Grand Harbor Golf and Beach Club

"Grand Harbor was designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative in 2001 and is one of a number of courses in the world to receive this honor. The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses provides information and guidance to help golf courses preserve and enhance wildlife habitat, and protect natural resources. To reach certification, a course must demonstrate that they are maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in a number of areas. These categories include: Environmental Planning, Wildlife & Habitat Management, Outreach and Education, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation, and Water Quality Management. Those of us that live here are very proud of this designation and our Audubon group now helps maintain this certification. As a long time resident and equity club member of Grand Harbor Golf & Beach Club and one of the founding members of our Audubon Society here, I am pleased to provide our perspective on why our community might be considered among the “Happiest in Florida”. If the definition of being happy is fortunate and joyous then little could be much better than living in our beautiful and grand Audubon certified estuary. The beauty that surrounds us is breath-taking and our Audubon members actively participate in the great outdoors here – truly appreciative of our natural surroundings. Let’s begin with Birding which is said to help keep you healthy and make you happy! It also makes new friends, keeps you physically active, takes you to new places, feeds the brain and leads to new experiences. Furthermore, such exposure to nature is said to improve wound healing, blood pressure, tension, depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It helps you spend more needed time outdoors among Nature. (http://www.birdsandblooms.com/birding/birding-health). Our Audubon members actively participate in bird walks and the multiple educational programs we offer including field trips near and off site. Many questions... much laughter... and new learning experiences for all! In addition, we have created a Nature Garden - one half of which is only native plants and the other half is our butterfly garden. What a site to walk through the winding stone pathway with the many butterflies fluttering all around! It is not unusual to find folks sitting in the Garden on one of the benches - enjoying their morning coffee or later in the day, a bottle of wine while watching the sun set and the buzz of the Garden slowing down. We have constructed, purchased and erected 30 plus bird houses - boxes, osprey platforms and Purple Martin gourds! We even won a contest and were awarded a very large Martin house which we call our 'palace'. Watching and waiting and counting the many bird species is fun for all - on the average 90 minute bird walk we see over 30 different species! Little can be more fun - more exciting - for young and old alike. In addition we have had several 'photo contests' and from these ‘winners’ we have created note cards. The photos have also been enlarged and framed and appear proudly throughout our clubhouse - loved by all. We are most fortunate to have living among us a noted photographer and author. Bob Strupat has written two books: "Grand Harbor Is for the Birds" and "The Nature Garden". Both are filled with plentiful information and beautiful pictures - a must for every coffee table! As a measure of Audubon success at Grand Harbor, we have proudly seen our membership grow from a handful to some 500 participants over the past 10 years. This shows the congenial and curious atmosphere that prevails in our community and promises future growth in activities and memberships. Do we live in one of the 'happiness communities around..?.. I believe we do. Not only is there birding but there's plenty of fishing and boating - kayaking and canoeing - all from our marina, the Indian River lagoon along our shore as well as the lakes within! Is it gators, turtles, bobcats or possum you want to see - we have them, too! So please consider us when you're looking for the 'happiest' community in Florida! "

