This past year has been amazing! We want to give special thanks to our supporters, generous donors, the GEC Board of Directors, and our illustrious gala committee led by Kim Koehl. A Royal Table at Le Cirque Gala raised $314,000 to help support the programs and children of GEC. NONE of this year's accomplishments would have been possible without each and every one of you. Below we recap some of the highlights. . .

Congratulations to the GEC Graduates of 2023!

These amazing students all graduated from High School this year!

We are so proud of them and happy to report they are all going on to college to study a variety of subjects. Their interests include teaching, psychology, and business management. We also think it's worth noting that Jessica received ALL straight A's in her Senior Year.

• Jessica M. (shown above)
• Rosalinda M.
• Ashley P.
• Aaron R.
• Julio S.

It's finally here! Thanks to the funds raised at our annual gala, GEC has finally purchased a brand new 2023 Ford Transit 12-passenger van . . . complete with fuzzy dice. We can finally hit the road and this van will assist in the transport of the kiddos to all sorts of activities both fun and educational.

As you may recall from an earlier newsletter, GEC friends Michelle & Steven Karlik recently donated a 2008 Ford Edge to the center (read the article).

This little crossover has proved invaluable to the center and students getting them to and from school, doctor appointments and so much more. It's helped over 10 kids learn how to drive safely and legally. Last month Julio used the car to take his test and is now a fully licensed driver!

A.J. and his younger brother Aaron, both started attending the center in Kindergarten, a few years apart. In 2023 they will be doing something together – they will both be graduating. Over the past decade and a half, these brothers have watched the center grow. It wasn’t always easy for them. They loved participating in the center’s various programs supported by organizations such as Naples Children’s Education Foundation (NCEF). READ MORE . . .

GEC has been all over the news this year (so far 4 times in 2023)!

We are truly blessed to be supported by so many in our community who are willing to share with everyone the amazing work we are doing and how amazing our kiddos are.

Click the image to watch a video piece done by Fox 4 News and Shari Armstrong.

Fiesta Mexicana 2023 was a tremendous success!

We were joined by dozens of friends and family to celebrate all the kindness and love we shared as a GEC family this year.

Your support has been tremendous and it was the least the families could do to thank each and every one of you for believing in their children and supporting the mission of GEC.

Larry hated math, plain and simple. He just didn’t feel he was any good at math and for that reason, it was always his least favorite subject. He felt he would never succeed at math, which was a challenge the educators at GEC were ready to accept. Teachers and volunteers worked patiently with Larry and helped shape an understanding of the subject.  READ MORE . . .