J&J Seafood | Your Delray Boca

Bound for College Founder Mark Sauer seen here with super volunteer Chuck Halberg.

In honor of Memorial Day: “Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.” – President Harry S. Truman

I was sitting at the bar at the Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington when I got the news.

My friend, Mark Sauer had passed away.

I was in Washington on a business trip and stopped into the historic Off the Record bar to relax after several days of nonstop meetings when I got the news that literally took my breath away.

Mark was not only a friend, he was an inspiration and a personal hero of mine.

I got to know Mark when he founded Delray Students First which later became Bound for College.

The nonprofit is changing the lives of local students who without the help of Mark and the organization would never be able to go college. Many are the first in their families to get a higher education.

This effort is changing lives. This effort is saving lives and this effort is breaking the cycle of poverty. And it’s all because of Mark Sauer’s passionate and relentless work on behalf of young people who became his life.

He brought love, energy, ideas, grit, resilience and intellect to the cause. Mark’s dedication attracted a legion of donors, volunteers, tutors and students to the mission. Mark sparked a movement; losing him is simply devastating and beyond words.

Over the years, Mark and I became good friends. We adore his wife Donna who worked alongside him and helped Mark build something so beautiful and so special. That mission will go on.

The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation is proud to support Bound for College. We knew that betting on Mark was a sure thing because he brought his heart to the work, making sure the kids had all they needed to make it. He spoke to teachers, coaches and employers. He handled dental and health issues, got involved with the families of those he served and led with love.

Mark and I had many conversations over the years. Usually at Granger’s where we discussed the great issues of the day and Mark’s plans for the kids he cared for so deeply. He was all about them.
He was all about changing the trajectory of their lives. I will miss our talks. He taught me, encouraged me and inspired me. And so many others can say the same thing.

His heart, his mindset was focused solely on the future. He wanted to help as many kids as possible and he was doing it.

Bound for College is spreading across the county and it’s making a difference.

Mark took on this work, this labor of love after a remarkable career in business which included running theme parks, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Blues. Mark was modest about his career, but he was very proud of his efforts on behalf of young children who needed a helping hand. He fell in love with Delray Beach and he changed this place for the better. He woke up everyday focused on his mission: helping kids who needed it.

His work will continue and the dividends of that work will last generations.

I will miss him terribly. We all will.

But I want to celebrate Mark’s many accomplishments. I want to remember and appreciate his heart for children who needed a helping hand for a chance at a better life. Mark was that hand and that heart for so so many. His influence will live on in the lives of these wonderful young people Mark discovered and nurtured. He saw them. He saw their limitless potential. He saw their promise and their need and he dedicated his life to meeting those needs. He gave them an opportunity, a hand-up, not a hand-out and they took it and ran with it to places we cannot yet imagine.

Their lives are better because of Mark and Bound for College. He was the best of America. He was the best of us and his heart will live on.

J&J’s

Last week we also learned that J&J’s Seafood was closing June 14 after 26 wonderful years.

John and Tina Hutchinson are terrific people and restaurateurs and this news saddened their fans—my wife and I among them.

It’s where we got engaged so J&J’s holds a special place in our hearts.

Along with Granger’s, J&J’s was a longtime go-to restaurant, a place where I can walk from my office and have a great meal and enjoy excellent and friendly service.

John is an immensely talented chef and his creativity is legendary.

This great, good place will be dearly missed. I hold out hope that they can find a place in our high rent town. Their team is precious and special and we need that kind of hospitality in our community. My heart goes out to the wonderful people who made this restaurant soar for a generation. Here’s looking at you Claudia and Courtney.
We wish for more.

Decisions

There’s too much “pluribus” and not enough “unum” these days.

I heard that line listening to a podcast that featured documentarian Ken Burns last week and it left an impression.

As we head to the polls tomorrow, we do so as a divided nation. Healthy debate is just that, healthy. But what we are experiencing is division and that’s something different.

Division weakens, unity strengthens.

There are consequences to consider and I’m afraid we aren’t thinking this through.

Niall Ferguson, the provocative Scottish historian, predicts that America will lose Cold War 2.0 against China because we are divided and that the world will pine for the time when American power shaped the world.

Let’s hope that day doesn’t come. But we are at risk. As Abe Lincoln famously said: “a house divided against itself will not stand.” So if we don’t find a way to unite or at least reconcile we risk opening the door to some really bad actors.

This strives to be a hyper local blog and a space for personal reflection, so I won’t belabor the point other than to note that “story” plays a big role in destiny.

What’s our narrative? As a city, as a county as a state and as a nation?

It’s an important question. Good stories inspire, sad stories drag us down.

Are we the All America City? The Village by the Sea? The city that can solve any problem or the one that is mired in dysfunction?

Is Palm Beach County “Wall Street South”? Or something else.

Is Florida, paradise or Floriduh? Is America the shining city on the hill or a divided mess?

It’s our choice.

All of it.

We shape our destiny if we choose to.

Our voice is our vote.

Odds and ends

Mayo Research

The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation is supporting Alzheimer’s research at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and Jacksonville.

Last week, we caught up with our friends at the Mayo Clinic who were in town to share some promising results including a non-invasive test for Alzheimer’s that does not require a procedure to extract fluid or a costly scan.

It was exciting to hear the news. For the first time ever, there is a drug that can be taken to alter the course of the disease. It’s not a cure, but it buys some time. The infusion actually removes amyloid plaque which causes Alzheimer’s.

The disease is a plague on families and society. Any ray of light is good news.

But I was struck by the fact that the average age in which people are diagnosed is 65. That’s young, younger than I thought.

We remain committed to doing our part as a philanthropy to help researchers cure this terrible disease. We are supporting an effort at Florida Atlantic to help families affected by Alzheimer’s and we are funding a researcher at the Max Planck Florida Research Institute who is doing remarkable work.

We are in this for the long haul but hopefully we will see progress in the short term.

A Local Treasure

On a much lighter note, I feel compelled to give a shout out to J & J Seafood, an Atlantic Avenue staple.

The food is just fantastic, the service always awesome and it’s a great place to take a friend to have a conversation. It feels like home.

It’s good to see J & J survive and thrive in a crowded, challenging and competitive landscape. J & J’s presence makes our city a warmer place.

Making a Mark

Congratulations also to the Pulte Family Foundation which is doing some great work providing housing for adults with developmental challenges.

The Boca-based foundation is doing amazing things. They’ve been extremely supportive and generous with advice as we grow our Foundation. They’ve become a role model for our work and we are deeply appreciative of their friendship.

A Good Life, A Big Loss

Finally, we mourn the loss of a beloved friend. Richard Hasner passed last week.

Richard and his wonderful brothers Lloyd and Jay have left their mark on Delray and beyond through decades of community involvement. Their company, Castle Florida, has been one of the most prominent general contractors in our region for more than 50 years. Their work is everywhere—residential, commercial you name it. Over five decades, Richard and his family built more than 6,000 homes, numerous office buildings, medical offices, restaurants and retail locations.

With an unparalleled work ethic, Richard went on to become an owner and President of Castle Florida.

I’ve enjoyed running into the Hasner’s at their favorite lunch spots over the years. Most recently, we’ve seen each other regularly at Granger’s.

Richard was always kind, always quick with a joke and always smiling. I will miss him very much.

He was a mensch in a world that sorely needs more people like him. May his memory be a blessing.

The Best of Us

Decisions