Palm Beach Society: After loss, friends find a way to remember while giving to others

If it’s sweltering outside oh-so-chill inside, it must be the annual Summer Happy Hour for the Duke Nelson Memorial Scholarship Foundation.

The fourth annual event took place Aug. 7 at Meat Market .

Maribel Alvarez, Carolina Buia and Francesca Jabbour were chairwomen for the evening, which included cocktails, creative hors d’oeuvres, music, and a silent auction offering restaurant gift certificates, Miami Heat VIP tickets, a customized Crisloid backgammon board, and a William Yeoward caviar serving dish donated by Mary Mahoney.

Robert Riva was chairman.

More Palm Beach society news here .

The scholarship, awarded to Dreyfoos School of the Arts students, is named for Duke Nelson, a Dreyfoos graduate who died at 23 after being hit by a stray bullet while he was filming on a Fort Lauderdale street.

Dreyfoos student Siena Barefoot created a video featuring photos and quotes from some of Nelson’s friends that played on a continuous loop during the evening.

Riva spoke about Nelson being like his little brother. “Duke was my little brother’s best friend and a little brother to me. Duke had a gift for music and videography, but his real talent was in how he cared for others and brought people together. I wish we could have shared more moments, but I’m incredibly thankful for the time we had together,” Riva said.

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