Kravis Center Salutes More Than 500 Volunteer During Annual Celebration

 
More than 600 volunteers and guests put on their hard hats for the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts’ Volunteer Salute.  The annual thank-you dinner is known for its imaginative themes and fun surprises, and this year stood out with its “Renovation Revelry” theme, a nod to the Center’s Kravis 2020: The Future is Now expansion project. Awards were presented for Student Volunteers of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Usher of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. The event was sponsored by Jane Mitchell for the sixth consecutive year.
“Tonight is all about you and we want to recognize and thank each of you for all you do,” said Maureen Gardella, Director of Guest Services. “Your time and efforts are an invaluable part of the Kravis Center experience. Currently more than 550 of you help with many aspects of our operation and we could not do this without you. Over 10,000 volunteers have worked here over the years and half of our current volunteers have been here 10 years or more. The time you spend here makes a difference to our organization, our staff and most importantly our community. We are proud of you and we thank you.”
 
Ms. Gardella then acknowledged Board members in attendance, including Founding Board Chair Alexander Dreyfoos, past Board Chair William Meyer, immediate past Board Chair Jane Mitchell, Board Vice Chair and Chair of Kravis 2020 Capital Campaign Committee John Kessler, and Bradley Hurston. She also acknowledged CEO Judith Mitchell and COO James Mitchell.
 
With a mission to enhance the quality of life in Palm Beach County by presenting a diverse schedule of national and international artists and companies of the highest quality, as well as offering comprehensive arts education programs, it takes a diverse group of volunteers to keep the Kravis Center running smoothly. 
 
Education Associates, Ali Rehm and Keena Gumbinner, recognized Allie Garroway, Sam Kronhaus and Carolyn Lord as the Student Volunteers of the Year for dedicating hundreds of hours to ArtsCamp .
“They have become more than just volunteers; they are youth mentors,” said Ali Rehm. “They assist the teachers, encourage the campers and lead by example. We cannot thank them enough for their commitment to ArtsCamp and the Kravis Center.”
The Rookie of the Year award went to Susan Barth. “We are very happy this new usher has landed in the West Palm Beach area after living in many different cities,” said Karole Cooney, Event Manager. “She attended usher classes and received a grade of 100 percent on the usher test. Whenever we ask for help, she is always one of the first to respond. Susan accepts every ushering assignment happily and is always a pleasure to work with.”
Event Manager Armund Dezii presented the Usher of the Year award to Barbara Holzberg, noting that she displays all the characteristics one looks for in a prospective usher including attentiveness, a pleasing personality, good communications skills, dedication, and a willingness to assist others. “For the last two seasons, Barbara volunteered to work a total of 195 performances and events and never once failed to report for duty,” said Dezii. “She is first to volunteer and fill empty positions. Over the last six years, Barbara has performed at a consistently high level and was unanimously voted for this award.”
 
Kravis Center CEO Judith Mitchell presented the prestigious Volunteer of the Year award to Ben Baxley. “Each year the Volunteer of the Year Award goes to a volunteer who has demonstrated outstanding dedication and commitment to the Kravis Center,” said Ms. Mitchell. “This year’s award goes to a volunteer who has been here a relatively short time, but in that time has made a huge impact. He is a former Rookie of the Year award winner, always helpful and courteous, and he operates with a calm and friendly manner.  He is an excellent representative of the Kravis Center.”
 
Ms. Gardella then gave an overview of Kravis 2020: The Future is Now Campaign and showed a video of what the completed project will look like. Volunteers and their guests were treated to a very special dinner by Catering by The Breakers at the Kravis Center and after the presentation, the volunteers danced the evening away to music provided by DJ Hector.
 
The Kravis Center is a not-for-profit performing arts center located at 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach, FL. The Center’s mission is to enhance  the quality of life in Palm Beach County by presenting a diverse schedule of national and international artists and companies of the highest quality, by offering comprehensive arts education programs – serving approximately 2.5 million schoolchildren since its inception; by providing a Palm Beach County home for local and regional arts organizations to showcase their work; and by providing an economic catalyst and community leadership in West Palm Beach, supporting efforts to increase travel and tourism to Palm Beach County. To enhance and elevate the customer experience, the Center has embarked upon a $50 million capital campaign to support a campus redesign and facility expansion that will create a more accessible, comfortable and pedestrian-friendly venue for the community.  Aptly named Kravis 2020: The Future is Now, this campaign is at the heart of the Kravis Center’s vision for the future.
For general information, please visit kravis.org or call the Box Office at 561.832.7469.  To inquire about volunteer opportunities, please visit kravis.org or call 561.651.4294. For more information about the Kravis 2020: The Future is Now project, visit kravis.org/kravis2020.