It was our pleasure to be a part of The Happy Tails Dog Rescue opening events. We enjoyed cooking and EATING:) with all the great people and puppies who came out to support Stephanie, Peter and Jen in their efforts to save lives. The baking class was not only fun, but a HUGE success because Norman (a boxer) got a happy and safe home!
If ya would like to give time or love to this worthy cause or just see some of the beautiful canines that need a home please visit happytailsdogrescue.org
HANDS: Haitian Assistance Now Direct & Simple is organized to gather specific supplies for the small town of Verrettes.
Marceline Fleurilus will travel to Haiti in July. They are collecting hygiene items, school supplies and oat meal, yes oat meal, for her trip. Personally, I would like to help collect tons of toothpaste – 100 tubes.
Here’s the link to their Sun-Sentinel article for HANDS for Haiti!
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/delray-beach/fl-drf-hands-0602-20100602,0,4891954.story
If you’d like to help you can drop off at the Delray Library until June 9th, drop off at my house thru the month of June or contact me and we’ll arrange for the pick up of your items.
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Saturday we provided HEALTHY CUPCAKES for BREAKFAST at the 1st Annual DBFF/Surf Rider Foundation Beach Clean up.
It was so great to see families with kids of all ages come out to Delray Beach to help keep our beach beautiful. Surf Rider and Sierra Club had education booths were people could join and donate to protect our planet and Uppercrust Catering gave out yummy scones at table next to CupcakeChef. We sampled Vanilla Bean, Chai and our newest flavor SARAH'S Spring(Punch cupcakes with tangerine frosting and edible pansies). A great time was had by all.
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On April 22nd, Earth Day, Whole Foods Market Wellington will be donating 5% of the day’s net sales to the Sierra Club and their Inner City Outings program as well as their Elaine Usherson Environmental Youth Scholarships Program. These programs give inner city and at risk youth the opportunity to learn about nature in the outdoors with Sierra Club trained volunteers at no cost to the families. In honor of Earth Day and 5% Day there will be activities throughout the day:
8:00am First 100 Customers to receive a free canvas bag!
8:00am-10:00pm- Sierra Club information table with Children’s Eco-Game and Prizes
1:00-2:00pm – Guest Chef, Ursula Rafer from Sierra Club, will be teaching us how to make delicious Key Lime Cupcakes that are vegan, gluten free, and no sugar added as well as a Citrus Salad! Pre-register by calling customer service 561-904-4000.
5:00pm- Inner City Outings camping demonstration in the back of the café.
6:30-7:30pm- Guest Chef, Ursula Rafer from Sierra Club, will be teaching us how to make delicious Key Lime Cupcakes that are vegan, gluten free, and no sugar added as well as Citrus Salad! Pre-register by calling customer service 561-904-4000.
Sierra Club to Receive 5% of the Day’s Net Sales on Earth Day!
Shop for a Cause Tuesday, April 22nd
When: Thursday, April 22nd from 8:00-10:00pm.
Where: Whole Foods Market
2635 State Road 7, Wellington 33414
Phone: 561-904-4000
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Over 300 people came together Thursday night at The Ride for Hope Charity Event to raise funds for injured riders. It was a great party. Not bidding on the BREES jersey is my only regret 
lol…WHO DAT!
The Menu: Roast/Chilled Mixed Veggie Trays Served with Blueberry or Thai Pepper Vinaigrettes, Marinated Manchego Cheese, Cheddar with Balsamic Glaze, and Many other delicious Cheese selections, Toasted/Spiced Walnuts, Fresh Fruit, and Crackers, Hummus and Whole Wheat Pitas, Veggie Sushi, Chicken Jambalaya, Feta Salad, And a Spectacular Cupcake Tower with Choco Choco and Vanilla Bean Vegan, Gluten Free and No Sugar Added Babycakes.
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To Donate or Learn More about THE RIDE FOR HOPE call 800-792-6068 or visit on the web www.equestrianaidfoundation.org
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ChocoChoco and Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Vegan, Gluten Free and No Sugar Added
5 calories each…they were more than a huge hit!!!
This charity event was great to be a part of
raising money for injured riders.
Thanks to the Equestrian Aid Foundation's
The Ride for Hope volunteers and Guests!
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Join the Cupcake Challenge…Don't worry if ya won't be ready in March…Walk/Run for a Cause all year!