"Grand Harbor has established a reputation as a leader in Central Florida as one of the most generous and caring communities in supporting the unmet needs of its local city and county. Indian River County is ranked #2 of Florida's 67 counties in terms of per capita giving. Our preeminent charity is the Grand Harbor Community Outreach Program, which prominently features Grand Harbor's name in its title. In just 15 years since its founding, Community Outreach has raised over $3 million and distributed it through 30 community partners to address basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing, as well as education, healthcare and enrichment services. Community Outreach is an all-volunteer 501(C)3 managed by a resident board of 20 and supported by over 100 volunteers and 350 donors. Two defining attributes of Outreach are: 1) 100% of donor funds go directly to agencies and individuals in need, and 2) each non-profit agency is thoroughly vetted to ensure their effectiveness, efficiency and integrity. Recently, Community Outreach has focused its energy on combating the root causes of poverty and has adopted a nearby neighborhood (Gifford), which is one of five local "pockets of poverty". In this effort, Community Outreach is working with a dozen agencies to increase both private and public support in a reinforcing way. After school academic programs, early learning, career training and jobs are the primary focus so that individuals and families can lift themselves out of poverty. A first ever Outreach Forum on February 16, will bring 6 of the top Gifford Community Leaders to Grand Harbor for an education summit on poverty. GHCOP also founded a Funders Forum with the United Way and a half dozen other foundations to better coordinate giving throughout the county. Susanne serves as the current president of Community Outreach and Doug as the VP of Philanthropy. But Community Outreach is just one of a dozen philanthropic efforts in GH. The Indian River Medical Center, less than two miles from our front entrance, has undergone an extraordinary transformation from a small community hospital to an excellent regional healthcare facility, driven by philanthropic donations. Their world- class cardiac & heart center, emergency facility and now a new cancer center (in affiliation with Duke Medicine) have all been funded by charitable giving. The IRMC Foundation has raised nearly $100 million in just over 10 years with 220 Grand Harbor households qualifying as Eagles, contributing a minimum gift of $10,000 each. Doug who has served on the GH Eagle Leader Team for 7 years says having a high quality health facility so close makes us all feel much more comfortable. A complimentary grassroots effort in Grand Harbor to support the IRMC called "Answer to Cancer" has raised $430,000. The Grand Harbor Club and residents have also been major supporters of Indian River County Habitat for Humanity, one of the Community Outreach partners. The Habitat approach encourages hard work, discipline and commitment to create a safe and affordable home for families in need. Grand Harbor residents have financially supported the construction of 14 homes and provided volunteer labor to construct 22 homes in total. A small army of GH volunteers works on home sites on Tuesdays and also staffs the large Habitat Restore. Community Outreach also supports an agency focused on Veterans housing called Every Dream Has a Price and invests in 3 temporary housing agencies: the Hope for Families Center, the Samaritan Center and Camp Haven for homeless men. Another innovative program started by a Grand Harbor resident and supported by Outreach is "Winners Walk Tall". A total of 55 character captains teach the fundamentals of manners, behavior and character to elementary school children in second through fifth grades. Currently, our residents volunteer at 10 schools reaching over 2,500 students a year through this fun developmental program. Community Outreach helps to sponsor the Veterans Council and our volunteers help at the annual Patriots Day Golf event at Grand Harbor and at the annual Air Show that features the Blue Angels among others. Indian River Food Pantry has also been a recipient of Outreach funds for years and is staffed and led by Grand Harbor volunteers. They run an Annual OktoberFest event at our club to raise thousands of dollars for emergency food distribution. Grand Harbor residents also serve on the Boards of many of our Outreach partners including the Childrens Home Society, the Hibiscus Childrens Center, the IRC Food Pantry and the Hope for Families Center. They volunteer at VNA/Hospice, the Senior Resource Association "Meals on Wheels" and serve meals at The Source. We are blessed with extraordinary tropical weather in Vero Beach, a large harbor for over 200 boats, the 150-mile long Indian River lagoon and a spectacular ocean beach club. For many communities, having an abundance of activities such as golf, tennis, boating, fishing, bocce, swimming, bridge, and yoga would be enough for a fulfilling retirement. But, at Grand Harbor, fulfillment clearly comes from giving to others. It has made us one of the happiest, most admired and most sought after clubs in all of Florida. "

"ANSWER TO CANCER charity A diagnosis of cancer is devastating. Having a world class Cancer Center here in Vero Beach is a wonderful community asset and a comfort to every member in it. Enter ANSWER TO CANCER - founded by two cancer survivors and a small committee. From the beginning this unique charity focused on the human side of patient cures and care. In its 10 years $430,000 has been raised, and since the committee funds any expense, every penny goes directly to our Cancer Center. Support for this cause has become so strong that three of our largest fund raising events occurred when the golf portion was rained out. The Grand Harbor community has been an important part of the remarkable growth of cancer care here. Teamed with famed Duke Medicine and operating in a new $48 MM facility, we have helped fund everything from improved patient's environment to the latest True Beam radiation equipment. In a community with many world class amenities and a fabulous natural environment, knowing that excellent medical care is 5 minutes away gives our members peace of mind to enjoy our good fortune to be here. Being part of a community recognized for a membership that generously supports several major charities adds to our pride and enjoyment. Co-Chairs Carole Plante & Don Casey"

"Its got everything! On the river, golf courses and short distance to the beach"

"Friendliness of the people living there it what makes this the happiest place to live"