Good Morning Valued Chamber Member,
Publix Pharmacy is now accepting walk-ins for the COVID-19 vaccine. Any person, age 18 and older, seeking either the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine are now able to walk-in without an appointment (while supplies last). Appointments are still available for those who prefer one and can be made through their online registration system.
Palm Beach County has lifted the mask mandate after Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order suspending all local coronavirus mandates last week. Although the mask mandate is no longer in effect, residents must continue to wear face masks in County buildings. In addition, the face mask policy remains in effect for Palm Beach County schools. The City of Boca Raton is encouraging facial coverings while conducting business in the City of Boca Raton facilities. Individual businesses can make their own policies regarding mask-wearing.
This past Friday was the opening day of the South Florida Fair, which runs until May 7th – 23rd. This year marked the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, prompting an “An Earthly A-Fair” as the 2021 theme to show visitors that small changes can make a large impact on our earth. This year’s fair will also feature activities, entertainment, interactive and educational exhibits about climate change, green initiatives, endangered species, protection of the environment, clean air, water conservation, the importance of agriculture, and more. The South Florida Fair has made facial coverings optional for attendees. Staff, vendors, and fair volunteers will continue to wear facial coverings. For a schedule of activities or to purchase tickets click here.
Pfizer and BioNTech have taken the first steps with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to seek full approval of their COVID-19 vaccine in the United States for people 16 and older. Currently, the Pfizer vaccine, as well as all the other COVID-19 vaccines are being administered under an emergency use authorization. Pfizer is the first company to seek full approval from the FDA. Pfizer and BioNTech have distributed 170 million doses in the United States of its two-shot vaccine. Pfizer and BioNTech will submit information to the FDA over the next few weeks. Additionally, Pfizer has received emergency use approval for its COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 12 to 15. A CDC study has shown that the Pfizer vaccine is extraordinarily efficient in protecting against severe cases of two common COVID-19 variants, the B.1.1.7 variant and the B.1.351 variant.
The Chamber’s Annual Golf Classic will be held on Friday, June 4th at the Boca Raton Resort and Club. Join us for a round of golf on the beautiful Boca Resort course. With a morning shotgun tee-off, the day will include a continental breakfast and awards luncheon at the conclusion of the tournament. Consider a sponsorship to demonstrate your support of the Chamber and gain valuable exposure with your fellow golfers and the Chamber community. Contact our Events Manager, Chasity Navarro, for more information.
Looking for a quick way to find an event, register for an event, and receive pop-up notifications of important Chamber, County, City of Boca Raton, and City of Boynton Beach information? Download the Boca Chamber App – found on the App Store and Google Play Store. Keep your Chamber at the tip of your fingers! You can also stay up to date on all Chamber activity by visiting us at bocachamber.com.
We continue to provide you with valuable virtual and in-person experiences. Most virtual programs are recorded and available for you to access on the Boca Chamber’s YouTube Channel. Hit the subscribe button to find out when new content is posted on our channel.
Below is a list of our upcoming virtual and in-person experiences:
5/12 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Lunch and Learn
Sponsored By: iTHINK Financial
Topic: Health Insurance Answers for Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners, Franchisees & 1099 Contractors
Speaker: Eric Geier, President, Puresurance
Sponsored By: West Boca Medical Center
Topic: The Boca Center for Women’s Care – Continuing the Journey at West Boca Medical Center
Speakers: George Rizzuto, Chief Executive Officer, West Boca Medical Center
Dr. Jorge E. Perez, Medical Director of Neonatal and Newborn Services, West Boca Medical Center
Dr. Sharise Richardson, OB/GYN, West Boca Medical Center
Marriott at Boca Center
5150 Town Center Circle
Boca Raton, FL
Topic: 2021 Florida State Legislative Session Recap
Speaker: Representative Mike Caruso, Florida House of Representatives – District 89
Topic: The Impact of Equestrian Sports on Palm Beach County
Speaker: Michael Stone, President, Equestrian Sports Productions
Topic: Beyond the Press- Getting Involved in Your Community – PR Series Part 3
Speaker: Bonnie S. Kaye, President and Strategist, Kaye Communications, Inc.
5/18 – 3:00 p.m. Virtual Economic Development Committee Meeting
Topic: Economic Growth in the Glades region and what It means to Boca Raton and South Palm Beach County
Speaker: Shereena Coleman, Vice President, Business Facilitation and Glades Region, Business Development Board of Palm Beach County.
5/19 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual South Healthcare Advocacy Network (S.H.A.N.)
Sponsored by: Memorial Healthcare System
Topic: COVID-19 and its Impact on Nursing and the Healthcare Industry
Speaker: Dr. Safiya George, Dean and Professor, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University
5/27 – 8:30 a.m. Virtual Boynton Beach Government Affairs Committee Meeting
Topic: 2021 Florida State Legislative Session Recap
Speaker: Representative Joe Casello, Florida House of Representatives – District 90
5/27 – 12:00 p.m. Virtual Town Hall
Topic: Boynton Beach Bethesda Hospital Town Hall
Speaker: Nelson Lazo, President & CEO, Bethesda Hospital East & Bethesda Hospital West
On Monday, the Boca Raton Mayor and City Council
members, along with Patrick Goddard, CEO of Brightline, and representatives from the Junior League of Boca Raton, broke ground on the new community garden located at Meadows Park (1300 NW 8th Street, Boca Raton). The garden is approximately 1.4 acres and will contain about 100 plots. The leasing of plots will open in July. Additional features of the community garden include a pergola, an enlarged composting area, and special fencing around the garden and trees to keep iguanas from climbing or digging into the area. In addition to the community garden, construction of a temporary parking lot has also begun. Located directly south of the Downtown Library, the parking lot will serve patrons and staff of the library while construction of the new Brightline station and the parking garage is underway. Construction of the parking lot and community garden is expected to be completed in August 2021. This is an exciting first step in what will become the upcoming Boca Raton Brightline station.
I am grateful for the companies who call Boca Raton home as they lead the way through their philanthropy and community impact. It was no surprise to me that when Office Depot learned of the Chamber’s Golden Bell Education Foundation’s grant request from JC Mitchell Elementary school for computer mice, they stepped up and fulfilled that grant request. It is also no surprise that when West Boca Medical Center learned of a need from Boca Raton Community Middle School for their Pre-Medical Academy, they answered the call and fulfilled that request. Thank you to Office Depot and West Boca Medical Center for their generosity and continued support of Boca Raton and the Chamber’s Golden Bell Education Foundation. If you would like to support Golden Bell or learn more about the foundation and its impact on our local Public Schools, contact Sherese James-Grow, Foundation Manager or visit the Golden Bell website.
Yesterday, Boca Raton City Council directed city staff to move forward in finalizing negotiations with the Boca Raton Arts District Exploratory Commission (BRADEC). BRADEC presented their vision of a $120 million project that would remake the Mizner Park Amphitheater into a state-of-the-art, world-class performance center. The actions taken by the Council are positive movements forward to making this first-of-its-kind Culture and Innovation Center in Boca Raton a reality.
Together, we continue to Move Business Forward in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and South Palm Beach County, making our region the best place to Live, Work, Learn and Play.
Moving Business Forward,
