Stan Fischer said he has been guided by the motto, “Never forgetting our heritage, always giving back,” for the past 16 years.
Fischer said the desire to give back is what motivated him and other residents of The Plantation at Leesburg to change the mission of the African American Heritage Club of the Plantation from being a social club to a nonprofit supporting Central Florida communities.
“Although we come from divergent backgrounds, we have a common interest and pride ourselves in being able to give back and provide assistance to others who may perhaps be less fortunate,” said Fischer, one of the club’s founders and its current president.
Members of AAHCP, which over 17 years has donated $132,000, are committed to contributing to the community through scholarships, holiday baskets and events.
Every year, members put together holiday baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas for families with students at Leesburg High School, Oak Park Middle School, Leesburg Elementary School, Carver Elementary School, Rimes Early Learning & Literacy Center and Beverly Shores Elementary School.
“One of our members, who was an employee at the school system, was very aware that during the Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays there were many families who went without food,” Fischer said. “We identified six schools early on and built a relationship with the guidance counselors. The counselor would identify families within the school who needed food assistance. We would buy a full meal for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and deliver it to the school for them to pick up.”
Twelve local families were assisted during the club’s first basket giveaway. Since then, AAHCP has contributed more than $21,300 toward 221 Thanksgiving and
123 Christmas baskets. It also has purchased more than $9,800 in toys and clothes.
“Some of our families who are going to the schools are actually homeless, so they have other needs,” Fischer said. “Within the last four or five years, we have moved from just giving out a food basket to other needs that were identified by the counselors as well. We have given out toys, clothing, bedding, shoes and other items.”
The club uses its annual Soul Train Dance to raise money to purchase items for the baskets.
The Soul Train Dance, which features a Soul Train Line and a best afro contest, is a signature event for AAHCP. Tickets have sold out every year since 2010. This year, the club sold 225 tickets for the dance that was on Saturday at The Manor at The Plantation at Leesburg.
The nonprofit also brings the community together during its monthly Plantation Game Day, a competition-based social event, and its annual Scholarship Golf Tournament. AAHCP raises money for its scholarship program through its annual golf tournament in April at The Plantation Golf Club.
“The success of the Soul Train Dance determines how many holiday baskets and Christmas assistance we can give, while the golf tournament normally determines how many scholarships we’re going to be able to give out,” Fischer said.
Since 2010, AAHCP has awarded $1,000 scholarships to 89 graduating seniors. In May, the organization handed out scholarships to 10 students from Leesburg High School, Umatilla High School, Mount Dora High School, Lake Minneola High School, Eustis High School and Evans High School. During 2024 and 2025, 14 seniors received scholarships.
Fischer said there has been an increase in the number of students awarded from a wider range of schools in hopes of expanding their impact.
“We hope that we plant a seed that students will remember,” he said. “If that student goes on to do something with their lives, then we feel fortunate to have been a part of it. When we first started out, awards were limited to Leesburg High School, but within the past three years, we have broadened our scope to what we consider the Central Florida area.”
AAHCP has contributed over $17,500 within the last five years for other nonprofits and community service projects outside of its annual initiatives, including a recent $1,000 donation to a Leesburg pee-wee football league to help the team purchase uniforms.
Art Whorley, vice president of the AAHCP and chair of outreach, said he’s been involved with the nonprofit from the beginning because he understands what it’s like to live in hardship.
“I came from the same environment and so I know how it feels not to have food on the table or how it feels not to have funds to do sports activities,” Whorley said. “That was the whole crux of us saying we need to get back to the community because we realize that we were blessed and we realize they are people in need out there. We know we can’t solve all the issues, but we can make a small difference and that’s what we try to do.”
For more information about AAHCP or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit aahcp-fl.com.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