More Walks…for March events see previous post! To Join us thecupcakechallenge@gmail.com
2010 Broward Walk to Cure Diabetes April 10th 2010
http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=100585
5k Walk, Run and Family Fun Run is scheduled for Saturday, March 27, 2010 at John Prince Park in Palm Beach County.
http://events.abc2.org/site/TR/Events/General?fr_id=1040&pg=entry
Miami-Dade Start! Heart Walk Saturday, November 6, 2010
http://miamidadeheartwalk.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=336441
Stay-tuned for more details:)
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HELP NEEDED / WANTED…
1. Restaurants to Sponsor Delray Beach Film Fest…Host a cocktail party
MARCH 21st-28th…Provide yummy apps and we will provide people and
fun!
2. Offer 10% off for ticket stubs and get list on the GOOD EATS AT THE
FEST list given to 500+ Local Fest Fans:)
3. Food Critics and Chefs to be part of DBFF Fabulous Food Event
PLEASE JOIN US IN SUPPORTING FILM MAKERS AND OUR LOCAL HUMANE SOCIETY!
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Thursday I will be 31(WOW) and I am reminded in times of crisis how lucky I am to be this far along in life! I want to try to remember always all that I have to be grateful for. Please go through the list below and see how many things you are thankful for and if I have forgotten anything… Please send it to me to add!
Send your prayers, well wishes or dollars to our friends in Haiti, seeing them sing and pray in the streets we remember there is always something to be grateful for!
I slept in a warm bed last night.
I am healthy.
I am walking in comfy shoes.
I have amazing friends…too many to list or I would!
I have a loving family.
I can help,love and laugh with others.
I can smell the ocean almost from my front door.
I can exercise and eat today.
I am not worried where my family is.
I am living in a country where people are willing to fight for my freedom.
I can Carpe Diem…You to…Go Now Seize!
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The Lox group is participating in the EVCO conference, we’d like you to join us.
If you can’t make any of the venues listed below at least you can follow the live Everglades paddle into WPB. See details below. YOU CAN ALSO VIEW LIVE BROADCASTS FROM THE PADDLERS! Thanks to our friends at the Palm Beach County School District you can watch a daily live broadcast at 8:10am on Tuesday, January 5 through Thursday, January 7 (technology permitting). Visit http://breeze.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/riverofgrass and log in as GUEST to see the live broadcast.
Arthur R. Marshall Foundation to Host 25th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference
January 7-10 in Palm Beach Gardens
Conference Highlights Will Include:
* River of Grass Canoe Expedition – Jan 2-7
* The Everglades: Nature’s Classroom at Pine Jog – Jan 7
* Conference Finale at Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge – Jan 10 (West Palm Beach, FL – December 22, 2009) Nancy Marshall, President of the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation, which champions the restoration and preservation of the greater Everglades ecosystem, today announced that the nonprofit organization will be hosting the 25th annual Everglades Coalition Conference, January 7-10, 2010 at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens.
The theme for the upcoming Everglades Coalition Conference is: The Changing Face of Everglades Restoration.
“This will be the first Everglades Coalition Conference in many years to be held in Palm Beach County and more than two dozen local environmental and cultural organizations, governmental entities and private businesses are working together to make this silver anniversary event truly special,” said Marshall.
Among the expected highlights of the upcoming Everglades Coalition Conference are three events specifically organized by the Marshall Foundation:
* River of Grass Canoe Expedition – January 2-7
This 78-mile adventure for Core Paddlers will set off on the morning of January 2 at the point where the Kissimmee River flows into Lake Okeechobee, and will culminate at 4 p.m. on January 7 at The Bingham Nature Pavilion atGrassy Waters Preserve at 8264 Northlake Boulevard in West Palm Beach.
Among the dozen Core Paddlers expected to make the six-day Canoe Expedition are team leader Chris Schuld, biologist Allen Trefry, Janice Kerber, South Florida Water Management District Deputy Director of Operations Susan Sylvester and Tomas Boiton. In addition, world-renowned author, nature enthusiast and wildlife photographerDudley Edmondson will film a documentary of the trek.
A Grand Finale Flotilla of Paddlers in as many as 30 different vessels will join in for the last leg of the adventure, paddling through the Loxahatchee Slough to The Bingham Nature Pavilion at Grassy Waters Preserve. Kurt Gebhart, the former president of Grassy Waters Preserve, will lead the flotilla.
“The multi-purpose mission of the River of Grass Canoe Expedition is to draw attention to the invaluable role that the Everglades plays in the ecology of Florida, to emphasize the need to conserve and respect this key resource, and to document the current state of its health and well-being,” said Marshall, who is co-chairing the Expedition with Joan Goldberg, Waterfront Project Manager & Cultural Affairs Consultant to the City of West Palm Beach.
* The Everglades: Nature’s Classroom at Pine Jog Elementary School – January 7
The Marshall Foundation is coordinating a 4-hour workshop for educators from grade school through college level, at Florida Atlantic University’s Pine Jog Education Center and Pine Jog Elementary School, located at 6301 Summit Boulevard in West Palm Beach.
