Humberto Comellas currently sits on the board of several Not For Profit’s including The Alzheimer’s Association, Take Stock in Children (TSIC) and The Coral Gables Museum. He has also served on The YMCA of South Florida and the Dranoff Two Piano Foundation. “My beloved mother-in-law, Ileana “Nana” Merino passed away at the young age of 75 after fighting Alz for almost 4 years,” he says. “Seeing what it did to an incredibly vibrant and elegant woman was heart-wrenching. Not to mention the effects on her husband and family.” Since then, he has vowed to help raise awareness and fight for a cure. His other cause, Take Stock In Children is an organization that helps at-risk youth get college scholarships through a mentoring program. They take kids that would not normally qualify for assistance due to their grades and provides the means for life-changing education. “I’ve mentored three college graduates personally and am currently seeing my fourth at Hialeah-Miami Lakes High School,” he says. “I enjoy the interaction, I like seeing the kids’ faces light up when they realize how much potential they have — simply listening when they feel they don’t have a voice is so rewarding.” And the successes have lasting effects. “Watching them graduate is so inspiring,” he says. “To think that just a few years earlier, they were one wrong decision away from dropping out and not fulfilling their true potential! That is why we do what we do!”; ALZ.org; TakeStockInChildren.org.
