In March 2009, when the Alzheimer’s Family Center honored Miami Dolphins player Keith Sims at its “A Man for All Seasons” Black Tie Gala, our company was asked to be a media sponsor. And we were proud to help. And true to us, once we learned more about this amazing and much needed local gem of an organization, and how much they honestly do to help families in need at such a vulnerable time in their lives, we got much more involved .

So of course, we’re willing once again to get the word out about this wonderful organization’s 14th annual gala on March 6 of this year. The event itself is incredible with literally HUNDREDS of prizes including jewelry, trips & gift certificates up for grabs. Plus dancing, amazing food and a powerful mingling of over 400 fun, local movers and shakers.

However, this year, we kind of ran into a challenge when the Alzheimer’s Family Center chose to honor our very own Mindi and Hank Rudan, publishers of the three Life Publications. Knowing the Rudans would be the last people to toot their own horn, us Lifers had to do something that hasn’t been done in the history of Life Publications; run an article that had NOT been approved for print by Mindi. We were on a stealth mission to get an article on this amazing event to print WITHOUT Mindi or Hank finding out, because we felt they were most deserving of this great honor bestowed upon them by the Alzheimer’s Family Center and once, just once we kinda wanted to “surprise” them. (Although, if all of the employee names in March’s Masthead are different, you’ll know why! But as employees of this wonderful company being honored, we too were humbled and honored to be a part of it, and wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate Mindi and Hank in their own magazine.)

According to Event Chairman Elizabeth Mate, choosing to honor the Rudans “was an easy choice. The Rudans have been so generous and exceptional in their kindness to the center, it gives us immense pleasure to provide this tribute to them. This year’s theme, ‘a celebration of life’ we feel is quite fitting for the Rudans,” she said.

You may know Mindi from her touching and humorous monthly “At the Edge” columns in Life Publications, or maybe through the Coconut Creek Chamber of Commerce which she chairs, donating her time to helping it grow over the years; but what you may not know about this dynamic woman is, just what was her inspiration behind using our magazines to promote so many civic and non-profit organizations, giving them the opportunity to reach out to many more potential supporters in the community. Her inspiration as usual, was her mom.

Born in NJ, Mindi wrote professionally since the age of 19, first for local newspapers and later, national magazines. In 1995, she recognized a dream when asked to write a book by the great Judith Reagan which was published just under a year later, titled “Men: The Handbook.” A voracious reader since the “see Dick run,” era, the printed word captivated, seduced and most often challenged her. “When used properly, the power of print has the miraculous capacity to inspire, influence, heal and move mountains to help,” reads a bio we took much of this from. A lesson she learned early on when a small newspaper in her hometown covered a “fun-fair” she and her brother were holding for a charity that supported asthma—a condition both her mother and brother suffered from. A reporter did a story on kids raising money to help an organization that could help their mom—and instead of a few people coming to the small backyard fair, nearly the entire neighborhood showed up—and hundreds of dollars were raised. The influence that small article generated had an impact on an entire community—and Rudan became a person enamored—and in awe of-- the power of the written word ever since.