Marion County nonprofits in the news

Ocala Palms resident Diane Renyhart presents a check to Lt. Keith McQuaid with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. [Photo by John Renyhart]

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Posted May 2, 2024 | By Susan Smiley-Height, susan@magnoliamediaco.com

Ocala Palms event honors heroic canine officer

The 16th annual Ocala Palms Teddy Bear and K9 Golf Tournament took place April 27 at the Ocala Palms Golf & Country Club.

The tournament was dedicated to Marion County Sheriff’s Office K9 Deputy Leo, who gave his life protecting his handler Cpl. Justin Tortora and other deputies on Feb. 17 when the canine was shot in the line of duty. Leo died a few days later at the UF Veterinary Hospital in Gainesville.

A special ceremony took place at the start of the tournament. Grandparents Chris and Sangi Blair, who represented Justin and Alesa Tortora, received a Hero Quilt from Shirley Meggs. James “Sam” Sampson read his poem, “Leo the Hero” and gave a framed copy to the Blairs. John and Diane Renyhart gave two Muffy Bears to the Blairs for their granddaughter Tynlee.

MCSO K9 Deputy Roman West and his K9 Rex put on a demonstration. West explained the cost and training involved with a new K9 and answered questions.

The tournament collected approximately 500 teddy bears and other stuffed animals that were donated to the MCSO’s Teddy Bears for Children program.

As a result of the tournament, the MCSO Foundation Fund was presented a check for $7,500 for the K9 unit.

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Oak Run keeps the music alive

Residents of the Oak Run community “banded” together on April 20 for the annual BMI fundraiser event.

Broadcast Music Inc., or BMI, is a music licensor agency. You cannot play copyrighted music publicly without a license, so BMI collects licensing fees later distributed as royalties to the artists they represent. Oak Run, as with many organizations, must secure a BMI license in order for groups such as the Top Shelf Band to perform inside the community.

The fundraiser included chances to win gift baskets, a 50/50 raffle table and music by the Top Shelf Band.

According to Randie Duretz, who took photos at the event, the “amazing ladies behind and in front who make the BMI fundraiser happen are Jo Ann Keane, Mickey Hoey, Shelby Lamb-Sutherland and Deb Fawley.”

“The Oak Run Ambassadors, other clubs and individuals all jump in to help us get our Broadcast Music Inc. license to keep the music alive in the Oak Run community,” Duretz added.

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The Cornerstone School teams advance to national finals

Two teams from The Cornerstone School have qualified to compete in the National Finals of the 22nd Annual American Rocketry Challenge, the world’s largest student rocket competition. The teams are two of 100 from across the country vying for the title of national champion. The National Finals will take place May 18 in The Plains, Virginia, near Washington, DC.

Sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association, the National Association of Rocketry and more than 20 industry partners, the American Rocketry Challenge is the aerospace and defense industry’s flagship program designed to encourage students to pursue study and careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), the news release noted.

The competition challenges middle and high school students to design, build and fly a rocket that meets specific altitude and flight duration parameters. This year’s rules required teams to design, build and launch model rockets that could safely carry one large raw egg to an altitude of 820 feet, stay airborne for between 43 and 46 seconds and return the rocket to the ground safely.

This is The Cornerstone School’s third year of qualifying teams for the challenge. Both Cornerstone teams will compete for more than $100,000 in cash and prizes, along with the title of national champion, which includes an all-expense paid trip to London for the International Rocketry Challenge in July.

For more information about the challenge, visit rocketcontest.org. To learn more about the nonprofit school, go to thecornerstoneschool.org