provided to The Santiva Chornicle
Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille is the presenting sponsor of the Sanibel-Captiva Kiwanis Club’s annual golf tournament supporting scholarships for local students. The Doc Ford’s Invitational 2025 King of the Rock tourney is April 19 at the Dunes Golf & Tennis Club in Sanibel. The event is one of the club’s three major annual fundraisers, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Kiwanis Foundation Scholarship Fund.
“We are pleased to sponsor this important event, which supports our local children,” said Joe Harrity, a partner with HM Restaurant Group, the parent company of Doc Ford’s. “Post-secondary education is so important, and these scholarships help students achieve their dreams.”
Doc Ford’s Sanibel restaurant donated $5,000 to the event, a two-person scramble covering 18 holes, a 9 a.m. shotgun start and lunch. Tournament teams and flights are organized into men’s and women’s divisions with the top finishers receiving prizes and trophies..
Since its founding in 2007, the SanCap Kiwanis scholarship program has awarded over $600,000 in single- and multi-year scholarships to deserving local students pursuing advanced education. Eligible students must have a connection to the Sanibel or Captiva communities as residents or parents who work on the islands. Scholarships are based on academic performance, community service involvement and financial means.
Originating on Sanibel in 2003, Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille is an island favorite and an avid supporter of local causes, recently sponsoring BIG ARTS Sanibel Island’s annual benefit, the Children’s Education Center of the Islands’ Community Day celebration and Wines in the Wild, a fundraiser for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation.
Community, education, conservation and environmental initiatives are at the core of HM Restaurant Group’s philanthropic philosophy. The company supports nonprofit organizations throughout Southwest Florida, including donating $1 from specialty cocktail sales to the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida and Captains For Clean Water’s commitment to improving the health of the Florida Everglades and Florida Bay.
Doc Ford’s is also the title sponsor of the annual “Ding” Darling & Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament, a fundraiser for Sanibel’s J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Now in its 13th year, the tourney has raised nearly $1.3 million. The 2025 event is May 9.
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille is renowned for delivering a legendary guest experience.
Inspired by the title character of Southwest Florida author Randy Wayne White’s novels, Doc Ford’s is beloved for mouth-watering sauces, spices and fresh seafood featuring Caribbean Rim flavors, including its signature Yucatan shrimp. A local favorite for residents and visitors alike, Doc Ford’s offers four locations, including Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach, Jungle Terrace in St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg Pier. A perennial Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice winner, the pier restaurant was named the No. 1 restaurant in the country on the global travel site’s Best of the Best Restaurants for Everyday Eats for 2023.
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