Venice Yacht Club Charitable Foundation

Celebrating 2017 and Anticipating 2018:
It is an honor to begin planning for the 2018 year as the new Chair of the VYC Charitable Foundation. How excited we are to conclude our most successful year ever, under the leadership of Michael Nemser. He has served our foundation in many capacities and particularly served as Chair in 2013, 2016, and 2017. On Oct 14, our Club and VYCCF presented Michael with a special Community and Club Service Award, a well-deserved recognition.

As we close out 2017, the Foundation received a total of $124,000 in donations, sponsorships, and auction proceeds. In our Spring Grant Cycle, we funded $45,700.00 to community charitable requests and in our Fall Grant Cycle we were able to grant an additional $65,800.00 for a grand total of $111,500.00. A full description of our grant history is available on the VYC Website. In addition, we were able to celebrate with Family Promise at the dedication of their "Family Scape" on October 28. Our Foundation was one of the key sponsors of this project, which will provide a new start for so many families in South County.

By the time you read this, our first Fun/Loop Ride will have been held (Nov. 12). Under the leadership of Dave Slaman, bikers from our Club and community were set to ride 12 miles around Venice to benefit the VYCCF, rewarding themselves with a well-earned Pancake Breakfast on the lawn and pool patio. The riders will have helped us raise our start-up funding for 2018.

As you know, our Foundation makes grants to those charities that serve our local community in the following key categories of (1) Youth Boating, (2) Health and Education, (3) Veterans and Active Military, (4) Environment, and (5) Civic Improvement. Each year we choose a "signature project" to drive our grants. In 2017 our Signature Project was "NEST; Nutrition, Education, and ShelTer…for the Children." At our Donor Appreciation Night on January 11, we will announce our 2018 Signature Project and goals.

As we look forward to the new year, we celebrate the holidays of gratitude and giving. I hope you will consider the VYC Charitable Foundation as a place to make your final 2017 charitable giving. The programs that we fund enable us to provide hope and a bright future to the children and families who truly want a fresh beginning. It helps provide services to returning veterans whose sacrifice cannot be measured. Your gifts help us to “chart a course to a better community."

We are so grateful for your support. None of our achievements in giving are possible without our members and the tireless efforts of our VYCCF committee. I look forward to helping lead us in another great year for the VYCCF.

Don Healy, VYCCF Chair

VYCCF Committee: Chair Don Healy, Treasurer John O'Donnell, Commodore Kerry Carper (Board Rep), Cindy Abbot, Lloyd Abbot, Joan Bowen, Bill Bowen, Kevin Collins, P/C Joe Dombrowski, P/C Merle Graser, P/C Dick Guba, Doris Guba, Babs Healy, Barbara Isaacson, Warren Major, Paul Nasipak, Michael Nemser, Beth Piel and Dave Slaman


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updated: December 2017 Currents