What makes a party in Palm Beach a good one? The food, the music, the décor, or the influential committee that gets you to spend more money for a good cause?
By Mary Bryant
Mix in memorable, impactful, and knowing that your donations go directly to the recruitment, training, equipment and marathon rehab program for the wounded veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and you’ve got a real winner!
On Saturday, December 1, George Cloutier and Tiffany Spadafora are once again opening up their oceanfront Palm Beach home, to allow our community to welcome the Achilles FREEDOM TEAM of Wounded Veterans who are coming to participate in the Marathon of the Palm Beaches.
Café Sapori who catered the party last year, insists on coming back again to present an even bigger and better buffet for these heroes.
Rex Kirby, President of the Florida Division of Suffolk Construction, and Jerry Hogan have pledged to raise funds to help underwrite the costs of the trip for the team, and some additional wheelchairs to be purchased for the South Florida Chapter of the Achilles Track Club.
Last year, after hearing personally from these severely injured vets, many who are amputees, what it means to be able to get on a special sports wheelchair, and race through the streets during a marathon with a cheering crowd, with your family at the finish line to witness and cheer you across, eighteen Palm Beach locals stepped up to pledge new wheelchairs.
Among them were Howard & Michele Kessler, Charlie Roberts, Chris & Maryellen Mosca, Mary Scott Guest, Patricia Crawford, Dick McCready, Nina Hirsch, Paul Kochis & Amy Millman.
Hearing from others about the importance of having these wheelchairs immediately available at the major hospitals like Walter Reed, Brooke Army Medical and Balboa Naval Hospital, rather than waiting for the government to decide what they are entitled to, and handle the paperwork, weeks after the party took place, JC & Marty Meyers and Buzz & Eileen Abramson immediately stopped and wrote checks to the Achilles Freedom Team.
“Being able to help these kids focus on a new and positive goal, and to embrace achievement in their uncertain lives, has turned many of them around to smiling and experiencing the hope and possibility they do have ahead of them,” explains Mary Bryant, Founder and Director of the FREEDOM TEAM program of Achilles.
Palm Beach resident David McCourt, knows the suffering of personal tragedy after losing his wife and 4 year old daughter Juliana, when their United Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower on 9/11.
A friend suggested that Mary help him through this difficult time, since surviving severe situations seems to be one of her specialties. Little did they know, that they would eventually become a couple, and now David is on the Advisory Board of Achilles, helping her, and the FREEDOM TEAM push through to their new lives.
Together, they joined forces with George Cloutier and Tiffany Spadafora, along with friends, neighbors and fellow members of Mar-a-Lago and Trump, to personally get involved in welcoming these inspirational role models and raising the funds to make sure they can cross that marathon finish line and then return to help the newest team members experience that glory.
That makes a good Palm Beach party. Champagne anyone?
For tickets, call Dave McCourt at 561-659-0873
Requested minimum donation $150.
Palm Beach Today
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The Achilles Track Club (ATC) was established by Dick Traum in 1983 to encourage disabled people to participate in long-distance running with the general public.
Dick is its current President, an above the knee amputee marathoner. We are an international, nonprofit organization that provides support, training, and technical expertise to runners at all levels.
Achilles includes people with all kinds of disabilities, such as visual impairment, stroke, cerebral palsy, paraplegia, arthritis, amputation, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, cancer, traumatic head injury, and many others. Runners participate with crutches, in wheelchairs, on prostheses, and without aids.
Founded in New York City, the ATC has expanded into 40 chapters in the United States and over 110 chapters on six continents, including countries like Norway, New Zealand, Mongolia, Dominican Republic, Russia, South Africa, Vietnam and Japan.
Achilles provides bi-weekly training programs at most chapters. In New York
City in association with the Office of Adaptive Physical Education of the NYC Board of Education and the Department of Parks and Recreation, 2,000 disadvantaged children with disabilities train at 50 public schools. This year, a new program for disabled seniors at senior citizen centers (Achilles 65) is operating. Programs, in conjunction with other organizations, provide eye surgery for blind runners, below the knee prostheses, and sports wheelchairs for Achilles members.
Achilles is involved in many local and national running events. Every year the ATC sponsors a large number of disabled runners for the New York City Marathon. The 1998 NYC Marathon, for example, had 281 Achilles runners from around the world competing in the 26.2 mile race.
Membership in Achilles is free and includes races, coaching, workouts, team T-shirts, and our newsletter, THE ACHILLES HEEL. The Achilles Track Club is a nonprofit organization designated 501(c)(3).
The Big Party to benefit the
Achilles Freedom Team
Saturday, December 1
6pm-9pm
George Cloutier & Tiffany Spadafora are once again opening up their oceanfront Palm Beach home, to allow our community
to welcome the Achilles Freedom Team
of Wounded Veterans who are coming to participate in the Marathon of the Palm Beaches.
For more information and tickets
please call David McCourt at 561.659.0873
The Achilles Track Team benefactors:
(L-R) Tiffany Spadafora, George Cloutier, Mary Bryant, David McCourt
You're invited to The Big Party at George & Tiffany's oceanfront mansion this Saturday!
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This is the November 13, 2007 issue
Big Bice Blast for Achille's last night (Wednesday, November 28)
"If you don't
have fun, it's
your fault!"
-George Cloutier
