HANDY School-A-Palooza

HANDY’S SCHOOLAPALOOZA RAISED THOUSANDS
TO SUPPORT LOCAL KIDS IN NEED

Nearly 250 supporters rocked the night away during the first-ever HANDY’s Schoolapalooza, a hip back-to-school fundraiser held at C&I Studios in Fort Lauderdale’s FAT Village. The chic affair raised more than $100,000 in support of HANDY’s core programming, which provides mentorship, tutoring, life skills and family style support,while “filling the closets” of students in need of back-to-school essentials.

“HANDY’s Schoolapalooza was conceived during a lunch I had with three very impressive young men – all of whom have benefitted from HANDY’s familystyle support,” said Dr. Marcelle Abell-Rosen, event creator and HANDY board member. “We are truly humbled by the outpouring of support for this first-time initiative and appreciate the community’s dedication to helping HANDY fulfill its mission.”

In addition to helping abused, neglected and disadvantaged youth, guests of this fun soiree enjoyedtastes courtesy of Nacho Bizness, Bellamoon Desserts, be nice Restaurants, Silver Lining Catering/Jet Runway Café, Royalty Catering and Sweeter Days Bake Shop, danced to tunes spun by DJ Axel and entered for the chance to take home incredible prizes. Attendees also filled the closets of local students with back-to-school essentials, such as clothing, shoes and electronics.

HANDY’s Schoolapalooza was sponsored in part by Dr. Marcelle Abell-Rosen and Andy Rosen, Kaplan Higher & Professional Education, Barbara and Ken Burnette, Moss &Associates, OK Generators, Premier Beverage, McCormick Distilling, iPicTheaters, be nice Restaurants (Top Hat/Red Cow/Foxy Brown/Coconuts), Susan and MichaelFarver, Cindy and Peter Galiette, BestPractices USA / Pam Africk and Shari Olefson, Lifestyle Media Group, Florida Panthers, Village Vintage Co., Marsha and AlanLevy, Suzanne Driscoll, Esq., Niroc Consultants, Inc./Adam Corin, Barbara and John Gehrig, Marc and Olgui Lowell, Broward Sheriff’s Office, Royalty Catering, Olga and AlexBlavatnik, Doug Williams, Bellamoon Desserts, Macy’s at The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale, DJ Axel, Sweeter Days Bake Shop, C&I Studios, Silver Lining Inflight Catering/Jet Runway Café, Nacho Bizness, Sixth Star Entertainment, General Provision, GPR | Goodman Public Relations, Saffer&Company Benefit Auctions, Mundi Limousine, Brown Bag Popcorn Co., Island City Traders/Jody and Mitchel Block, Next Gen 4 HANDY, North Beach Village Resort, Mystique Landscape, Lisa and John Sicilian, Jessica and Greg Marino, Dr. Scott and Jennifer Snyder, Bernard Paul-Hus, Dr. Andrew P. Amunategui, Jacquelyn and Bill Bradley, Bella’s Group/The Glazer Family, Holly Thomas, Ashley and Shea Smith, Moda Mario, Ellen and Carey Fischer, Elaine Appel, Francesca Guerrera Salon and Spa, ProPilates, Orange Theory, Rocco Scarcella – Hairstylist, Fabienne – Esthetician, La Bonne Crepe, J.McLaughlin, LaLaCouture Boutique, Etiquette Boutique, CrossFit Empirical and Quarterdeck.
Ken and Barbara Burnette, Andy and Dr. Marcelle Abell-Rosen (event creator and HANDY board member), Breon Callins, Sandra and Bob Birdsong

About HANDY
HANDY’s mission is to embrace, educate and empower vulnerable youth to become engaged and productive adults. Founded in 1985, HANDY has met the needs of more than 50,000 Broward County children and youth in foster and relative / non-relative care and annually serves more than 1,300 at-risk children between the ages of birth – 25 years.

Will Rubino & Steve Crombe (Sweeter Days)

Catherine Saldias (Bella Moon)