The spirit of a philanthropic giant continues to live on with the Catalyst Awards, now in its second year honoring locals making a difference.
Organized by the Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation, the founders of Roots and Wings and Miracle League of Palm Beach were applauded for their work with local children and given a well-deserved grant.
Jeff Perlman, the foundation’s executive director, said that the Catalyst Awards are a “testament to the power of one person.” A luncheon was hosted Oct. 23 at the Wyndham Boca Raton to disperse the awards in the company of local change makers.
The first honoree was Ted Hoskinson, the founder of Roots and Wings. Founded in 2016, it helps the 1,300 students in local Title 1 schools learn to read. When receiving the award, he said, “We want to be [successful] at helping someone else that’s a little less fortunate than we are.”
Next was Julie Kadel, who founded the Miracle League of Palm Beach County to connect children with disabilities to baseball. By pairing them with able-bodied children, the kids are able to learn from one another. Since its inception in 2007, participation has grown to 125 players a year.
“Always do the right thing, even when no one is looking,” Kadel said. “This is an award where I didn’t know anyone was looking.”
The keynote address was delivered by Kirsten Stevens, a global philanthropy consultant living in Delray Beach. She lauded DeSantis’ giving nature, including the fact that he liked to surprise people with donations. That sense of giving has continued with the Catalyst Awards, where Hoskinson and Kadel were each invited to the foundation’s offices for a casual conversation. However, when they arrived, they were greeted with the news that they had each been chosen to receive the award.
The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation was conceived years ago, but came to fruition after the 2023 death of DeSantis, the billionaire founder of Rexall Sundown and the brains behind Celsius energy drink. He wanted local nonprofits to continue benefiting from his fortune, and Perlman and the managing director Maritza Benitez created the Catalyst Awards to recognize organizations making a difference in Palm Beach and Broward counties.
“To honor his legacy in a way that embodies his character, we created this award to recognize the people in our community who show us what is possible when we take action to help others,” Perlman said in a press release.
To date, the foundation has gifted nearly $6 million to area nonprofits and programs in four areas of interest: civic innovation, faith-based giving, health and nutrition, and leadership and entrepreneurship.
