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ON HER 100th BIRTHDAY,
SEPTEMBER 24, 2012
THE COMMUNITY WILL CELEBRATE THE SELFLESS
AND INSPIRING PHILANTHROPY OF
HENRIETTA, COUNTESS DE HOERNLE, “OUR LEGEND, HER LEGACY”
Festivities Include the “Royal Treatment” with Black or
White Tie Formal, Military or Scottish Equivalent,
Tiaras, Regalia, and Decorations at Benefit Gala,
and a “Red, White and Boca-Blue”
Countess Appreciation Day Planned to Shower Her
with Record-Breaking “Community Wishes”
BOCA RATON, FL - To celebrate Henrietta, Countess de
Hoernle’s immense, selfless contributions to the community,
the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller
Commandery of Florida invites the community-at-large to join
together in honoring the Countess in several ways on her
100th Birthday, Monday, September 24, 2012. Festivities
include a formal gala celebration presented by the Order of
St. John to benefit local charities, a communitywide “Red,
White & Boca-Blue Countess Appreciation Day” and the
presentation of what is planned to be a record-breaking
birthday card.
Managing her charitable work from her home since 1981
without any staff, the Countess de Hoernle has selflessly
given away more than $40 million of her personal funds to
local charities while serving on 16 boards of directors each
year for more than 25 years, for more than 30 different
charities in her lifetime. Serving as an indelible and
inspiring role model of philanthropy with wisdom and grace,
there are more than 40 buildings named in her honor
throughout Boca Raton, Palm Beach County, New York and
abroad.
To celebrate in royal style at the “Our
Legend, Her Legacy” themed benefit gala that begins with
cocktails at 6:00 p.m. at Boca West Country Club, more than
700 dignitaries and community, business, and nonprofit
leaders will don black or white tie, military or Scottish
equivalent, tiaras, regalia, and decorations for dinner,
music, multi-media tributes, dancing, reminiscing, a video
retrospective and presentation of a gigantic birthday card
signed by thousands from the community she has long
supported.
Presented by the Order of St. John, Chaired Dame Isabelle K.
Paul DCGSJ and Vice-Chair Dame Alyce E. Erickson DSJ with
Honorary Chairs Christine Lynn and Barbara and Dick Schmidt,
the event is being held as a benefit to fulfill the
Countess’s 100th birthday wish of raising significant funds
to benefit Boca Raton area nonprofits. Sponsorships at
various levels, commemorative journal tribute ads and
birthday greetings, tables of 10 and individual seats at
$375 per person are available at www.countess100.org.
According to Dames Paul and Erickson, the gala’s program
journal will be sent to the Library of Congress, and the
Florida State and Boca Raton Historical Societies for
inclusion in their historic archives.
Throughout the day on her birthday September 24th deemed
“Red, White, & Boca-Blue Countess Appreciation Day”, the
community is encouraged to pay visual tribute to the
Countess for her patriotism for the United States, her
“country by choice”, by wearing red, white, and blue and
wrapping trees with red, white, and blue ribbons. In
preparation for the gala event, the public-at-large is
invited and encouraged to come out this summer to sign
birthday card panels (available from late July to early
September) that will be on display at convenient locations
throughout the community. The panels will then be assembled
as one card for its debut at the gala event celebration.
Details will soon be announced about where and how
residents, nonprofits, schools, companies, and City and
County officials and staff can participate in what is
expected to be a heart-warming, record-breaking initiative.
“The Countess is an expert at ‘drive-by’ giving,” added
Gregory W. Schultz of Wellington, C100 CEO and a long-time
member of The Order of St. John. “She looks to see where the
need is, and armed only with her pen and notebook, with no
secretary or entourage, she—and she alone—decides what to
give, how much, to whom and how, often hand-delivering her
gift within hours of first learning about those who need it
the most.”
Born Henrietta Rach in Karlsruhe, Germany on September 24,
1912, she immigrated to the U.S. at age 18 aboard the S.S.
Pennland in 1931 to live with her grandparents in Jackson
Heights in Queens, NY and became an “American by choice”.
After being twice widowed (her second husband Jeff Gass
served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was later
put in charge of all the documents for the Nuremburg
trials), she married engineer and entrepreneur Adolph, Count
de Hoernle (who immigrated to the U.S. in 1926) in 1950 and
whose family fortune was created as owner of the Stewart
Stamping Corp., Yonkers, NY, a manufacturer of stamped metal
products. She has two daughters and nine grandchildren.
