New Horizons Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Press Release:  October 2008

Friends and family of New Horizons gathered at the Pelican Yacht Club on October 25 to celebrate the organization’s 50^th Anniversary. “It was a golden evening for New Horizons,” said Pat Daum, Director of Development. “We used the theme Honoring our Past, Celebrating the Present and Creating our Future” and we were pleased that Vern Melvin, Circuit 19 Administrator of the Florida Department of Children and Families, served as our master of ceremonies.”

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 2008 Horizon Award to Dr. Robert Vinson, a retired pediatrician from Vero Beach.  Vinson was an early crusader for mental health services in Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie Counties.  He was honored for devoting more than 40 years of his career as a champion of the mental health community.

Throughout the evening, Dr. Vinson and other guests were treated to a video presentation featuring a collection of news headlines and photos from New Horizons historical archives. 

Celebration Sponsors included Willis HRH, gold; GEO Care Inc”, silver; Jackson Drugs, O’Haire, Kmetz, Nuttall, Elwell, CPA’s and Port St. Lucie Hospital, bronze. VIP Sponsors were Akerman Senterfitt Attorneys, Burt Hill/Pollock Krieg Architects, and Grimes Heating and Air Conditioning.

The St. Lucie Friends of New Horizons planned and organized the golden evening to remember.  Committee Members included:  Dzidra Anderson, Pat Daum, Coach Fenn, Terry Fesler, Beth Gessner, David Hall, Debbie Hawley, Kathryn Hensley, Frannie Hutchinson, Dan Kurek, Alice Lee, Robert Lowe, Michael Mead, Claire Melville and Johnny Moore.  “We had an awesome committee,” said Daum, “and through their efforts we raised more than $27,000 for the Children’s Crisis Center Building Fund.”