Neapolitan Damien Leroy has been flying as high as only a world-champion kiteboarder can in the whirlwind year since his appearance as Gulfshore Life's November '04 cover boy. He has a full schedule of international competition, but he touched land briefly for the Orlando debut of Into the Air, a documentary featuring 12 of the world's best kite-boarders. Producer Rachel Janowicz was full of praise for the sunny-smiled former skier and his board skills.

American Idol runner-up Vonzell "Baby V" Solomon's film debut as a record store clerk in the indie production Still Green was delayed when the crew's camera and two days worth of footage was stolen from their van the day before the shoot, which was to take place at Fort Myers' Silver Platter. Writer-producer Georgia Menides and her crew hoped to connect with Baby V later in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Edison Festival of Lights director Brandee Bryant and festival supporters are dropping heavy hints that Solomon might head this February's parade. Bryant has already scored Blues Traveler as the festival's band.

White nights: This month's gala Best of the Best Naples event, sponsored by our sister magazine Robb Report and honoring Gulfshore Life's Men & Women of the year, has local retailers as well as social butterflies smiling. White is the color of the evening, so store owners are ordering lots of gala gowns and jewelry keyed to that theme. Be warned, ladies: Unlike your basic black, white is not always slimming-now's the time to hit the Pilates studio.

Nonprofit news: Ed Laudise has moved from the Immokalee Friendship House to head the Immokalee Foundation, where he looks forward to working with board chairs Will Larson and Don O'Neill. Laudise, who always appealed directly to the Gulfshore community when the homeless shelter needed food and blankets, promises that we'll hear from him in his new position: "I'll be whining and complaining about something Immokalee needs.". Former CAN director Steve Wheeler is now raising money for pediatric oncology with Lee Memorial Health System Foundation. His wife, Kathy, mentioned his availability to her hairdresser, who happens to cut foundation exec. director Sharon McDonald's do-that's one way to network.

When supporters of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society take to Vineyards Park for the annual Light the Night celebration and walk, tireless fund raiser Patsy Reeder will have one of the most enthusiastic teams there. She'll also be using the laps as training for her January half-marathon in Orlando, also sponsored by the society.

Collier American Red Cross head Deborah Horvath and her staff trained more than 250 volunteers in the first couple of weeks after Hurricane Katrina, with about 60 of them committing to a three-week trip to the Gulf Coast. The drill was familiar to Bonita Springs' Karyl Menzies. In her late 70s, she was one of the first to head to the devastated region and has been deployed for the Red Cross many times. Although needs in the Katrina-ravaged areas are immediate, when her group trains volunteers, Horvath says, "We hope they'll be so moved that they'll stay with us" to help the organization staff local shelters and help out with ongoing area needs.

At Gulfshore Business' 40-under-40 event, Canterbury headmaster Mason Goss said the Fort Myers school had already welcomed five children left classroom-less by Katrina. At Community School in Naples, two Gulf Coast girls had enrolled, their tuitions paid for by an anonymous Gulfshore donor.

Friends say that Collier conservation queen Ellin Goetz was one of biggest rainmakers behind the push to get the county's new comprehensive recycling program in place. When shiny big bins appeared magically on doorsteps, a couple of ladies confessed themselves delighted with the lids that now hide their wine bottles from nosy neighbors. Now, if they could come with white noise machines to disguise the telltale sounds of glass-crunching .

To share nonprofit news or highlights from the social scene, please e-mail tracyj@gulfshorelife.com.