Indian River County Award Recipients 2024
January
Main Street Honored with Dyer Difference Award
Celebrating the January Dyer Difference Award are Dyer Operations Manager Ben Williams, Main Street’s Matthew Haynes, Dyer Executive Manager Jonathan Hardie, and Main Street Board President Joe Coakley
In Indian River County, the January Dyer Difference Award supports an organization whose focus is to lead and unify downtown businesses and property owners to encourage the continued revitalization and the historic preservation of downtown Vero Beach.
By working the Vero Beach officials and administrators, the organization helps to ensure a vital and vibrant downtown.
One of the things that draws people to downtown Vero Beach is the monthly Downtown Friday event, a delightful community party hosted at 14th Ave and 21st Street, which attracts up to 5,000 people on the last Friday evening of every month.
Helping to bring people together and create a stronger community is a cause the January Dyer Difference Award is proud to support.
February
Dyer Difference Award Assists Families
One of the most challenging crises facing families and individuals right now is the crisis of isolation. Today in Florida one in six families lives in poverty, and 40 percent of Florida’s children live in a single-parent household.
According to Safe Families Florida, last month alone, there were 25,000 crisis calls for suspected maltreatment of Florida children.
To help combat this problem, Safe Families for Children clears and trains volunteers to serve families in a variety of ways, helping to support, encourage, and connect isolated families with community resources, connections, and programs which can help a family stabilize and thrive.
The February Dyer Difference Award in Indian River County will help support Safe Families for Children and their upcoming Pairings for a Purpose fundraising event, slated for March 3 in the South of Vero Airport (SOVA) District.
March
Dyer Difference Award Celebrates Athletes
VB Baseball Coach Bryan Rahal, Dyer Executive Manager Jonathan Hardie, Diamond Booster Club President Bill Romans.
In Indian River County, the March Dyer Difference Award celebrates the Vero Beach High School Baseball Team, which has been invited to Washington, DC, for a different reason – to participate in a Spring Break Tournament. While in DC, members of the team will not only ‘play ball’ but will also explore the history of their country and the city which houses the center of our nation’s government. They will also represent Indian River County while learning, playing, and growing stronger as a team and as members of a community and the nation’s future.
To help ensure that the trip can happen and the members of the team can participate in this once-in-a-lifetime event, the March Dyer Difference Award will support the Diamond Booster Club and its efforts on behalf of the Vero Beach High School Baseball team.
April
Environment benefit from Dyer Difference Award
Tatiana Dyer, President Bradley Eskew, Vice-President Brian Guanch, Executive Manager Jonathan Hardie
For the third year in a row, Indian River Firefighters Benevolent Association hosts an offshore fishing tournament to help maintain the beautiful Indian River Lagoon. While you may pass by the lagoon and smile, you might be surprised to learn that the Indian River Lagoon is considered one of the most diverse estuaries in North America, consisting of roughly 156 miles of mangrove covered shorelines comprised of three main bodies of water: The Banana River, The Indian River and The Mosquito Lagoon.
The lagoon has been called “the cradle of the ocean and acts as a refuge for countless species of fish, birds and plants. The lagoon is a key driver to the wealth and health of Florida’s economy, too, generating $7.7 billion annually by providing jobs, housing, tourism, industry and recreation. Unfortunately, the lagoon, like most of Florida’s estuaries, is in a real crisis. Marine life and sea grass have been decimated by a chain reaction started from fertilizer run-off and waste water redistribution. Proceeds from the third annual Firefighters Benevolent Offshore Fishing Tournament, slated for June 14th and 15th, will benefit the Captains for Clean Water and help ensure the health and diversity of the magnificent Indian River Lagoon.
May
Dyer Difference Award Celebrates Veterans
Dyer Executive Manager Jonathan Hardie, Nicole O’Neil, Curtis Paulisin, Tim Nightingale, Gary Powers, Dennis Sampson, and Dyer’s Ronnie Franklin
Some of the bravest people in the world are the ones who willingly rush into a burning building to help save lives and put out fires. In Indian River County, more than 250 individuals make up the firefighting community, and in addition to the respect and gratitude of the community, there is also a way to support them and their families during crisis situations. The Indian River Firefighters Benevolent Association is a non-profit 501 [c] 3 charity organization was established in 2012 with the objective to support the health, safety and welfare of Indian River Firefighting Community. The benevolent provides financial, physical and emotional assistance to over 250 members and their families in times of need.
In addition, the Association also donates to and supports various charities throughout Indian River County County through fundraisers and activities including the upcoming Firefighters for Clean Water Fishing Tournament, slated for June 16th and 17th, which aids in the restoration of local waterways. The Dyer Difference Award in Indian River County this month helps to support the firefighters and their efforts to maintain clean and healthy waterways in our community.
June
Dyer Difference Award Celebrates Art
Joseph Semprevivo, Chris Sexton, Carole Jean Jordan, Tax Collector & Chairman, Jonathan Hardie, Executive Manager Dyer Vero Beach, Joe Flescher, County Commissioner & Vice Chairman, Pam Richardson, and Ryan Kasten, Executive Director
Elementary school students in Indian River County are not only encouraged to be creative and utilize their artistic ability; they’re applauded for it thanks to the Indian River County Tax Collector’s Kids Tag Art program.
Creative fifth graders are selected each year and are celebrated with a special ceremony featuring awards, certificates, and every child’s favorite – cake! This year, 43 students in Indian River County were honored for their wildly imaginative and artistic ideas for a Florida license plate, and over $9,000 was awarded to the Elementary Schools of Indian River County Arts Program.
Cheering on the students and celebrating the program and the creativity of the children was the Dyer Difference Award in Indian River County.