For residents of Del Webb Ponte Vedra, Community Service is More Than a Hobby — It’s an Obsession

Jacksonville, Fla. --- For residents of Del Webb Ponte Vedra, the active adult community located in Ponte Vedra FL southeast of Jacksonville, serving their community is more than a pastime. Sean Strickler, vice president of sales at Del Webb in North Florida, said residents at Del Webb Ponte Vedra compete with each other to see who can do the most good for the Northeast Florida community and for special interest groups that include returning war veterans, breast cancer survivors, victims of Hurricane Sandy and the more recent Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. “The Mah Jongg Club at Del Webb Ponte Vedra sold Willow Tree® Angels with personal messages to be mailed to the teachers, janitors and surviving faculty at Sandy Hook Elementary,” Strickler said. The Del Webb Ponte Vedra Dinner Club has been collecting aluminum tab tops to be sold to recyclers to benefit the Ronald McDonald House and they hold a barbecue fundraiser every summer to benefit various charitable organizations. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was chosen as the summer 2012 charity and for 2013 it will be Dreams Come True. The Women’s Club raised hundreds of dollars for breast cancer research and awareness through the Susan G. Komen for the Cure project and $750 for The Donna Foundation, a local group dedicated to caring for women living with breast cancer. The Women’s Club also donated $1,200 to the Hugs Foundation, which feeds children in St. John’s County Schools. The Del Webb Ponte Vedra Sewing Club — the Stitchers — collected a whole SUV full of blankets and warm winter jackets for victims of Hurricane Sandy. The Men’s Club has donated nearly $1,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project® in addition to hosting a pancake breakfast and pasta dinner for a dozen warriors and their families. “The Bridge Club collected several hundred pounds of dog food and blankets for the St. Johns County Animal Shelter. The Del Webb Ponte Vedra Women’s Tennis Club collects food for BEAM, a group focused on keeping families in their homes and helping them become self-sufficient. At Christmas time, the Homeowners Assn. collected four large boxes filled with toys for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation toy drive. Numerous other clubs and groups at Del Webb Ponte Vedra are also involved in community service. Giving back is a way of life for Del Webb Ponte Vedra residents. “The community at Del Webb Ponte Vedra is a very giving, very hard-working group of community activists, Strickler said. They are always coming up with ways to make a difference today,” he said.