The offsite Environmental Education plenary program of the Everglades Coalition Conference will include tours of the elementary school, Florida’s first gold-certified LEEDs school, and the Education Center’s 135-acre pond/pine flatwoods “living laboratory,” plus a keynote address by Glenn Thomas, the Assistant Dean of PK-12 Schools and Educational Programs at Florida Atlantic University where he’s responsible for $23 million annually in grants, state appropriations and donations.
Under the direction of Program Moderator Wendy Spielman, the K-12 Science Manager of Curriculum Development and School Improvement for the School District of Palm Beach County workshop panelists will be:
+ Fred J. Barch, Principal of Pine Jog Elementary School
+ Dr. Rachel Docekal, Deputy Director of the South Florida Science Museum
+ Alana Edwards, Education & Training Coordinator at FAU’s Florida Center for Environmental Studies
+ Allyson Gantt, the Education & Outreach Coordinator at Everglades National Park
+ Eric Gehring, the Director of Education at the Marshall Foundation
+ Caroline Lewis, Director of Education at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
+ Erica Robbins, Outreach Program Specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
+ Jackie Stone, third grade teacher at Avocado Elementary School in Homestead who was featured in the book,Everglades Forever – Restoring America’s Wetland
+ Toni Westland, a Federal Park Ranger and Environmental Education Specialist at the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge in Sanibel Island
There is no conference fee for educators to participate in this workshop scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3:15 on January 7. To register or for more information, contact Isabel Botero at boteroic@cdm.com.
* Conference Finale at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge – January 10
Scheduled to last from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Everglades Coalition Conference participants will enjoy a keynote address by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Sam Hamilton, guided tours of the Refuge, brunch on the Pavilion hosted by Friends of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, and the opportunity to try out the recently installed state-of-the-art interactive exhibits of the Visitor Center. The Refuge is located on the west side of SR7/441, two miles south of Boynton Beach Blvd.
The Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1951 and is named for the longtime head of the Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Offices, who also drafted the first Everglades Restoration plan. Explore a remnant of the Cypress forest that once stretched south to Miami-Dade and marked the eastern edge of the Everglades; a butterfly garden; and an 80-acre microcosm of the Everglades where restoration techniques are tested. Rental canoes and kayaks can also be arranged.
About the 25th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference:
The Everglades Coalition Conference is the largest annual forum for debate of Everglades conservation and restoration, and will bring together leaders, elected officials, scientists, community and environmental activists, educators, and the general public to discuss the current changes we are facing, in government, in our worsening environment, and in the economy, as we work to restore America’s Everglades. Conference sessions focus on topics such as growth management, political and public partnerships, wildlife issues and energy policies.
“With a new Administration that is committed to fulfilling its partnership role, we look forward to finally moving into constructing projects as envisioned in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan,” said Sara Fain, Everglades Coalition National Co-Chair and Everglades Restoration Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association. “We must also focus on educating and inspiring the next generation who will be completing the world’s largest ecosystem restoration plan in the world.”
About the Everglades Coalition:
The Everglades Coalition is an alliance of 53 local, state and national conservation and environmental organizations dedicated to full restoration of the greater Everglades ecosystem, from the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes into Lake Okeechobee, through the River of Grass, out to Florida Bay and the Keys. Complete conference details, including the agenda and list of speakers, will be announced later this year. For more information, visit:www.evergladescoalition.org or contact Sara Fain at sfain@npca.org.
About the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation:
Founded in 1998, the Marshall Foundation strives to educate young people and the public about Everglades ecology through science-based outreach programs, and restore original plant life and water flow patterns to the greater Everglades ecosystem.
In recent years, the Marshall Foundation has planted more than 100,000 native Florida trees in wetland areas, awarded over $400,000 in scholarships and internships, and involved more than 5,000 volunteers in hands-on restoration projects.
For more information about the Marshall Foundation, please call 561.805.8733 or visit www.artmarshall.org; or see attached weblinks.
Available for Interview:
Nancy Marshall
Arthur R. Marshall Foundation
561.805.8733
NancyGoMarshall@aol.com
Media Contact:
Gary Schweikhart
PR-BS, inc.
561.756.4298
gary@pr-bs.net
Info on the information highway:
The River of Grass Canoe Expedition will depart on Saturday, January 2nd. We wish them good weather and pleasant memories of this unforgettable trip from the mouth of the Kissimmee River, across Lake Okeechobee and through the canal system, arriving at Grassy Waters Preserve on Thursday, January 7th. Our paddlers will spend their days on the water and nights camping out. Their route will follow the source of our drinking water here in West Palm Beach, and will highlight the challenges and success stories of Everglades Restoration.
