West Palm Beach, FL– John D. MacArthur Beach State Park and the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens are welcoming Palm Beach County nurses and their guests to enjoy complimentary admission thanks to the Thank Our Healers program funded by Palm Health Foundation and Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties.  Thank Our Healers follows the successful launch of the program in May 2021 during National Nurses Week as a way to show appreciation and offer nurses a time for respite and relaxation in support of their mental health during exceptionally challenging times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both art and nature have been shown to have positive effects on mental health, and the combination of the two in “creative green prescription programs” have demonstrated synergistic benefits on psychosocial wellbeing. On any given day, nurses experience anxiety and burnout, and there is strong evidence that the pandemic has caused nurses to experience unprecedented levels of stress.

Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park will provide complimentary entrance fees for nurses and their families (a carload up to eight people) to enjoy this beautiful barrier island paradise and its many amenities to relax and recharge. Commenting on the success of the program, Veronica Frehm, executive director of John D. MacArthur Beach State Park shared, “This grant has brought much happiness to so many people already. We are so thrilled to be part of this effort to thank local nurses for their dedication to the health of our community.” To enjoy free entrance, nurses will drive through the main entrance, show their nurse ID and then are welcome to explore the beautiful park. Passes are available until they run out.

When the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens opens for the season on November 3, 2021, it will welcome Palm Beach Nurses to visit for free as well. The complimentary admittances will allow for 1,000 nurses to visit the Gardens with a guest from November 2021 through June 2022 or when passes run out. Visiting nurses and their guests will enjoy an urban sanctuary of almost two acres, including Norton’s historic house with exhibition galleries, her studio, monumental sculptures and tropical gardens of rare palms and cycads, and the opportunity to enjoy programs and events, including the Jazz and Gospel in the Gardens series in honor of Black History Month in February. Nurses will receive a gift of Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens signature notecards. Reservations are required and nurses must show ID upon admission.

Also opening on November 1, 2021, is Palm Health Foundation’s call for scholarships for nursing and mental/behavioral health professions. The foundation’s scholarships are intended to encourage individuals with financial need to enter and advance in the nursing and mental/behavioral health fields and build a highly skilled workforce. Applicants must be residents of Palm Beach, Broward or Martin County, Florida, and apply by the February 1, 2022, deadline. The application, eligibility criteria and instructions are available on the George Snow Scholarship Fund website at www.scholarship.org.

“Nurses are at the core of a healthy community,” said Patrick McNamara, Palm Health Foundation president and CEO. “We are dedicated to helping nurses achieve their highest ambitions while supporting their own mental health and wellbeing through programs like Thank Our Healers. We are grateful to the Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park and Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens for helping us take care of those who take care of us.”

If You Go

John D. MacArthur Beach State Park

10900 Jack Nicklaus Dr,

North Palm Beach, FL 33408

macarthurbeach.org

To enjoy free entrance, nurses will drive through the main entrance, show their nurse ID and then are welcome to explore the beautiful park.

Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens

253 Barcelona Rd.

West Palm Beach, FL 33401

ansg.org

Reserve tickets through Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ansg-thank-our-healers-2021-2022-tickets-123085525119. Nurses must show ID upon admission. The Gardens are closed to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays.

About Palm Health Foundation 
Palm Health Foundation is Palm Beach County’s community foundation for health. With the support of donors and a focus on results, the foundation builds strong community partnerships, respects diverse opinions, advocates for its most vulnerable neighbors and inspires innovative solutions to lead change for better health now and for generations to come. The foundation supports health equity for Palm Beach County residents of all backgrounds, heritage, education, incomes and states of well-being. Palm Health Foundation has invested more than $85 million in Palm Beach County health since 2001.

Since the foundation’s inception in 2001, it has granted more than $3 million in nursing scholarships and invested more than $10 million in initiatives to build a highly skilled nursing workforce that provides care across all settings and supports optimal health in the community including care transitions and care coordination. As Palm Beach County’s community foundation for health, Palm Health Foundation works with donors to make contributions to its Nursing Advancement Fund or to create donor advised funds in support of nursing, behavioral health, or any health-related cause to benefit Palm Beach County. 

For more information about Palm Health Foundation, visit palmhealthfoundation.org or call (561) 833-6333.

About the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties
The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties strives to serve as a catalyst for building vibrant communities through meaningful philanthropy. The nonprofit organization has provided more than $150 million in grants and scholarships over its nearly 50-year history. With more than $250 million in assets, it is one of Florida’s largest community foundations. Through the support of its donors and fundholders, the Foundation has been able to address some of the community’s most pressing needs, including hunger, housing and education. www.yourcommunityfoundation.org



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