Alpha Alumnae Florida Hosts First of Many Successful Coffee and Art For a Cause Fundraisers
It was a bright and leisurely morning on Saturday, June 17th. The Island SPACE gallery was decorated with bright bursts of yellow and blue: Alpha Alumnae signature colors. The first of in a planned series, Alpha Alumnae partnered with Island SPACE Caribbean Museum and hosted a Coffee and Art For a Cause: Artful Aromas. (Stay tuned for the next event on Saturday, December 9).
At 10 am, guests were welcomed by the scent of freshly brewed coffee, rich flavors provided by Blue Mountain Coffee House.
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Guests were also able to indulge in refreshments by Grace Foods and enjoy swag from the Best Dressed Chicken. Tasty treats for the palette were enjoyed while guests reconnected with friends, made a positive impact, and had a delightful morning in support of a good cause.
Funds raised by the event went towards supporting underserved students at Convent of Mercy “Alpha” academy through mentorship programs, resources, and scholarships. Alpha Alumnae aims to foster educational and personal growth while ensuring a brighter future for each student.
Kerry-Ann Brown, Alpha Alumnae Florida Chapter President, took the floor. After welcoming everyone, Brown introduced the day’s speaker, former Mayor of Broward County, Dr. Barbara Sharief, who had received a guided tour of the museum upon her arrival.
Sharief gave a heartfelt speech on overcoming adversity from the time she was a teen, and achieving phenomenal success in spite of it. Her words were palpable, and the audience felt courage in them. Dr. Sharief later said, “We had a great turnout this morning celebrating Caribbean Heritage Month at the Island SPACE Caribbean Museum. We are so blessed to have a place to preserve the history and culture of the Caribbean and African American history. I was humbled to be the guest speaker. I was happy to be able to support the girls of the Convent of Mercy Academy ‘Alpha’ Association. Inc.”
An additional highlight of the morning came when, upon hearing the plea of the group for support in bringing their next set of qualifying track stars for the Penn Relays so no girl who could participate would need to be left behind, Sharief committed to donating a considerable amount to cover their airfare for the games. Sharief also committed to providing a supportive donation to the museum before she took time for photos with attendees and mingled with guests.
Island SPACE is proud to continue being a part of making impactful connections with the community.
About The Museum
General museum entry is $10 per adult and $5 per child. The facility is open Thursdays through Saturdays from 11:00a.m. through 7:00p.m. and Sundays from 11:00a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Donations, sponsorships, memberships and volunteer commitments are encouraged. Visit islandspacefl.org to learn about this unique experience and other activities and exhibitions at Island SPACE Caribbean Museum.
Island SPACE is supported in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, Florida Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, Florida Power & Light Company, Grace Foods, Broward Mall, the Broward County Cultural Division and the following Funds at the Community Foundation of Broward: Mary N. Porter Community Impact Fund, Jack Belt Memorial Fund, Ginny and Tom Miller Fund, Stearns Weaver Miller Fund for the Arts, Harold D. Franks Fund.
Island Society for the Promotion of Artistic and Cultural Education (Island SPACE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of arts, culture, history, and educational initiatives that represent the Caribbean region, in South Florida and the broader diaspora community.
About Alpha Alumnae
Convent of Mercy Academy “Alpha” Association Inc., (Florida Chapter), launched in October 1995. The CMAAA Florida Chapter collaborated to augment the learning environment to enable the students’ achievements to flourish at the Academy, and to provide steadfast sisterhood for all alumnae who have been moulded by the “Alpha DNA”. We concentrate on providing support through the various resources we offer. Directors meet regularly to exchange ideas, plan projects and events to further our cause.
Learn more at: https://alphaalumnaeflchapter.org/#who-we-are