While living in Bronxville, NY, the Countess began
volunteering at Lawrence Hospital’s thrift shop. While
there, she noticed many plaques in the hospital stating
"This room is donated by ... ". Inspired by the generosity
of others, the Countess encouraged her husband to do the
same. At the same time, the Countess also volunteered for
local Meals On Wheels programs. Together, the Count and
Countess soon began to provide music scholarships to singers
through the Liederkranz Club, a Manhattan social club
founded by German-Americans to promote social and
instrumental music. Among the first scholarship recipients
was opera star Gene Boucher.
Following the sale of Stewart Stamping in New York in 1965
and considerable world travel (including numerous world
cruises) and many visits to the area, the couple retired to
Boca Raton in 1981—convinced that Boca Raton was, indeed,
the “Jewel of The Gold Coast”. Renewed commitment to her
charitable work became their “new” life in Florida.
“Time, talent and treasure” became her by-words as service
on institutional and organizational boards, community
involvement, leadership in philanthropic efforts and her
commitment to the region became paramount. Boca Raton
Community Hospital received the de Hoernle’s first “Sunshine
State” gift, and it hardly was their last. Other health
organizations, educational facilities, scholarships,
cultural programs, community singing and theater groups,
abused women and children, students, veterans,
first-responders, the elderly and, in particular, the
desperately needy, sick and poor have all benefited from the
remarkable spirit of kindness and giving that rules the life
and daily work of the Countess de Hoernle, our legend as she
inspires the community with her legacy.
The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller,
under Royal Charter and Constitution granted by His Late
Majesty King Peter II of Yugoslavia, is one of the oldest
orders of chivalry in existence and has raised funds to
benefit the sick and the poor of the world since 1048 A.D.
The Countess is its patroness and holder of the Order’s
Grand Cross of Justice and Medal of Merit. The gala on the
occasion of her 100th birthday is organized by the OSJ
Commandery of Florida, a not-for-profit charitable
501(c)(3), tax-exempt organization. Countess de Hoernle’s
regalia, honorary degrees from Lynn University and Northwood
University, awards, plaques, shields and commemorative
photographs are currently on permanent display curated by
the Boca Raton Historical Society at the Spanish River
Library in Boca Raton.
To learn more about the Countess, the gala,
sponsorships, and tickets, as well as updates and how to
participate in the “Red, White & Boca-Blue Countess
Appreciation Day” festivities, visit www.countess100.org and
www.youtube.com/user/Countess100Gala ; “Friend” and
“Like” Countess on Facebook
(
www.facebook.com/countess100 ), or call Gala Chair
Isabelle K. Paul (561) 391-3424.
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About The C100 Birthday Gala: On Henrietta, Countess de
Hoernle’s Birthday, Monday, September 24, 2012:
To celebrate Henrietta, Countess de Hoernle’s immense
selfless contributions to the community in royal style, the
“Our Legend, Her Legacy” themed benefit gala will be held at
Boca West Country Club with more than 700 dignitaries and
community, business, and nonprofit leaders donned in black
or white tie, military or Scottish equivalent, tiaras,
regalia, and decorations for dinner, music, multi-media
tributes and reminiscing. The evening’s program will include
a video retrospective and presentation of a gigantic
birthday card signed by thousands from the community she has
long supported.
Presented by the Order of St. John, Chaired Dame Isabelle K.
Paul DCGSJ and Vice-Chair Dame Alyce E. Erickson DSJ with
Honorary Chairs Christine Lynn and Barbara and Dick Schmidt,
the event is being held as a benefit to fulfill the
Countess’s 100th birthday wish of raising significant funds
to benefit Boca Raton area nonprofits. Sponsorships at
various levels, commemorative journal tribute ads and
birthday greetings, tables of 10 and individual seats at
$375 per person are available at www.countess100.org. The
gala’s program journal will be sent to the Library of
Congress, and the Florida State and Boca Raton Historical
Societies for inclusion in their
historic archives.
About The Countess, “Our Legend, Her Legacy”:
Managing her charitable work from her home since 1981
without any staff, the Countess de Hoernle has selflessly
given away more than $40 million of her personal funds to
local charities while serving on 16 boards of directors each
year for more than 25 years, for more than 30 different
charities in her lifetime. Serving as an indelible and
inspiring role model of philanthropy with wisdom and grace,
there are more than 40 buildings named in her honor
throughout Boca Raton, Palm Beach County, New York and
abroad. For more, visit
www.countess100.org .
About The Presenting Sponsor:
The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller
Commandery of Florida
The Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller,
under Royal Charter and Constitution granted by His Late
Majesty King Peter II of Yugoslavia is one of the oldest
orders of chivalry in existence and has raised funds to
benefit the sick and the poor of the world since 1048 A.D.
The Countess is its patroness and holder of the Order’s
Grand Cross of Justice and Medal of Merit. The gala on the
occasion of her 100th birthday is organized by the OSJ
Commandery of Florida, a not-for-profit charitable
501(c)(3), tax-exempt organization.
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