‘Faces of Pace’ fundraiser set for Oct. 4
An advocate program that provides programs that help girls and young women thrive is gearing up for its biggest fundraising event of the year.
Pace Center for Girls of Lee County has announced the return of “Faces of Pace,” an unforgettable evening celebrating the strength, spirit, and stories of the girls at Pace Center for Girls. The event takes place on Oct. 4 starting at 5:30 p.m. at Porsche of Fort Myers.
This year, organizers are shaking things up, as Faces of Pace 2025 will be a more relaxed, social, and uplifting experience.
All proceeds benefit Pace Center for Girls and its mission to help every girl find her voice and achieve her potential.
“This is the biggest fundraiser that we do for the year, and it really helps fund our mission and increase the awareness and understanding of what we’re doing at Pace for the year,” said Pace Development Director Margo Brewster. “It allows us to take our program and the services we offer to the girls above and beyond what we would normally be able to do with the funding we receive through the state or grants. It allows us to add a higher level of quality to our services and provide some really unique programs for the girls.”
The evening includes live entertainment, food and drink, exclusive live and silent auctions, and most importantly, an opportunity to hear from Pace girls who have experienced the program.
“The keynote speaker for this event is one of my favorite things all year,” Brewster said. “Most of the time we hear from a girl that’s kind of in her final days at Pace and ready to transition out, or she has graduated and she’s already kind of starting her journey after Pace. Being able to see those girls come around and share their story and get up in front of a large audience and talk about how Pace has helped them is really powerful.”
This year, a current Pace girl named Ava, as well as her father, will share their stories of how Pace impacted each of them.
“Talk about transformation,” Brewster said. “It’s been a complete turn around for her. She’s a leader among all of her friends. It’s just been amazing to see her change. It’s rare we have a keynote speaker that’s still here at Pace, but she’s made such a change and difference in her life, it was a great fit to have her speak.”
Founded in 1985, Pace provides free year-round middle and high school academics, case management, counseling, and life skills development in a safe and supportive environment that recognizes and deals with past trauma and builds upon girls’ individual strengths. Dedicated to meeting the social, emotional, and education needs of girls, Pace has a proven program model that has changed the life trajectory of more than 40,000 girls and is recognized as one of the nation’s leading advocates for girls in need.
Annually, Pace Center for Girls Lee County serves 150 girls through its day school and therapy programs.
“We provide academics for the girls,” Brewster said. “They come here just like a regular school. But where we have that extra care and more holistic approach than a regular school, is we have three master degree counselors on-site as well, who are providing counseling, mental health wellness, and supporting their families and home life as well. We give them the tools they need to transition back into a public school when they’re ready.”
Brewster said over the last five years or so, the need in the local community has grown due to the pandemic, hurricanes, and just overall struggles with mental health.
Girls can be referred to Pace by school counselors, parents, siblings, and other means. Pace is a volunteer program.
Brewster said seeing the girls improve “makes it all worth it.”
“‘When you see a girl on her first day and takes a tour and meets staff, so often they’re introverted and reclusive and maybe a little bit upset, but when you see them transitioning or graduating and completing the program and they’ve blossomed into this amazing young woman, it just makes it all worth it,” she said.
At Pace, girls are referred to as at-promise, as opposed to another turn of phrase. Brewster said Pace is not for “bad girls.”
“These are girls that have been through something, or they’re struggling with their mental health or even physical health,” Brewster said. “They’ve been neglected and they’ve fallen behind and — they’re all really amazing, great girls with a lot of potential and a lot of promise, and we’re here to hopefully find that within them and equip them for the world.
“Pace is for girls that have a future, and we believe in them.”
For the Faces of Pace this year, Brewster said the organization really wants to bring in “girl dads” and more of the male population.
“We want to hear from them and have them learn about our mission as a girl dad or someone in the community that hasn’t heard about us,” she said. “We’re going to have a lot of fun stuff going on at the event. You’ll be able to look at the cars in the showroom, we’ll have a magician, live music, a lot of great food. It’s going to be a little less formal and bring in people that want to learn about Pace, as well as our familiar faces.”
Brewster said community support makes on one-third of Pace’s annual budget.
“The support that we receive from this community comes right back here to our center and stays here in Lee County,” she said. “It helps us keep the lights on and offer what we do for our girls.”
The fundraising goal for Faces of Pace this year is $175,000.
Sponsorship opportunities and tickets/tables are still available for the event. The deadline for sponsorships is the end of September.
More information, tickets, and to secure a sponsorship.
To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com