Orchid Outreach Hosts Annual Cocktail Party and Scholarship Awards

VERO BEACH, FL – Nearly 200 well-healed guests gathered at the Orchid Outreach Cocktail Party on February 22 at Orchid Island. Orchid Outreach, an organization started in 2002 to provide scholarship assistance to Orchid Island Golf and Beach Club employees and their families, first responders and their families, and Indian River County students in need, named 24 new scholarship recipients for the 2025-26 academic year, six of whom have ties to Orchid Island.
 
Hosted this year at the home of Orchid Island’s Carin Mei and Bill Locke, the annual cocktail reception showcased delicious hors d’oeuvres and beverages prepared and served by Orchid Outreach Committee members. Special guests included Indian River State College representatives’ Taylor Farnsworth and Sherri Monds. 8 of the 24 scholars attended.
 
“We are thrilled to help these deserving scholarship recipients fulfill their goals and achieve their dreams in the years to come,” said Maureen Baus, chairwoman of Orchid Outreach. “The giving spirit of Orchid members is why it’s such a special place and I’m so happy to report we surpassed this year’s fundraising goal.”
 
Indian River State College recipients receiving full scholarships are:
 
Duviel Gamez (Education)
Kate Stenson (Health Sciences)
Melissa Quickel (Human Services)
Laysha Magana (Biology)
Alyvia Villars (Nursing)
Krystal Escalante-Nelson (Health Sciences)
Anthony Dekker (Public Administration)
Cari Dekker (Elementary Education)
Christopher Hinson (Information Technology)
Jacob Childers (Engineering)
Malia Binafif (Health Sciences)
Laura J. Moncada (Paralegal)
Casey Dean (Elementary Education)
Trevor Gibbons (Health Sciences)
Adrianna Larkey (Humanities)
Hailey Holland (Health Sciences)
Tiffany Thompson (Elementary Education)
Rossie Jenkins (Nursing)
Alaina Terry (Nursing)
Nikkolette Sikes (Nursing)
Irina Steele (Radiography)
Emma Eason (Cosmetology)
 
Scholarship Foundation of Indian River County recipients receiving full scholarships are:
 
Ace Barker, Florida Institute of Technology (Aviation Management)
Larrah Williams, Florida International University (Recreational Therapy)
 
Scholarships are administered on Orchid Outreach’s behalf by the Scholarship Foundation of Indian River County and the Indian River State College Foundation.
 
The scholarships are designed to enable deserving students to further their education in a way that best helps them achieve their goals, including:
 
–Full-time students working toward a bachelor’s degree attending four-year institutions throughout the country
–Full-time or part-time students at Indian River State College pursuing bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, technical certificates, and applied technology diplomas through a two-year degree, a four-year degree, or certificate programs
 
Since Orchid Outreach’s inception in 2002, the Orchid membership has contributed in excess of $1.6 million and 207 scholarships have been awarded to worthy, qualified high school graduates and college students.
 
The Orchid Outreach Committee includes Maureen Baus (Chair), Donna Bleck, Alysia Bowsher, Sylvia Brown, Pat Chartrand, Jacki Chernoff, Keena Clifford, Gerry Collins, Joan Crosby, Olivia Delacruz, Barbara Eager, Sherrerd Steele Flasinski, Anne Golensky, Judy Gow, Jan Gowski, Mary Grandy, Pat Heanue, Irene Hill, Susan Johnson, Colette Kennedy, Tracy Lamport, Ann Loeffler, Adrienne Lower, Mary Lownes, Peggy Marino, Jennifer McGreenery, Ruthie McNally, Janet Ramer, Gerri Ripp, Carol St. John, Pat Scott, Laura Shucart, Grace Skrzypczak, Annamelia Smith, Jacquie Storch, Donna Thrailkill, Margaret Walsh, and Janet Younker.
 
Orchid Island Golf and Beach Club is located at One Beachside Drive, Vero Beach. For information or real estate inquiries, call (772) 388-3888 or visit OrchidIslandFL.com.
 
About Orchid Island Golf and Beach Club
Spanning from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian River, Orchid Island Golf and Beach Club is highly sought-after for its laidback waterfront lifestyle. The Beach Club serves as the heart of the community, with a resort-style pool, world-class fitness center, salon and spa, and multiple dining venues – all overlooking the azure Atlantic Ocean. Residents also enjoy nearly a mile of a secluded beach, an Arnold Palmer-designed championship golf course, and an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Located along Florida’s Treasure Coast, Orchid Island is home to a wide variety of premier riverfront and oceanfront estates, courtyard homes, cottages, and mid-rise condominiums.