Arthur Adler

• The fact that successful businessman Arthur Adler is retired doesn’t mean he’s slowed down. “If anything it’s just the opposite,” says Adler, 73, chairman of the Boca West Foundation, which he spearheaded in May 2010 at the behest of fellow club members. “There’s no time for rest, and my head’s always buzzing with ideas.” Not that he’s complaining. “These have been the most rewarding six years of my life.”

• While researching markets that would most benefit from assistance, Adler learned at-risk children in south Palm Beach County were underserved. “It took my breath away knowing kids were going to bed hungry and sleeping on floors and feeling unsafe in their own homes,” he says. So he called six likeminded friends and got to work. Fast-forward to 2017: The once-fledgling foundation now has 14 board members, a 10-member advisory board and more than 1,000 volunteers. In 2016, $1 million was granted by the foundation to 24 local children’s charities.

• The Foundation has worked to make the holidays special for local youngsters, including a collaboration with the Boys & Girls Club and Old Navy in Boca Raton that provided 500 kids with $50 shopping sprees. Afterward, the children were treated to a pancake breakfast with magicians, face painters, costumed film characters, gifts from Santa, take-home food baskets—and lots of sweets. “Foundation members got to be the pseudo-grandparents,” Adler says. “That meant we wanted them to have the biggest, happiest sugar highs they could.”

• Adler wasn’t always hands-on in his charitable work. “I was sensitive to issues, but didn’t have the time or interest to get more involved than writing a check,” he admits. He credits his kids for inspiring him. Son Michael, 47, works with the New York Masons and daughter Lori, 49, helps learning-disabled children and volunteers for the ASPCA.

• After attending Brooklyn Law School, Adler worked at his father’s talent agency before accepting a job at Columbia Records. “It was exciting,” Adler recalls. “Clive Davis was in charge and the Beatles and the Rolling Stones topped the charts.” When things got too exciting—“I wasn’t just producing records but bailing kids out of jails and hospitals,” he says—Adler took a job at WCBS radio, eventually running another radio station in New York City. He later opened a marketing firm, landing contracts with the New York Yankees and New York Islanders. “Then, when I turned 48, I decided that while I liked work a lot, I found golf very interesting.’” In other words, he retired.

• He’s been married to wife Shelly for 52 years. They met on a blind date while students at Boston University. “It was love at first sight,” says Shelly, who often helps out at the Foundation. “It still is. And since neither one of us sees very well anymore,” she adds with a chuckle, “we both look great!”

You May Also Like
Staycation Series: Take a Few Days Away at Arlo Wynwood

Just down the way in Miami, you’ll feel worlds apart from the grind of everyday life at this arts hotel.

Read More
Get to Know the Savvy and Stylish CEO of One of South Florida’s Poshest Resorts

Lifestyle asked for the skinny on what keeps Deborah Yager Fleming at the top of her game, professionally and personally.

Read More
No Need to Wait for the Weekend: Unwind at Eddie & Vinny’s Any Day of the Week

Al Dente Fridays and Sips Before Sunset are everything you need to make the workweek better.

Read More
It’s Almost National Bourbon Day. Where Will You Celebrate?

National Bourbon Day is Saturday, June 14—and Batch Gastropub is raising a glass to bourbon lovers with an appealing deal.

Read More
Other Posts
José Andrés Group’s Aguasal and Bar Centro are Now Open in Andaz Miami Beach

The concepts precede the return of The Bazaar by José Andrés, which is slated to open on the property in the future.

Read More
Summer Staycation Series: Hawk’s Cay Is Inviting in Every Way

About a two-hour drive south from Fort Lauderdale, the sprawling resort is the perfect place to take a break from the everyday.

Read More
Summer Staycation Series: Ombi is Literally a Vacation on the Water

You’ll be disconnected—and yet, connected if you want to be—on the floating bungalows, which can only be accessed by boat.

Read More
This Mental Health Counselor Says Staycations are Beneficial to Your Health

You don’t have to travel to far-flung destinations to reap the benefits of escaping everyday stresses.

Read More