The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation’s 2025 Catalyst Award Winners Chuck Halberg and Maria Hernandez (third from left) with Foundation staff Maritza Benitez and Angela Giachetti.
Every year, the Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation honors two special people in our community with a “Catalyst Award.”
Along with a cash prize that the honorees can direct to their favorite nonprofits, we host a luncheon in their honor and add a few other surprises.
The surprise part is important.
We like to surprise and delight honorees, something our founder Carl DeSantis enjoyed doing. In fact, he made joy (and generosity) a way of life.
Carl had a saying: “good begets good”. And he ran his businesses using that simple but profound credo.
He believed, that if you treated people well, the benefits would come back to you ten-fold.
We created the Catalyst Award three years ago to celebrate Mr. DeSantis’ spirit. We wanted to fashion an award that celebrated the spirit of a very special man who believed passionately in the power of one person to spark meaningful and lasting change.
Mr. DeSantis was not only a world-class entrepreneur—who revolutionized the beverage and nutrition industries– he was a true catalyst– someone who led boldly, inspired his team, lifted others, and left communities and industries stronger than he found them. Carl was really something… he continues to inspire us today.
The Catalyst Award is our way of extending his legacy. Each year, we shine a light on remarkable individuals whose vision, energy, and commitment remind us of what is possible when passion meets purpose. You can’t apply for this award; it is something we present when we see special people in our community that embody the heart and spirit of Mr. DeSantis.
Mr. D, as we called him, passed two years ago, but his spirit lives on in our work. And when we comb the landscape looking for catalysts, we ask ourselves, is this someone Carl would embrace?
This year, we found two people that Carl would have adored.
Chuck Halberg, the consummate Delray volunteer and Maria Hernandez, a Vice President of the United Way of Broward County, fit our vision of a catalyst to a tee.
They also fit in nicely with past winners: Delray’s Ted Hoskinson, founder of Roots and Wings which helps young readers thrive, Danny Pacheco of the Delray Beach Police Department who started the innovative youth soccer program Delray Kicks , Pastor Bill Mitchell, founder of CityLead which gathers the community for lessons in life and business and Julia Kadel co-founder of the Miracle League of Palm Beach County have been our previous winners. We’re proud of them all.
This year, we selected two very special people who create what we call “ripples” of goodness in the community. Their good deeds are so widespread that it becomes hard to fully quantify their extensive reach.
Chuck Halberg—whose generosity of time, talent, and heart has touched countless lives for decades, is the newly named president of Delray Citizens for Delray Police. In his day job, he runs Stuart & Shelby, a busy home building company.
Chuck has become a model for what it means to give back fully, with humility and with joy. I would list his civic resume, but its almost endless, let’s just say he has given his all to dozens of nonprofits with a special emphasis on causes that support law enforcement and children in need.
Maria Hernandez—is a true dynamo who is a leader at the United Way of Broward County. Maria’s drive, creativity, and relentless focus on people is legendary. Her work, her heart, strengthens families and is building a stronger community. Everywhere we have gone in the past year in Broward, Maria’s name has come up as someone to know—she’s a true catalyst with a tremendous reach. Like our founder Mr. DeSantis, Maria makes things happen. She’s a go-to person. She shakes it up and we are proud to honor that spirit.
Thomas Watson, the United Way CFO, called us up after the event to sing his colleagues praises.
“Maria’s work is known nationally,” he said. “She’s amazing.”
Together, Chuck and Maria embody the very best of what this award stands for: the belief that one person can ignite a wave of change that benefits all.
So, when you run into them, and you are bound to do so, because they are everywhere, please take a moment to say thanks. Be inspired by them as well. Because in celebrating their work, we remind ourselves that each of us has the power to be a catalyst; to leave a legacy of love, kindness, grace and generosity.
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