FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Donor Has Giving to Special Needs Children Down to a Fine Art

West Palm Beach, FL—Brilliant blue frogs, vibrant green fish, lizards joined by their tails, and palm trees standing tall will greet patients and visitors as they enter the new Palm Healthcare Pavilion and Mollie Wilmot Children’s Center thanks to the generosity of Mrs. June Jones.  An avid art collector and long-time supporter of health causes, Mrs. Jones  was drawn to support the Pavilion’s new terrazzo “Floridala” artwork as a unique way to honor her beloved husband, Joseph Jones, who passed away in November 2007.  “I wanted to give something special in memory of my husband that would bring joy to children and families at Palm Healthcare Pavilion,” said Mrs. Jones of Palm Beach Gardens.  Mr. Jones was a retired chairman of Union Carbide Pan America and a former officer of Allis Chalmers.  

Florida artist Beth Appleton created the original artwork for the terrazzo medallion in the medium she is known for—3D watercolor cut-paper assemblages.  She calls her circular works "Floridalas," combining the circular mandala repetitive pattern with Florida imagery.  “Mandalas are used throughout many cultures as a symbol of balance, harmony, and wholeness,” said Ms. Appleton.  “They work well in healthcare environments for their calming, centering effect.”  Ms. Appleton has won dozens of awards for her works, which are collected by private individuals and featured in permanent collections at leading organizations, including Walt Disney Corporation in Orlando, Florida and The Carnegie Institution in Stanford, California.  Locally, Ms. Appleton's work was exhibited at the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale and her cut paper works are placed with many West Palm Beach art patrons.

Ms. Appleton was commissioned by Palm Healthcare Foundation to make a two dimensional version of her work that was translated into a 7-foot, twelve-color terrazzo medallion by the award-winning company, Artistic Surfaces of Pompano Beach.  Every year for the last ten years Artistic Surfaces has won the Terrazzo category from the Construction Association of South Florida and has won five awards from the National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association, Inc.  Harvey Namm, president of Artistic Surfaces, believes that the Pavilion’s Floridala is “our next award winner.”

The new Palm Healthcare Pavilion and Mollie Wilmot Children’s Center is a first-of-its-kind outpatient center for children with special healthcare needs in Palm Beach County.  This $12.5 million multidisciplinary center in West Palm Beach is designed to improve the health and quality of life for children with cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, juvenile diabetes, cerebral palsy, kidney disorders, and asthma, and provide innovative training and support services for their families.  Unique naming opportunities at the Pavilion are still available.  Please call Stanton Collemer at 561-833-6333 for more information.

Photo Cutline:

Left to right:  Suzette W. Wexner, president and CEO of Palm Healthcare Foundation, with donor June Jones

About Palm Healthcare Foundation, Inc.
Palm Healthcare Foundation, Inc. was chartered in 2001 as an independent community healthcare foundation. Believing that “Together We Can Do More,” the foundation’s mission is to transform healthcare challenges by bringing together the talents and resources of the community to create innovative solutions that deliver high-impact results. The Foundation’s funding priorities—access to healthcare, healthcare quality and safety, healthcare technology, healthcare policy and healthcare workforce—are designed to empower non-profit healthcare organizations and healthcare professionals to create programs and services that improve the quality of life for Palm Beach County’s underserved citizens.  Since 2001, the Foundation has distributed more than $20 million to over 80 non-profit organizations in Palm Beach County operating over 130 programs that met its funding goals.  To learn more about Palm Healthcare Foundation, please visit www.palmhealthcare.org

CONTACTS:    

MARGE SULLIVAN, PALM HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION, 561-833-6333

MELANIE OTERO, THE WATERS PELTON ORGANIZATION, 561-626-0026, x11

JENNIFER MARTINEZ, THE WATERS PELTON ORGANIZATION, 561-626-0026, x19