Steve Brown, MD; Fred Hawkins; Elaine Hawkins; Sharon A. MacDonald; Rose O’Dell King; Steve Brown, Jr.; Angela Robertson; Ester Lee-Machiz; Nina Paight; Lori Hanno; Scott Robertson; Marshall Hanno; Steve Machiz, MD; Kristen Palazzo; Sandy Robinson; John Iacuone, MD; Norma Eveland; Lynne Gorovoy; Mark Minoui, MD; Debi Greenfield; Jerry Greenfield; Michele Eddy; Dennis Harrelson; Muni Reynoldson; Jack Reynoldson; Cameron Pelle; Cheryl Copham; Dave Copham; Richard Akin; Jim Nathan

SWFL Children’s Charities, Inc. presented Lee Memorial Health System Foundation with a $600,000 check Monday.
The funds represent a portion of the $752,000 net proceeds from the Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest held on Feb. 27 and 28 The money will be directed toward The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida’s capital needs and specific specialized high-tech equipment needs within The Children’s Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
The funds were raised at a weekend of events including Chef Vintner dinners held at host homes throughout Lee and Collier Counties, followed by a Grand Tasting event of local cuisine prepared by area chefs and an extensive wine tasting with spirited live and silent auctions.
“We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Steve Machiz for his vision in this spectacular community event,” said John Iacuone, MD, executive director of The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, during the remarks today of the event’s outstanding success. “We are truly blessed and honored to have the support of the Southwest Florida Children’s Charities’ Trustees and the many committee members and volunteers who worked tirelessly to help ensure that we can continue to deliver the very best in medical excellence to the children of our community.”
Steve Machiz, MD, president of Southwest Florida Children’s Charities, Inc., and chairman of the SWFL Wine & Food Fest added, “This year’s incredible success would not have been possible without the dedicated members of the Wine Fest Trustees, Northern Trust, Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club, our sponsors, chefs, dinner hosts, wineries and distributors and Wine Fest planning committee. It was a true synergy of efforts, bound together by members of our community who want our area’s children to receive top-notch medical care and facilities. We hope to build on this terrific momentum and carry this success on for many years to come.”
On hand to receive the check were Lee Memorial Health System President Jim Nathan; The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida Executive Director John Iacuone, MD and Lee Memorial Health System Chief Foundation Officer Sharon A. MacDonald.