Industries

More than 20 years ago, Joan and Bob Nast often would visit local hospitals and pray for sick children. Though they saw many children recover and go on to lead happy lives, they also saw a lot of pain—pain they felt they could help alleviate in some way. “Bobby and I said to each other

Wally has been at the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital since it began in 1995. Only after naming the alligator did the center realize it made a mistake. “We thought she was a he until she started laying eggs,” says executive director Allan Rose. “She is quite a celebrity.” The nonprofit organization, located in

Physician Gayan Poovendran was braving winter in Ohio when he learned of a job opportunity in South Florida. On a personal level, it gave the Indiana native access to year-round sunshine. Professionally, it gave the sports medicine specialist a chance to introduce a new treatment to the region’s athletes. As part of his practice at

Neil Eisner, managing director of Encore Resort at Reunion, calls his property the “best secret” in and around Orlando. But it might not stay that way for long. Though the hassle of booking multiple hotel rooms is driving more families and groups toward house rentals—vacation rentals have more than tripled since 2010, according to the

The finest spot in my thatched-roof bungalow was a white crochet hammock on the wooden porch. Only 10 feet from the sparkling Caribbean Sea, I was within constant earshot of crashing waves. Every free moment was spent swaying in the hammock, where I read my book or nodded off, stirring only to reach for a

On an unseasonably cool September night, a 16-year-old girl with a Kewpie doll face, curly brown locks and hazel eyes sat in the kitchen of her mother’s spacious single-family home inside a gated community in western Broward County. After finishing her math homework, Chloe grabbed a snack out of the stainless-steel refrigerator, quietly packed her

When Lyons Creek Middle School last year received its first A grade since 2010, Principal Horace Hamm and his team of teachers and administrators started the school year celebrating. But something gnawed at Hamm: The latest student data showed more than a third of the school’s nearly 2,000 students weren’t performing at grade-level. “We wanted

A Creek resident launches a nonprofit to help the Keys after Irma What began as a Facebook post asking for unused hurricane supplies soon became a nonprofit organization with long-reaching effects. Coconut Creek resident and Winston Park Elementary School teacher Krystal Langley began gathering goods for her hometown of Marathon, the day after Hurricane Irma

This past summer, Adyant Khanna, a junior at Miami Palmetto Senior High School, led a mission in India to provide clean water to more than 1,000 residents in three different villages. “My family is from India, and I’ve visited there for as long as I can remember,” he says. “It’s impossible not to notice the

As impressive as The Diplomat Beach Resort’s $100 million transformation seems on paper, it’s nothing compared to the sights and experiences awaiting travelers at a property that encompasses more than 1.6 million square feet. Everything about the renovation—including reimagined guest rooms, world-class restaurant additions and a sprawling, visually striking lobby area—speaks to a level of

With just a few words, 17-year-old Anh-Thu Le brings the room to silence. Not an easy feat, considering the room was packed with more than 200 guests from the county. Anh-Thu’s speech was part of the third annual Debate Initiative, a luncheon fundraiser for Broward County Public School’s debate programs. The Debate Initiative serves more

There were a few snags during Michael Sayih’s first race. It was a duathlon: a 5-kilometer run, followed by a 30-kilometer bicycle ride, followed by another 5k run. He was 5 and was strapped to the back of the tandem bicycle steered by his father, Jim. Jim found their position at the start line, braced