A celebration of 100 years of Boca Raton is expected to bring hundreds to The Boca Raton on the evening of Saturday, Nov. 1, for the 10th-annual Mayors Ball.
Presented by Terra and Frisbie Group and dubbed by Boca magazine as a “don’t miss event of the season,” this lavish black-tie gala will attract the best of Boca—from C-suiters who lead many of the city’s largest employers to elected officials and philanthropists.
The Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton started the Mayors Ball in 2015 and the Club’s Fund Board distributes event proceeds to a slew of nonprofits through “Service Above Self” grants, touching thousands of lives.
Emcees will be WPBF-TV Channel 25 Meteorologist Glenn Glazer and Rotarian Michelle McLean, who served as Miss Universe 1992.
To reflect the Centennial, awards across four categories are named in honor of three former mayors and the legendary Addison Mizner.
The George Long Award (Large Business Category) pays homage to the city’s first mayor and is bestowed upon Town Center at Boca Raton, a Simon Property shopping center. In business since 1980, the mall houses over 200 businesses.
The J.C. Mitchell Award (Small Business Category) honors the city’s longest serving mayor. The award recognizes The Addison, founded in 1925 as Addison Mizner’s home base as he built what is now The Boca Raton. In 2025, The Addison serves as an exquisite venue for hundreds of weddings, special events and fundraisers each year.
The Susan Whelchel Award (Best Nonprofit) is named after Boca’s most beloved mayor who added much to the city in terms of education, art and economic development. The recipient is the George Snow Scholarship Fund. Since 1982, the Fund has awarded over $36 million in scholarships and support services to 3,692 students.
The Addison Mizner Award (Individual) reflects the enriching and enthusiastic spirit of our most iconic resident who lives on with his name adorning many public places. It is being presented to longtime citizen Gary Peters who started a family foundation in 2004 which has awarded millions of dollars in grants. He is also the driving force behind Boca Helping Hands.
The awards will be presented by Rotary Fund Board Co-Chairs Jonathan Whitney and Ingrid Fulmer.
Also being honored are George Brown, who served Boca Raton for nearly 50 years, the last two as city manager, and Jon Kaye, a founding member of Downtown Rotary who conceived the Mayors Ball during his Club presidency and continued to produce it into one of the region’s most popular and successful galas, aiding the community’s health and wellness needs.
A special guest will be Barry Rassin, past International President of Rotary who led 1.4 million Rotarians across 200 countries.
Contact Bob Tucker at 522butcker@gmail.com for sponsorships, tickets and other details. Check out rotarydowntownbocaraton.org for Club information.
