Linen Suits and Lemon Drops Make for a Record-Breaking Night at the ELC
- Vero Minute
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
ELC board member and Windsor marketing director Jane Smalley invited us along to this year's annual gala, and I'm so glad she did. This year's theme: Mangroves, Moonlight & Milan.
The rain forecast moved things indoors and away from the usual spot at the Thomas R. Schidel Pavilion, but the execution was so seamless you'd have assumed that was the plan all along.
Guests arrived in linen suits as the sun set over the lagoon, lemon drop cocktails in hand, fresh parmesan and charcuterie making the rounds, and live music keeping the energy high through cocktail hour. The evening nailed the Milan theme: unmistakably elegant, yet decidedly laid back. It ended up being the most successful fundraiser in ELC's 38-year history.
Keynote speaker and Indian River School District Superintendent Dr. David Moore spoke passionately about what ELC means to the district and the broader community. Six years ago he arrived in Indian River County promising every school would be an A school, a claim that landed, he admitted, with polite nodding and quiet skepticism, since more than half the district's schools were C schools at the time. These days, third-grade reading proficiency ranks second in Florida, graduation rates sit at 96%, and Moore is a finalist for Superintendent of the Year for the entire country. He credited his team. He also credited ELC, its programming, the opportunities it creates for Indian River schoolchildren, and the role it has played in the district's recent success.
The evening included a silent auction and a classic paddle raise, with gifts coming in at $20,000, $10,000, and $5,000. And yes, several gopher tortoises got adopted.
To give, visit DiscoverELC.org. To get involved—through membership, volunteering, or a pontoon boat tour (speaking from personal experience, highly recommended), reach out at Give@DiscoverELC.org or 772-589-5050.
