Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. – Members of the BallenIsles Charities Foundation, made up of members and residents of BallenIsles Country Club, recently attended the ribbon cutting ceremony and dedication of the new BallenIsles Wing at Safe Harbor Shelter, located inside the Children’s Home Society of Florida. The Foundation awarded a $72,000 grant for the purpose of remodeling an unused wing at the Shelter, adding 12 additional beds for youth ages 10-17.
“This is the only Shelter in Palm Beach County for runaways living on the street. We knew we had to step-up and not turn our backs on kids who are at risk of trafficking and often resort to selling drugs or stealing to survive,” said BallenIsles Charities Foundation Vice President and Grants Committee Chair Jody Passov.
At Safe Harbor, homeless youth who are in the midst of a crisis find immediate safety, counseling and basic necessities. During their temporary stay with the Children’s Home Society, the Shelter works with families to access support, therapy and other local resources that can help youth address the crises they are experiencing. Following discharge, Safe Harbor staff will support the re-united family for up to 180 days to insure a smooth and successful transition.
In March, the BallenIsles Charities Foundation announced 53 financial grants and four Impact Grants totaling a record $1,236,000. Each applicant organization is thoroughly vetted and must demonstrate sound financial and management practices while their proposed program must meet a critical community need. The record funds raised are a credit to the generosity of BallenIsles residents, local businesses and corporate sponsors, contributions from volunteers, as well as BallenIsles club management and the community association.
For more information about the BallenIsles Charities Foundation, visit www.BallenIslesCharitiesFoundation.org. For more information on BallenIsles Country Club, visit www.BallenIsles.org.
Photo Caption:
Safe Harbor Shelter at the Children’s Home Society ribbon cutting (left to right): Mark Freeman, President BallenIsles Charities Foundation; Jody Passov, Vice President BallenIsles Charities Foundation; Sabrina Barnes, CHS Regional Executive Director; and Lauren Fuentes, CHS Vice President Child & Family Well-Being.
About BallenIsles Country Club
In 1963 legendary Florida developer John D. MacArthur and the PGA of America teamed up with golf course architects Dick Wilson and Joe Lee to design a championship-caliber golf facility. Over the next ten years, BallenIsles, then called PGA National Golf Club, hosted numerous major tournaments like the PGA Championship and PGA Seniors Championship and was home for the Professional Golfers’ Association of America. The Club was also the host site for the original PGA TOUR Qualifying School and held the inaugural PGA Merchandise Show. When the MacArthur/PGA of America agreement expired in 1973, the Club was renamed the JDM Country Club for John D. MacArthur. For the next 15 years, the prestigious local country club hosted many celebrities and professional golfers and staged many events on the three golf courses on the property. In 1988, the three golf courses and surrounding property were sold by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and renamed BallenIsles Country Club. A multi-year and multimillion dollar plan to develop a private country club community was unveiled. Since the early 2000’s, BallenIsles Country Club has been consistently ranked as one of the Top 100 Clubs in America.
A $35 million clubhouse renovation was completed in November 2018, featuring 115,000 square feet of luxurious space; three championship courses with 54 holes of golf; a world-class 21-court tennis and 9-court pickleball complex; and a state-of-the-art Sports Complex with a full-service Cosmo & Company salon and spa, fitness center, Pilates & spin studios and resort-style swimming pool.
The recent $9.3 million golf enhancements to the East Course by Nicklaus Design, practice grounds and ‘71 Golf Learning Center follow the construction of a $1.3 million pickleball complex in 2021; and the 2020 redesign of BallenIsles’ South Course by famed golf course architect Rees Jones. The Club also recently announced a $19 million renovation and expansion project of the Club’s existing Sports Complex. Construction began in 2023 with project completion slated by the end of 2024.
For more information visit www.BallenIsles.org
Media Contact:
Becky Collison
BallenIsles Country Club
Director of Marketing & Communication
561.249.5818
bcollison@ballenisles.org
