Editor’s Choice

When Erika Valbuena first told her students that they would be part of Coconut Creek’s first art show for students with special needs, many of them couldn’t contain their excitement, asking her every day when they could start on their creations. As the autism coach at Tradewinds Elementary School, Valbuena always looks for ways to

Coconut Creek resident Irene Feldman had no idea that a trip to the cardiologist would lead to 10 years of generosity. Every holiday season since that visit a decade ago, Feldman has donated toys to needy children through the Fort Lauderdale-based Children’s Aid Club. “There was a sign on the door [from the Children’s Aid

If some people are born natural dancers, then Britt certainly is one of them. The Miami Dolphins cheerleader started dancing tap, jazz and ballet at age 3 and didn’t stop, becoming a ballroom dancer at 12 and learning rumba, salsa, jive and cha cha. Britt (the team doesn’t share its cheerleaders’ last names for privacy

The holidays are a time for gatherings— community gatherings to raise funds for worthy causes; gatherings of friends and co-workers, who toast the season at holiday parties. And, of course, gatherings of family. Trimming the Christmas tree or finding just the right menorah is the fun part, but the real work takes place around the

With gently used soccer balls and cleats, Mica Wenger, a senior at Miami Palmetto Senior High School, helps give back by moving forward. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve watched my brother play competitive soccer,” she says. “Over the years, it’s been hard not to notice how easily his equipment would get destroyed

On the days when she dons her traditional white chef’s coat, it can be said that Paula DaSilva wears her heart under her sleeves instead of on them. That’s because the Coconut Creek resident and new chef de cuisine at Burlock Coast on Fort Lauderdale Beach has three (visible) tattoos on her arms that give

Katie Masucci Director of estate and gift planning, American Cancer Society Everyday help: For Masucci, giving back is a natural part of everyday life, a habit she credits to her mother’s example and one she appreciated even more while making charitable appearances as a Miami Heat dancer. “In my family, it’s just part of our

Debra Tendrich Founder, Eat Better, Live Better Healthy perspective: It started as a way to “shut people up” four years ago at the dental office she used to manage. Tired of her co-workers badgering her for drinking too much Coke and eating too much fast food, Tendrich agreed to exercise and eat right for 30

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As much as the VIPs at GMC’s tailgate event outside Hard Rock Stadium on Monday night enjoyed a gourmet spread that included a charcuterie board, stone crab claws, jumbo shrimp and hearty slices of steak and chicken, it was the four-wheel attractions in Lot 15 that stole the show. In the hours prior to the

Thanks to the innovative technology created by George Granoff’s South Florida company, the bend-but-don’t-break philosophy doesn’t just apply to football defenses. At Boca Raton-based REKS Optics, it also applies to the virtually indestructible frames generating buzz in the world of sunglasses. The lightweight polymer frame, which can be flexed like a Gumby doll and returns

Joe De Braga was adamant that his kids grew up knowing they had no boundaries, that they could do anything. For his son, who has Down syndrome, Parkland Buddy Sports sets that message. In the early 2000s, the city of Parkland recognized the need for an athletic program where children of varying ability could play