The Lynne Mitchell Foundation hosted over 230 guests at its 'A Night in Jamaica Gala' on Saturday, October 8th, at the Rusty Pelican in Key Biscayne, FL. Net proceeds from the event totaled over $80,000 through the silent auction, live auction and donations from guests. Net proceeds from the gala will go towards the initiatives of the Foundation, with a vast majority of the funds going towards the Foundation's scholarship program, which helps underserved students in Jamaica attend university or obtain post graduate degrees. Marlene Gordon, the President of the Foundation, and the Board of the Foundation, hosted guests with an evening of food, entertainment, and silent and live auctions.
"I am grateful for the support the Foundation has received over the past 10 years and especially this year in our current economic environment," said Gordon. "Knowing that there are more constraints than ever with domestic and personal affairs, I am humbled by the care and outpouring of support we continue to receive. It's moving to see that there is an understanding that our own challenges do not compare to the challenges in third world countries like Jamaica where students have to fight everyday for their basic needs with few resources available to assist them. On behalf of myself and our Board, I say a big thank you to everyone who supported our fundraising efforts at the gala. You help us to to offer opportunities to high achieving students who might otherwise be forgotten."
Founded in 2012 by Gordon, the purpose of the Lynne Mitchell Foundation is to providing educational resources, including academic scholarships that help Jamaican students who are excelling in their studies have the financial means to attend high school, college, or obtain a post-graduate degree. Through the Foundation, Gordon honors the legacy of her late mother, Lynne Mitchell, who came from a poor and rural part of the island and who achieved a successful career in hospitality management after being able to pursue her educational dreams. Through the Foundation, Gordon strives to help change the future of underserved children in Jamaica in significant ways, allowing them to realize their dreams and become the next generation of leaders that will make their communities better places to live.
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View the Impact Video of the Foundation over the last 10 years.
View pictures from A Night in Jamaica Gala.
Born the oldest of three children, Ashley comes from a poor family in rural Jamaica. Her mother, a teacher, struggles to make ends meet to provide for all her children. Ashley knows hardship. Despite her struggles, Ashley excelled in school and developed a love for airplanes.
“Studying Aerospace Engineering has been my dream since I was a little girl. I developed a fascination with the machinery and wanted to learn how to build and maintain airplanes,” Ashley said in an interview.
Though her mother struggled to provide for her basic needs, Ashley knew that there was a path to a better life if she worked hard in school and excelled academically. And that’s what she did. Ashley completed high school, and then community college. In 2018, she obtained an associate degree in Business Administration. Unable to find a job after graduation, Ashley volunteered as a teacher’s assistant at the school where her mother works. After six months, Ashley landed a job as a branch manager of a logistics company. While working there, she further pursued her studies in business administration. However, it really was not her passion. Her heart was not in it. In 2020, Ashley decided it was time to pursue her dream of working in the aerospace industry, so she applied to Centennial College in Toronto to pursue a degree in Aerospace Engineering Technology. She didn’t know if she would be admitted, and if she was, she didn’t know how she would afford it. Nevertheless, she took a leap of faith and was elated when she was accepted into the program. That summer, Ashley worked and gathered enough money with the help of her other family members to pay for the first semester at Centennial College. But it was a struggle for her, living in a foreign country, with no family. She could not afford to live on campus or even close to campus. She stayed with a friend – her mother’s friend—who lives about two hours from school via public transportation.
“I take a total of four buses to get to and from my classes, but I am committed. I completed my first semester successfully and had to start a Go Fund Me campaign because I had no money to pay for my second semester,” Ashley said.
She wrote the following about what happened next:
"I started this journey on my own with God ordering my steps. Without my faith in God, I could not have done any of this. My mother reached out to the Lynne Mitchell Foundation and told them about my need, and I immediately received a call from the President, Marlene Gordon. We spoke via Zoom. She listened to my story and told me how I reminded her of her own mother, who took a similar journey to realize her own dreams and committed that the foundation would help me. And they have.
They paid for my second semester and for my upcoming third semester a total of $17,866 Canadian dollars. They will also start funding some of my housing costs so I can try to move closer to campus and reduce my commute time. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without the Lynne Mitchell Foundation. I would have faced the prospect of having to go back home to a future that I cannot even contemplate. But with their help, I can continue to pursue my dreams. As a poor girl, with an ambitious heart who always knows what she wants in life, I know I don’t have any real opportunity for a successful life in the poor, rural community that I come from. I would never be able to live up to my full potential. But thankfully now, with the help of the Lynne Mitchell Foundation, I am on my way. I am so thankful for them – they are helping me to make my dreams a reality."
Founded on the premise that children should not fail in school or in life because of their social circumstances, Lynne Mitchell Foundation works to change the future of underprivileged children in Jamaica by investing in their education. Since its inception in 2012, Lynne Mitchell Foundation has invested in the education of Jamaican children by providing, scholarships, school supplies, uniforms, transportation and meals totaling more than $389,000.
The Most Memorable Party with A Purpose is Back!
Lynne Mitchell Foundation Proudly Presents
"A Night in Jamaica"
Fundraising Gala
Marking 10 years of fulfilling its mission of
"Loving Children . . . Changing Lives!"
Join us as we celebrate this milestone!
Saturday, October 8, 2022
The Rusty Pelican
3201 Rickenbacker Causeway
Key Biscayne, FL 33149
Gala features:
Dinner, Live Auction, Live DJ, Casino Game Tables and
fabulous cocktails sponsored by Bacardi U.S.A.
Sponsorship Opportunities Available
More Details to Come
