Woman’s Club Awards Scholarships, Installs New Officers

The Marco Island Woman’s Club (MIWC) is a vibrant group of women united in friendship, community service, and the drive to make a positive impact in our community. Through our events, programs, and charitable efforts, MIWC proudly supports education, scholarships, and local community initiatives through the Marco Island Woman’s Club Charitable Foundation and the Marco Island Woman’s Club Education Foundation. Naples Lakes Country Club was the place to be on May 6 as we celebrated the end of our 2025-26 season and embraced the beginning of a bright future for our scholarship recipients and our new MIWC Executive Board. The energy was palpable! This event clearly defined the Marco Island Woman’s Club as more than just a club. We are a movement with an element of electricity that will ignite our future!

One of the most important projects of the Marco Island Woman’s Club is our dedicated support of higher education for local students. In 1988, a generous donation from MIWC member Signe Gleich established the MIWC Education Foundation. In 2011, MIWC member Verne Cabooris left a generous donation to the Education Foundation, establishing a four-year scholarship in her honor. Evelyn McDowell joined the club in 1984 and two years later became the club’s President. She was involved with many committees and most of all relished her time on the Scholarship Committee. In 2022, Evelyn’s estate made a generous bequeathal to the MIWC Education Foundation, establishing an additional four-year scholarship in her honor.

These two $20,000 scholarships are awarded over four years and are paid directly to the college or university.

Recently, the MIWC Education Foundation received a generous donation from the estate of Marco Islanders Linda and Edward Greer, establishing The Linda and Edward Greer Memorial Scholarship. Linda served as President of The Marco Island Woman’s Club from 2005-2006. She was a long-time member of the Education Committee who enjoyed a lifelong career in nursing, bringing her spirit of kindness and healing to the club. In the inaugural year of this scholarship, each recipient is pursuing a career in health care. Linda’s remarkable generosity and deep commitment to MIWC will continue to inspire others, as the scholarship will support educational opportunities for many years to come.

MIWC Education Committee Chair Anne Marchetti proudly announced, “This year, the MIWC Education Foundation is awarding: $31,000 to six college students continuing their previously awarded Verne Cabooris and Evelyn McDowell scholarships and $42,000 to eleven of our well-deserving local high school seniors. $23,675 is being given as Renewable Scholarships to ten college students who were previous recipients of our scholarships. These monetary amounts make it a grand total of $96,675 to a total of twenty-seven amazing students for the 2026-2027 school year.” Since 1989, MIWC has awarded over $945,000 to more than 270 recipients.

Each of the scholarship recipients has shown exemplary performance in academics, special interests, volunteerism, and community service. Chloe Doxsee, this year’s recipient of the Verne Cabooris Scholarship, will graduate from Lely High School and attend Florida State University. Evelyn McDowell Scholarship recipient Logan Terreri will soon graduate from the Marco Island Academy and attend the University of Florida. Each of these scholarships will award $5,000 a year for four years to the recipients.

Each scholarship recipient expressed their extreme gratitude to MIWC for our generosity and dedication to education. Perhaps the most grounding message of the day came from Logan Terreri as he thanked not only our club, but his family for their support and guidance in leading him to this remarkable honor.

In addition to our scholarship program, the Marco Island Woman’s Club Charitable Foundation is awarding $43,500 in donations to various charitable organizations and causes in our community. Stay tuned for detailed information in future updates!

Our May luncheon was also the time when we showed gratitude for our outgoing 2025-26 President Sue Purvis and Board, while welcoming and installing our new President and Executive Board. The 2026-27 MIWC Executive Board is served by Tammy Barstow, President; Karen Caster, Vice-President; Roxana Rascoe, Treasurer; Karen Burlage, Assistant Treasurer; Tiffany Mercer, Recording Secretary; and Anna Hutchings, Corresponding Secretary. It is going to be a wonderful year as we move forward, celebrating our 60-year diamond jubilee anniversary of commitment to our community!

Our club continues to grow in leaps and bounds! Membership Chair Joyce Frame introduced five new members. We welcomed Marie McIntosh, Kim Walsh, Rita Krett, Becky Regan, and Linda Spell. Linda Spell was celebrating her birthday that day and described herself as a nineteen-year-old woman trapped in an (age undisclosed) body. That is the attitude of a true MIWC member! We are ladies of all ages, backgrounds, and talents, united in vibrant enthusiasm, energy, and dedication to our community through friendship, service, kindness, and goodwill. Membership is available to all women who live on Marco Island or Goodland, seasonal or full-time, whether you own or rent.

Did you know that you can leave a lasting impact to this community with a legacy in your name or that of a loved one? This is an amazing opportunity that will continue to support our community for many years to come in donations and scholarships.