Grace Place hosts Dodge for a Cause

Grace Place for Children and Families completed its inaugural Dodge for a Cause, an adult co-ed dodgeball tournament, Aug. 9. Hosted by the Grace Place Board of Ambassadors and held on the Grace Place campus, Dodge for a Cause featured 16 teams and raised $4,000 to support Grace Place’s mission to provide pathways out of poverty through education for children and families in the Golden Gate community.

Marco Island Historical Society receives grant for sculpture restoration

The Marco Island Historical Society received a $7,500 grant from the Greater Marco Island Community Fund of Collier Community Foundation. Grant funds will help restore the 6-foot bronze Key Marco Cat sculpture that has been in the Marco Island Historical Museum courtyard since 2010. MIHS commissioned the statue, which sculptor Carl Wagner completed. Over the years, the sculpture has been damaged by Florida’s intense sun and hurricanes Irma and Ian; the restoration project is necessary to protect it from further damage.

Sizzle Dining restaurant event set for September

Southwest Florida residents and visitors are invited to dine with a purpose during the region’s biggest culinary event of the year, Sizzle Dining. Set for Sept. 5-25, a record-breaking 116 restaurants in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties are serving specially priced prix-fixe menus, including twocourse lunches for $19 or $29 and three-course dinners starting at $29, $39 or $49. New this year, Sizzle Dining is introducing a pop-up brunch series each Saturday and Sunday during the three-week-long event, for a total of six events at six different restaurants across Southwest Florida. A full list of participating restaurants can be found at sizzledining.com. One dollar from each meal purchased from the Sizzle Dining menu will be donated to the Southwest Florida Chapter of Blessings in a Backpack.

Grace Place to celebrate 20 years

Grace Place for Children and Families is commemorating 20 years in operation with “Celebrating Grace: A Night in Emerald City” Dec. 7 at Elite Jets Hangar in Naples. The nonprofit organization’s event will highlight its students’ accomplishments. Tickets will become available in September. Grace Place aims to provide pathways out of poverty by educating children and families.

Kalnins is new executive director for Opera Naples

Melanie Kalnins is the new executive director, development and communications, for Opera Naples. Kalnins provided marketing and publicity consulting services for the company during the 2023-24 season, for which its fourth annual Festival Under the Stars was the most successful to date, with a 41% increase in ticket sales, according to the opera. In her new role with Opera Naples, she will be chiefly responsible for all contributed and earned revenues and will report directly to the Board of Directors. Kalnins has more than two decades of experience in arts administration and marketing, with 20 years in the marketing department of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She also more recently served as vice president of marketing and patron engagement for Artis—Naples in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. Kalnins is a graduate of Northwestern University and a vocalist and pianist. ‘We are very pleased that Melanie has agreed to join the Opera Naples team,” said Opera Naples Board Co-Chair Larry Ost in a news release announcing her appointment. “The marketing and publicity contract work she did for us last year for our Festival Under the Stars was superb, as shown in our impressive ticket sales results. We are happy to have her lead the charge and continue the great growth she has already started.’ Kalnins said in a comment for the announcement: “I am so delighted to be joining the Opera Naples team. I was really impressed by the artistic excellence and programmatic variety of this past season’s Opera Naples Festival Under the Stars and feel honored to be a key player in the magnificent cultural fabric of the Naples community. … I also greatly value the incredibly warm reception I have enjoyed from the Opera Naples staff, board and supporters.”

Building Dreams Foundation to host golf scramble Oct. 17

The Building Dreams Foundation’s third annual golf scramble will be held Oct. 17 at Quail West Golf and Country Club, 5950 Burnham Road, Naples. The event continues to support the foundation’s mission of promoting educational opportunities and providing safe, affordable housing in local communities. Diamond Custom Homes founded Building Dreams Foundation in March 2020 and has since raised approximately $150,000 through various initiatives.

John Maxwell leadership event to feature SWFL CEOs

LIVE2LEAD, an annual John Maxwell global leadership and personal growth event, will include four CEOs based in Southwest Florida: Craig Bamberg, managing partner/ owner of Platinum Dry Cleaners; John Huffman, CEO, Huffman Construction Group; Jennifer Johnson, founder, True Fashionistas; and Deanna Wallin, CEO, Naples Soap Co. The live simulcast event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 1 at Off the Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Unit 1100, Naples. Karen Shepherd, founder of the Lead with Love Foundation and HR by Karen LLC, will host the event. LIVE2LEAD is an annual leadership broadcast developed by Maxwell Leadership. Broadcast speakers include John C. Maxwell, leadership expert, bestselling author and speaker; Chris Robinson, a founding partner of the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team and executive vice president of Maxwell Entrepreneur Solutions; Michael Jr., comedic thought leader; and Chaunté Lowe, a medalist and four-time Olympian.

Commercial real estate transactions

2253 Edward Road (WBRFP) LLC purchased 5,854 square feet of restaurant space at 4335 Tamiami Trail E. in East Naples from LJ 1 LLC for $2,175,000. Clint L. Sherwood, CCIM, of Investment Properties Corp. represented the buyer, and Jessica McEvoy and Tom Strauss of LQ Commercial Fort Myers represented the seller. DeVoe Family Limited Partnership II purchased 1,062 square feet of office space from Alexander J. Luisi at 4060 Tamiami Trail N., Naples, for $450,000. David J. Stevens of Investment Properties Corp. negotiated the transaction.