sponsored to ensure they have a Merry Christmas. We also make monetary donations to local charities to ensure they know that OCSO Star Charity is here to support them.

What are some future goals?

Financially, we would love to be able to offer a local scholarship. While we have not ironed out any details or criteria, being able to support the education of local youth would be fantastic. We are also looking into having annual sponsorship options to support our missions.

What are some challenges your organization faces?

I would say our biggest challenge is fundraising. A majority of our donations are received by Sheriff’s Of ce employees who make voluntary donations through payroll. Our charity is also staffed by volunteers so any fundraising we do is done as volunteers and is separate from our normal work hours.

What events does your organization host? Are any open to the public?

Currently, the OCSO Sheriff’s Star Charity holds several events and/or fundraisers. One of our most popular events is the ‘OCSO Sheriff’s Star Charity Outlaw 2 Gun Match.’ In this event, shooters come from all over the panhandle to compete in this one-day shooting match consisting of multiple stages. It is open to all competitors, and we have different categories for everyone. We also have the 30 Days of Christmas Gun Giveaway where we give away 30 guns in 30 days. This is also open to the public; however, you must be able to possess a rearm and pass a background check.

We are also in the process of getting involved with pickleball. We are looking into hosting a tournament this fall, so keep an eye out for more updates!

What is your role and how did you get involved with the OCSO Sheriff’s Star Charity?

One night we had a new deputy come to work and you could see that he was upset about something. After sitting down and talking with him, I learned that his father was just involved in a serious motorcycle accident in Tennessee that ultimately led to the death of his stepmother. The charity was able to step in and assist this deputy and you could see how grateful he was to have an organization in place that supported him in his personal life.

After that incident, I knew I wanted to be a part of the OCSO Sheriff’s Star Charity. Shortly after, I became the Treasurer of the charity, where I served for four years. In October 2022, I was selected as the President where I will serve through 2024.

What would you like our readers to know about the OCSO Sheriff’s Star Charity?

I would like the readers to know who they have representing their community. Our charity has 19 total board members that consist of members of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Of ce. All these members volunteer their time to support local law enforcement and our community. Nationally, there is so much negative media about law enforcement that it is important for us to reinforce that we serve you and we serve our community. How can someone get involved and/or support your nonprofit?

If you would like to be involved with the OCSO Sheriff’s Star Charity, you can follow us on Facebook OCSO Sheriff’s Star Charity or online at https://ocsostarcharity.com. If you would like to make a donation, you can donate electronically to PayPal by scanning the QR code, or you may mail donations to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Of ce.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions at charity@ sheriff-okaloosa.org or call (850)651-7410 and request to speak to Dennis Fields.

An unparalleled sushi experience!