(left to right) Jessica Henderson, Erin Rose, Paulina Zachowicz, Valatou Tassopoulos, Maria Kelly and Delores Barr Weaver

With the holiday season and New Year almost upon us, it is time once again to take a look back at the highlights of the year.

For Lieutenant (junior grade) (LTJG) John Bellezza, a U.S. Navy flight officer stationed in Jacksonville, one of 2014’s highpoints was attending THE PLAYERS Championship, visiting the Patriots’ Outpost and winning the grand prize at The John Gorrie a condominium booth.

“I was so surprised,” Bellezza said. “I never expected to win.”

The top prize included six tickets to attend a 2014 Jaguars home game in the Weaver Suite at EverBank Field with J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver, original owners of the Jacksonville Jaguars and owners of The John Gorrie a condominium. The prize also included a pre-game brunch at Black Sheep Restaurant in Riverside.

Bellezza, a sports fan, was thrilled to win but quickly realized he would be in Japan on deployment during the entire football season. He hated to see the tickets go to waste, and asked if his fiancé, Paulina Zachowicz, could attend in his place.

“The Weavers were so flexible and understanding,” Bellezza said. “Paulina had an awesome experience and I was happy she could attend in my place. I definitely want to attend a Jacksonville Jaguars game when I return home.”

The contest winner was invited to select from a choice of home games and Zachowicz selected the Jaguars contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bellezza and Zachowicz are both graduates of Penn State University.

“I was thrilled to go to a Jacksonville Jaguars game,” Zachowicz said. “The Weavers were so nice and welcoming. It was my first game and an experience I’ll never forget.”

Following the game, Delores Barr Weaver sent a Jaguars cap and banner to John as a remembrance from the game and a small token of thanks for his service to our country. The Weavers are well known for numerous philanthropic efforts throughout the First Coast, and have great admiration for the men and women that represent the United States Armed Forces.

“While we missed having John join us, we enjoyed meeting Paulina and her friends,” Delores Weaver said. “We sincerely appreciate the contributions and sacrifices that John and all the members of the military make on our behalf. We are very fortunate to live in a country with a great military that protects its citizens around the world, 24/7.”

Weaver is also passionate about preserving Jacksonville’s history including the continued revitalization of the Riverside-Avondale neighborhood and sustaining the rich architectural heritage of the area.

In 2009, she and her husband purchased an abandoned school that had once been an architectural gem in the historic neighborhood of Riverside/Avondale. Designed by architects, Roy A. Benjamin and Mellen C. Greeley, the school’s ornate design reflects Mediterranean Revival architecture popular in the early 1920s. The John Gorrie Junior High School was built in 1923, listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 and officially closed in 1997. After 12 years of neglect and disrepair, Weaver began the meticulous restoration and renovation of the two buildings that housed the school, investing a substantial amount of her own time and money into the project.

She completed the extensive renovation and restoration in 2011, transforming the historic landmark school into 68 residences with luxurious contemporary amenities including 12-foot ceilings, expansive windows, stainless steel GE appliances, CaesarStone countertops and hardwood floors. Many of the residences include elements from its former use as a school.

The John Gorrie offers studios, one- and two-bedroom residences and two-story townhomes priced from the mid-$100,000s. Amenities include a custom fitness center, a private courtyard, elevators, private gated parking and a resident reading room with Wi-Fi Internet access. Owners at The John Gorrie a condominium receive an ad valorem tax abatement toward their homeowner’s tax bill through 2021.

For more information about The John Gorrie community, call (904) 383-3688 or visit www.TheJohnGorrie.com.