With sponsorships from organizations like Publix Super Market Charities and THE PLAYERS Championship, the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra is hosting a free movie and glow-in-the-dark golf event at 7-10 p.m. Friday, April 10, at Palm Valley Golf Course, 1075 Palm Valley Road in Nocatee.
This community event will help raise awareness (and donations) for the club’s Ponte Vedra Rotary Foundation, which funds multiple charitable efforts in the area and abroad.
“Part of being a Rotarian,” says event chair and member of the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Bob Wiltfong, “is improving the quality of life in our community. As a club, we think this free, family-friendly event for the residents of Nocatee will do just that while, at the same time, educating folks on the many ways our foundation helps charities in the area.”
An example of one of these charitable efforts is at Nocatee’s Valley Ridge Academy (VRA) where a funding gap had recently left several children designated as McKinney-Vento students (those lacking a fixed, regular or adequate nighttime residence) choosing between educational activities or shelter.
In May of 2024, the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra donated $20,000 to a nonprofit that filled that hole and helps Valley Ridge students like the fourth-grade son of Luisa Huratdo participate in an extended-day program while his mom works.
“I work eight hours a day like everybody else,” said Huratdo. “Kids come home early from school and that support [from the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra] helps me to stay more relaxed at work, not rushed. I know he will come back later at 5 p.m. and the bus will bring him home and it’s good.”
The “Friday Night Lights: Movie, Mission & Moonlit Golf” event will feature a screening of the original “Lion King” movie on Palm Valley Golf Course’s driving range and, at the same time, a glow-in-the-dark golf tournament on its course. Local merchants are donating raffle prizes for attendees, including a free annual social membership at TPC Sawgrass (retail value: $750).
You can learn more about the event by going to https://events.golfstatus.com/event/ponte-vedra-rotary-friday-night-lights.
The Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Really Good Beer Stop in Nocatee. They regularly host guest speakers and welcome visitors to their meetings. To learn more, go to pontevedrarotary.org or email pontevedrarotary@gmail.com.
