Banquet to honor five mothers who shaped local kids’ lives
DELRAY BEACH – Five local women who volunteered countless hours to 
improve the lives of area kids will be honored at a banquet on Saturday, May 8 held in conjunction with the Knights of Pythagoras Mentoring Network.
The event will honor the Rev. Marcia Beam, Deputy Vice Mayor Angelita Gray, Janie Ramirez, Dr. Linda Hunter and Carolyn Gholston.
“These women are each a shining example of giving and caring for others, with a willingness to see others succeed,” said C. Ron Allen, president and CEO of the Knights of Pythagoras Mentoring Network. “It would be hard to find five better recipients.”
The “Faith of our Mothers” banquet will begin at 6 p.m. at the Delray Full Service Center, 301 SW 14th Avenue.
One of the highlights will be the installation of officers from the youth mentoring programs that the KOPMN sponsors.
Cedrika Edwards, president of the Atlantic All-Stars at Atlantic High School, said the banquet is not just to honor the mothers who gave birth, but also those who are surrogates.
“God decided that some of the honorees weren’t going to be moms. But although they have no biological or adopted children, they are mothers and grandmothers to many children in the community and their churches,” she said.
This is the 16th year that the nonprofit organization is sponsoring the banquet that gives the youth a chance to recognize the value of parenting and the importance of mothers, said Edwards, a graduating senior, who will study business at the University of Florida.
“This will not be just another banquet on a Saturday,” she said. “It’s the one day in the year we set aside to honor that special person in our lives, if we are lucky enough to still have her. It’s Mother’s Day and we want to show her a great time.”
The event is sponsored by the Delray Beach Police Department and the Community Redevelopment Agency.
The Knights of Pythagoras Mentoring Network provides mentoring, peer leadership and field trips for youth ages 7 to 17 in Palm Beach and Broward counties. It encourages academic success and stewardship among its young charges.