Thanks to modern technology, you can follow their progress from home or the office. We will be posting the photos, observations, updates and GPS coordinates from our Paddlers online. There are several different places you can find this information:
Follow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MarshallFoundat
Check out Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/West-Palm-Beach-FL/Arthur-R-Marshall-Foundation/104557100514?ref=ts
Our blog: www.arthurmarshallfoundation.blogspot.com
And Teacher Tube: http://www.teachertube.com/viewProfile.php?user=Marshallfoundation&ref=Marshallfoundation
YOU CAN ALSO VIEW LIVE BROADCASTS FROM THE PADDLERS! Thanks to our friends at the Palm Beach County School District you can watch a daily live broadcast at 8:10am on Tuesday, January 5 through Thursday, January 7 (technology permitting). Visit http://breeze.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/riverofgrass and log in as GUEST to see the live broadcast.
All of this information is viewable by classrooms and the general public, so please forward this email to friends and family so they can also follow the Paddlers progress across the Everglades.
Thank you for helping us kick off 2010 –The Year of the Everglades.
Have a happy New Year,
New Years update - The word is getting out:
SFWMD: Coming in January: A 78-mile canoe trip organized by @MarshallFoundat kicks off the Year of the #Everglades. http://bit.ly/7SSPLm 8:11 AM Dec 24th from bit.ly
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South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Unsung Heroes: Delray Beach woman active with the Loxahatchee Group
By Darcy Clinton, Special Correspondent
December 20, 2009
Name: Ursula Gatti Rafer
Age: 30
Residence: Delray Beach
Birthplace: New Orleans
Career: Owner and baker for Chef Divine Dining, Home of the Cupcake Chef
Family: Husband, Sheridan Rafer
Cause: The Loxahatchee Group, one of southeast Florida’s 17 Sierra Club chapters. The 3,000-member group, comprised of Martin, Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Okeechobee residents, meets monthly and provides a variety of ways for members to become active and involved environmentalists.
Q. Describe your volunteer role.
A. I have been a member of the Sierra Club since 2006 and an executive committee board member since 2008. My role on the board is to help generate new membership in Florida.
Q. How did you choose this organization?
A. My father is a plant pathologist. He taught me the importance of protecting nature. My hope is that one day my children will enjoy the parks, beaches and natural areas as I do now.
Q. Why do you volunteer?
A. I have been volunteering since childhood. Both my mother and father taught my siblings and me to give back to our communities through our gifts and passions.
Q. What community involvement opportunities does the Loxahatchee Group offer?
A. Each year, our local chapter campaigns to keep our preserves and wildlife safe, sets up and runs educational booths and tables at local events, runs an Inner City Outings program to teach children about animals and the environment, offers an annual scholarship to one Florida Atlantic University student, as well as many other wonderful outdoor activities designed to help us appreciate our sunny Florida lives.
Q. What projects is this organization working on?
A. During our annual holiday party this year, we raffled donated items from many local green businesses to raise money for the Elaine Usherson Environmental Scholarship Fund, the Inner City Outings program and conservation efforts. Shelia Calderon and Kay Gates, our party committee chairs, worked tirelessly on this event. Whole Foods of Wellington and Palm Beach Gardens donated all the food. Everyone had a great time while raising money for these worthy causes at the same time.
Q. Aside from money, what does your organization need?
A. We are looking for volunteers to help with our Inner City Outings program. After training, volunteers help organize and facilitate the outings with the children. It’s a really fun program and a great way to get involved.
For more information about joining the Sierra Club, visit http://www.florida.sierraclub.org/loxahatchee or call 561-699-3923.
If you know a Palm Beach County resident who deserves recognition for volunteer work, fax the information to 954-429-1207 or e-mail to darcylynnclinton@yahoo.com. Nominations should include volunteer’s name, city of residence, a contact name and phone number, and a brief description of why this person deserves special recognition.
Copyright © 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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We partnered with Starbucks and The Caring Kitchen in a food drive to provide healthy, after-school snacks for at-risk youth in the local area. The Caring Kitchen is a charity that we support by providing 5% of all our earnings to help support their programs (please see Our Charity link).
We donated dozens of cupcakes and towers for an auction to raise funds for other charities and green initiatives. We joined the Surf-Rider Foundation to promote beach clean-ups in our local area.
We would love for you to continue “saving the world, one cupcake at a time” in the upcoming year!
We can all save the world, one cupcake at a time….
Please leave a comment about what you are doing to save the world, ideas for other people, and charities that you like.
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Cooking Classes, Coral Springs
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