City Furniture raises $37,000 for Hospice by the Sea, FAU, at grand opening
BOCA RATON — City Furniture celebrated the grand opening of its new, “green” City Furniture and Ashley Furniture HomeStores superstore on Airport Road in Boca Raton recently with a silent auction that raised more than $37,000 to support programs and services at both Hospice by the Sea, Inc. and FAU’s Adams Center for Entrepreneurship.
More than 1,000 guests attended the event at the spacious superstore, mingling and touring City Furniture’s next-generation upscale store design. One of the evening’s highlights was a grand silent auction featuring 70 items donated by many of City
At the ribbon-cutting, from left, are Boca Raton City Council Member Constance Scott, Mayor Susan Whelchel, Keith Koenig, Doreen Koenig, Boca Raton Chamber President & CEO Troy McLellan, Deputy Mayor Susan Haynie, and Paul Carman, chairman of the Airport Authority,
Furniture’s vendors. Marking the occasion with City Furniture President Keith Koenig, his wife Doreen and the City Furniture and Ashley Furniture HomeStores teams were dignitaries, including Boca Raton Mayor Susan Whelchel and Boca Raton Airport Authority Chairman Paul Carman.
Innovative and “green” from its rooftop light tubes for daylight harvesting to its LED lighting inside and out, the iconic structure built by Stiles Construction is South Florida’s first full-line furniture store pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
“Our company’s roots are in South Florida, and we’re deeply committed to grow with and help sustain this region,” said Koenig. “Launching this store as a regional hub for City Furniture offered an ideal chance to give back to two organizations that have meant so much to the community – and to our family. His late brother, company founder Kevin Koenig, earned his Master of Business Administration degree from FAU. Keith Koenig added that Hospice by the Sea was “a tremendous source of comfort” during Kevin’s illness.
The Adams Center for Entrepreneurship (ACE) in affiliation with FAU’s Department of Management Programs (DMP), strives to prepare FAU students in business, science, engineering, and all disciplines who are looking to become entrepreneurs through
From left are Paula Alderson, president & CEO, Hospice by the Sea, Inc.; Garry Ikola, senior vice president of sales, City Furniture and Marian Nease, chairman, Hospice by the Sea, Inc.
business ownership or through venturing.
“FAU’s Adams Center for Entrepreneurship is truly grateful for this gift from City Furniture as well as for their continued support throughout the years,” said Kimberly Gramm, assistant dean of community relations and director of the Adams Center for Entrepreneurship.
Paula Alderson, president and CEO of Hospice by the Sea, said, “We are so honored to have been selected to be one of the beneficiaries of this magnificent event. We congratulate and thank City Furniture for their thoughtful generosity and support.”
