Former Gifford youth baseball, softball and football players from the 1960s and 1970s, former Indian River County Float Committee queens and participants, church pastors, community leaders and citizens are all invited to "An Evening of Caring and Sharing: Honoring J. Ralph Lundy," on Saturday, July 26, at the Gifford Youth Activity Center.

Lundy retired as director of Our Father's Table Soup Kitchen on June 14, 2008, after having served as director for 20 years. His retirement closes out the final chapter of his 50 years of dedicated community service to Gifford and Indian River County. His longest service was 30 years as the president of the Progressive Civic League of Gifford from the 1960s to 1990s.

During the 1960s and 1970s Lundy organized and coached Gifford youth sports teams which competed in tournaments as far away as Key West. Among Lundy's many other services, he established the Indian River Float Committee through which annual teen pageant winners participated in a major parade in Miami, and started two community radio shows, including Gospel Caravan in 1963 - currently one of the longest-running gospel music programs in Florida.

In addition, Lundy served on several committees and boards in Indian River County and was a Vero Beach Recreation Department youth sports team coach. All of Lundy's community services will be highlighted at the July 26 event, which will include a social hour with light refreshments starting at 6 p.m. followed by the program which will begin promptly at 7 p.m. The pastors and community leaders, or their representative, are asked to register at the door to be properly acknowledged during the program.