The Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry (BEAM) held the BEAM of Light Beach Ball on Saturday, Aug. 25 at the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, raising $104,665 in sponsorships, donations and ticket and auction sales.
Hosting just over 200 attendees, the event featured a silent auction, food, drinks, live music and more. BEAM Executive Director Lori Richards said the community has responded with tremendous support for the organization, and the Beach Ball will go a long way toward helping BEAM beneficiaries.
"The funds from this evening help BEAM with our emergency assistance, which is our core services," she said. "It also fills in the gaps for our other programs, our path to wellness program for people with hypertension or diabetes, or our single parent project. We're helping people who don't even know what a credit score is to help them budget and get their finances managed."
BEAM is in its third year of running its Beaches Community Food Bank, Richards added, where the nonprofit collects food from local grocery retailers to stock its pantries and deliver to low-income housing sites.
"I think what's important to celebrate is that BEAM has had such growth over the past several years," she said. "My predecessor Susan King did an amazing job of helping BEAM become what it is today."
Richards asserted that the BEAM of Light Beach Ball will help the nonprofit continue to provide aid for those in need, especially families looking to get back on their feet.
"An event like tonight helps us make sure all the good things we're doing, we can sustain into the rest of this year and the next," she said.
For more information on BEAM, visit www.jaxbeam.org.
