PACE Center to Honor Three More Women at Grande Dames Tea

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Jan. 4, 2017 - PRLog -- PACE Center for Girls of Lee County has selected three more women to be honored at the Ninth Annual Grande Dames Tea honoring some of our community's most revered women.

This year's honorees are:

●          Pat Carroll of Fort Myers– Pat, 75, is the managing partner of Carroll Properties, which currently owns Best Western Waterfront, Gulf Star Marina on Fort Myers Beach and four restaurants.  At one time, Pat and her former husband owned more than 44 businesses in eight states, including hotels, restaurants, marinas, gift shops, RV parks, golf courses and a radio station.  Pat is a leader in philanthropy as well as business.  She was a founding board member of Cornerstone Ministries in Dunbar, founded Second Chance Boutique on U.S. 41 and has supported PACE Center for Girls in many capacities along with many other charities. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Lee University in Tennessee.

●          The late Lalai Sapp Hamric of Fort Myers – Lalai was the former president and CEO of Family Health Centers of Southwest Florida, a position she held until her retirement in 2009.  Under her guidance, the non-profit grew to 14 medical offices, a women's health center and 7 dental offices, setting a path for its future. Lalai was honored as one of Southwest Florida's 125 most influential people by The News-Press in 2009 and earned a roomful of awards for her work.  She also was instrumental in establishing The Angel program of the Women's Legacy Fund and was a founder of the Women's Foundation of Southwest Florida.

●          Beverly McNew of Fort Myers – Beverly, 79, has experienced both triumph and tragedy throughout her life.  Beverly was a strong supporter of her late husband, Quinton, and his partner, Dan Harper, in establishing their business, Harper Bros., Inc., which built many roads and subdivisions in Southwest Florida.   Tragedy came with the loss of two children – son Griffin in an accident and daughter Laurel Dawn, who died of cystic fibrosis.  As a result, Beverly established a respiratory school at Florida SouthWestern State College and helped establish the respiratory care clinic at the Golisano Children's Hospital.  The Quinton B. and Beverly H. McNew Foundation also awards grants to numerous charities.

The Grande Dames Tea honoring the three women will take place Tuesday, March 14, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Broadway Palm at 1380 Colonial Blvd. in Fort Myers.

Chair of the Grande Dames Tea is Nancy Finch, with Kathy Toll serving as co-chair.  Both women also are members of the PACE Lee Board of Directors.

It is the first time PACE has selected a Grande Dame who is no longer living, but Finch said there was a good reason to do so this year.

"Lalai was selected as a Grande Dame prior to her passing December 21 and we want to honor her at the event that she was so looking forward to.  We will remember Lalai as the dynamic southern lady that she was," Finch said.

"Our theme of The Wisdom of Age – Honoring the Female Spirit is so appropriate because each of these women has much to share from her own life's journey," Toll said.

Invitations to the Grande Dames Tea will be mailed in January.  Registration also will be available online atarting February 1 at www.pacecenter.org/locations/lee. (http://www.pacecenter.org/locations/lee).  Admission is $60 per person. Table sponsorships are also available. Attendees are encouraged to wear their favorite tea party hat.

This is the ninth year of the historic Grande Dames Tea.  Previous honorees have included the late Berne Davis, Eleanore Kleist and the late Barbara B. Mann in 2009; Jeanne Bochette, the late Helen Hendry and the late Veronica Shoemaker in 2010; Myra Daniels, Kathleen Nealon and the late Mimi Straub in 2011; Michel Doherty, Mavis Miller and Anna "Boots" Tolles in 2012; Thelma Hodges, the late Helen O'Rourke McClary and Ettie Francis Walsh in 2013; Barbara Norris Brown, the late Sarah Sciple and Margaret Sirianni in 2014; Sharlene Hamel Dozier, M. Jacqueline McCurdy and Melvin Morgan in 2015; and Betty Anderson, Rusty Brown and Dr. Geraldine Burchard Nobles in 2016.

The Grande Dames Tea was originated by PACE Center for Girls of Lee County to honor women who have played major roles in Southwest Florida history through decades of service, philanthropy and helping others.

The agenda for the tea will include interaction between the PACE girls and the three Grande Dames, in a question and answer format that Finch and Toll said "is sure to be thought-provoking and poignant."

PACE Center for Girls, Inc., is a non-residential delinquency prevention program targeting the unique needs of girls, ages 11 to 18 years old, facing challenges such as academic failure and truancy, physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence, substance abuse, foster care, neglect, death of a parent, and family history of incarceration.

PACE is a Florida-based, not for profit organization, and the only statewide prevention program for adolescent at-risk girls in the nation.  In the past year, the Lee County program provided 103 girls with education, counseling, training and advocacy resulting in 94 percent having no involvement with juvenile justice within one year of leaving PACE, 86 percent improving their academic performance and 89 percent remaining in school or obtaining employment three years after leaving PACE.  As a result, PACE reduces the significant long term costs associated with teen pregnancy, substance abuse, unemployment and long term economic dependency.

PACE accepts referrals from the juvenile justice system, the Department of Children & Families, school personnel, community services agencies, parents, family members, friends and self-referrals.

For information about the Grande Dames Tea or to become a sponsor, please contact PACE Development Manager Sara Jordan at (239) 425-2366, or visit http://pacecenter.org/locations/lee