Most bears famously go into hibernation during winter. Not the Bears of South Florida. The organization is celebrating a big 2024 and gearing up for an even bigger ‘25.
At their December holiday party, they awarded $100,000 in grants, a 250% increase over 2023. Recipients of the largest are EAGLEradio.PRO, Julian's Fountain of Youth, Pink Nail Society, TransSocial, Island City Stage, SAGE of South Florida, Safe Schools South Florida, Plays of Wilton, South FL Pride Bands, SunServe, Gay Men's Chorus of South Florida, and The Pride Center at Equality Park, Jan Carpenter Award.
They also gave several sponsorships to defray operating costs for events and created the Grizzly Guardian Giving Program.
The Bears were busy, holding 60 events including two new outings: a Caribbean vacation cruise and a Water Taxi sights and lights tour. Bears’ Vice President Brock Boyd says they’re just beginning.
“Our membership is over 3,100, and 95% of our events sell out quickly. With that, our focus in 2025 is to increase sponsorships and event quality. However, my personal goal will never change, I always want everyone to feel welcome when they walk into a BOSFL event.”
The Water Taxi ride, a week before Christmas with all the best lights on display, quickly sold out and became a BOSF instant fave.
“It was a great evening, a lot of fun,” Stephen Zerante said on social media.
Gary Giordano agreed.
“A beautiful night out on the water.”
In addition to their financial philanthropy, Bears are also committed to safety. Their leadership team is certified in CPR, and they participate in TIPS, a training program teaching servers and others to prevent intoxication plus drunk and underage drinking.
