November 19, 2007 - P.U.S.H. at Mayor Boles Illumination
Fundraiser to Benefit the Homeless

Members of P.U.S.H. were present at the entrance to Mayor Boles' Homeless benefit to thank the attendees for their generosity. Some of the attendees were overheard commenting that they thought P.U.S.H. members were some of the homeless. The following is a report from Robin Nadeau, a P.U.S.H. member who attended the benefit.

I did discuss the appalling demographics of the homeless situation existing in St. Johns County with my 'mates' at the table where we ate dinner, and they did seem sympathetic to the cause of doing something definitive to try to bring solutions to the situation. Those sitting near me were two women who seemed intelligent; one is a nurse, the wife of the new Emergency Room doctor at Flagler Hospital (I hope he is able to improve that 'disaster area'); the other a teacher at St. Augustine High School.

I didn't hear the comments about thinking you were some of the homeless!

Mayor Boles did make sure that someone walked back to my car with me, when I left for home.

It was encouraging to hear that someone matched the amount that was garnered by the evening. Has anybody heard how much was netted? I just hope that most of the stuff was donated -- each table had a center tall vase topped with a lavish arrangement of white lilies and sprays of orchids! The dinner consisted of New Orleans-style shrimp gumbo, sticky rice, sausage, chicken pieces, greens, carrots and salad. A separate dessert area had a chocolate fountain, with cake and pineapple chunks to dip in it, besides various cakes, cookies, key lime pie, bread pudding and apple cobbler. Then there were the canapés served at the initial reception at Government House -- bacon-wrapped scallops, miniature quiches, cheese sticks -- not inexpensive fare. I am pretty sure that the ads in The Record were donated.

Maybe Renee Morris will let us know. It should be published in The Record.