May 11 2026: An earlier version of this story mislabeled the location of the event and the event seating tickets. The details have been edited to display the correct information.

To celebrate its founding year of 1976, the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches held its 50th Anniversary Dinner May 1 in Cohen Pavilion at the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.

Since its establishment, the club has hosted over 500 guest speakers, with former President Jimmy Carter being the first, according to Forum Club Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sarah Elwell. According to her, the overall goal of the 800-member club is to “bring the business community, political community, and civic leaders together for meaningful conversations.”

“It’s important for people to listen and learn from our leaders,” Mrs. Elwell said. “Regardless of your political affiliation, being in a room and listening to different viewpoints is so integral. The next generation is pivotal to our future and being involved in these conversations is essential.” 

Tickets to the event at the Kravis Center, which the Forum Club has had a partnership with for over 20 years, were sold in advance. Each attendee was limited to one member ticket and one guest ticket due to demand. Measures such as lane closures, attendance of Secret Service agents, and increased police presence were included in the event.

 “(The event) made me leave early (from school) because I knew the lane closures would have made it forever to get out,” communications junior Shalin Patel said. “It was really cool that we were having the president of the United States next to our school speaking at an event even though I was worried about all the traffic that it was going to cause.” 

The event began when Forum Club president Harvey E. Oyer III led the audience in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a speech about what it meant to him to be president of the club this year. After Oyer’s speech, the 45th and 47th president of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump, was introduced to the stage while the song “God Bless The U.S.A” by Lee Greenwood played in the background. In his speech, President Trump spoke about topics such as gas prices, political relations with Mexico, and the ongoing conflict with Iran. 

“It’s a pleasure to be back with so many friends, and neighbors in a place that I love, and in a place that I call home, Palm Beach,” President Trump said in his speech.

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Valentina Saenz-Daza

Held at the Cohen Pavilion at The Kravis Center, the 50th Anniversary of the Forum club hosted approximately 600 attendees. The event began with a dinner and proceeded with speeches, including ones by the leaders of the organization and guest speaker President Donald J. Trump.