FLITE Center West Palm Beach will launch its inaugural FLITE Center Gunther Motor Company Collective Impact Awards presented by South Florida Business and Wealth (SFBW) honoring Palm Beach County youth advocates at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27, at The Studio at The Ben Autograph Collection Hotel (251 N. Narcissus in West Palm Beach). Special guest host CBS 12 Anchor Liz Quirantes will emcee the event that will recognize individuals and companies for their advocacy and support of FLITE Center’s mission to aid vulnerable youth in South Florida’s Transitional Independent Living (TIL) System of Care. Honorees include The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation who will receive the newly created Dr. Heidi Schaeffer Trailblazer Award, named for FLITE Center’s newest board member and longtime advocate; Suzanne Cabrera, CEO, Housing Leadership Council, and Junior League of the Palm Beaches, who will receive Ripple Effect Awards; Excel Construction of Florida who will receive the Bridge Builder Award; and Payne Chapel A.M.E.C and Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force who will receive Community Collaborator Awards. Marian M.E. Bluntson Wingate will be honored with an In Memoriam dedication. FLITE Center has been serving the West Palm Beach community since 2021. In 2022, it expanded its services by adding a 1,500-square-foot drop-in center located in the historic northwest sector of downtown - in an area youth can easily reach. This past February, new property space began providing a safe, secure and reliable immediate housing emergency landing space lovingly called Falcon Ridge for human trafficking survivor youth and their families. FLITE Center offers comprehensive and seamless service delivery for youth and young adults ages 10 to 25 involved in the child welfare system, including youth with special and behavioral needs, survivors of human trafficking, youth from the Department of Juvenile Justice, youth who have no high school diploma, those who are unemployed, homeless, or facing any other unfortunate circumstance. It ensures that youth develop essential skills and competencies in daily living, decision-making and interpersonal communication; crucial modules to begin building their lives as productive members of the community. To achieve these goals, FLITE Center partners with nonprofit organizations, government agencies, corporations, and private citizens. Last year, FLITE Center served nearly 2,000 young adults in the Transitional Independent Living (TIL) System of Care. The Flite Center Gunther Motor Company Collective Impact Awards presented by SFBW is additionally sponsored by GoldLaw Personal Injury Lawyers, DEX Imaging, Vegso Family Foundation, Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith, PLLC, Reicherter Foundation, Waterstone Resort & Marina, and Oceans 234. Tickets start at $75 per person and include two drink selections plus gourmet hors d'oeuvres (a full cash bar will be available after the event) and are available to purchase at www.flitecenter.org/PBImpact. For additional sponsorship information, contact Alex Ortiz, FLITE Center’s director of development, at alex@flitecenter.org. For more information about FLITE Center and its initiatives, please visit www.flitecenter.org.