Corporate Cup Challenge at YMCA of South Palm Beach County

Fifth Third Bank won the 2011 Corporate Cup Challenge.  

The latest fitness and money-maker craze will take place Saturday, Nov. 17, when the YMCA of South Palm Beach County holds its second Corporate Cup Challenge.

The challenge is open to local companies who can field teams of 10-15 people to compete in 15 different events, including tug of war, an obstacle course and a raft relay. The cost is $1,000 per team

"We heard that other Y's were having success with this event," says Cindy Grassi, business manager at the Peter Blum Family branch in Boca Raton.

The Boca Y started small, had seven companies enter last year. Grassi is hoping to double that number this year.

Jupiter walk to honor Suncoast High School junior

Zoe Loren jumping (Photo provided)

When hundreds, maybe even 1,000 people, show up for the 5K Run/Walk at Carlin Park on Nov. 11, they will do it to make a difference in honor of a lively teenager.

Zoe Loren had a range of interests that focused on photography and art. She created video shoots for her friends which she planned the location, poses and clothes. She dreamed about becoming a creative director for a magazine, living in New York City.

She was also a compassionate person who cared about the homeless, stray animals and the less fortunate students at the Arthur Meyer Jewish Academy in West Palm Beach and Suncoast High School in Riviera Beach.

"She sometimes came home and talked about students not having enough money for a class trip," her mom Evonn recalls. "So we (with husband Bruce) would donate anonymously to make sure that the students could go."

Midwest couple now running Kayak Lake Worth

Emily and Bryce Billings

Three years ago, Emily and Bryce Billings got married, pulled up their Midwest roots and moved to South Florida.

They wanted to live and work by the water, Emily says, and South Florida fit that bill. They started in Miami, gradually moved up the coast to check out Delray Beach and eventually settled in Lake Worth. Its laid-back feel and affordable homes near the water captured their hearts. They rented for a while and bought a home there in December.

Then in May, the former owner of Kayak Lake Worth needed to sell the business or close it. The mobile kayak business now required more time than Ian Esplin had to spare because he also had a full-time job and a family, Emily says. So the Billings couple bought his business with the hopes of turning it into a 7-day operation.

Yoga for cancer patients in West Palm Beach

Rambling Ron at the Sari Center

Nestled on the eighth floor of a Flagler Drive medical office building, the Sari Asher Center oozes a peaceful feeling as soon as you enter its doors.

The West Palm Beach center offers complementary therapies to enhance the quality of life of cancer patients, regardless of where you had surgery and treatments. Among its offerings are yoga by-donation classes taught on Tuesday and Thursday mornings by famed instructor Priyanka Shanbag.

On a recent Tuesday morning, she has eight students, seven women, including one in wheelchair, and one man. The wheelchair user, a woman named Elba, eases out of her chair and onto a yoga mat before class starts.

Gentle introductions

Shanbag makes everyone feel comfortable by having each person put an adjective in front of their first name as a way of introducing each other. She goes first, and calls herself: Precious Priyanka. Elba is "Enthusiastic Elba," and Mary calls herself  "Merry Mary," adding that it's her first time here at the Sari Center. Amy dubs herself, "Annoyed Amy" because she is just feeling annoyed.

Wellington widow starts walking team to honor husband

The Herrera family: Crystal, Jorge and Isabella 

Crystal Ryan Herrera became a widow at age 29.

Her husband Jorge died in March 2011. He was clutching their 14-month-old daughter Isabella in his arms when he called out to Crystal. 

He never got to see the son she was carrying. Matthew was born a few months later.

Her husband's passing from sudden cardiac death rattled her soul. Her mom moved into the Wellington home she shared with her husband to help her. She went to grief counseling where she slowly learned to forge a separate identity. She also joined a club for widows to connect with like-minded people. And she found ways to keep Jorge's memory alive.