The Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach knows how to throw a party with purpose — and this year, the celebration ended with a winning drive for families battling childhood cancer.
At the club’s Sept. 4 meeting, the Jaguars dulcet-toned play-by-play man Brian Sexton returned for his annual ritual: offering up his trademark football forecasts for the upcoming season.
But the real headline came when Sexton — joined by adored former Jags coach Tom Coughlin — accepted a $5,000 donation for the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund.
The check was the latest dividend from April’s Mineral City Celebration, the Rotary’s marquee gala and a fixture on the First Coast’s social calendar.
Staged this spring inside a transformed hangar at the St. Augustine airport, the benefit raised approximately $100,000 for local charities. Groups are invited to apply for a portion of the funds each year.
As part of the event, the Rotary crowns a “Rock of the Community” — a distinction reserved for someone whose service and leadership have made a lasting impact.
Sexton earned that honor in 2025. With the title came an added perk: the chance to direct a portion of the gala’s proceeds to the charity of his choice. His pick was clear.
The Jay Fund was launched by Coughlin in 1996 in memory of Boston College player Jay McGillis, who lost his battle with leukemia.
Since then, the foundation has become a lifeline for families in Northeast Florida and beyond, delivering more than $20 million in financial assistance and emotional support to help them weather the off-field fight of a lifetime.
Dozens of area nonprofits benefit annually from the Rotary’s efforts, but the Rock of the Community gets one guaranteed call. Sexton used it to shine the spotlight on Coughlin’s work.
