Linda Beasley and Fran Myers pose beneath a sign purchased for the beach by the former Chamber Foundation years ago.

After more than two decades of dedication to island children, Fran Myers is stepping down from leadership of the Beach Kids Foundation.

Myers will remain a board member, but said she’s ready to hand over the reins: Linda Beasley will take over as chairman.

“Part of it is age,” Myers said. “I knew Linda, and wanted to make sure it was someone who had been there from the beginning.”

The Beach Kids Foundation got its start as a function of the Chamber of Commerce. It began in 1986 as the Chamber Foundation.

Don Petruccelli, the 53-year director of the Chamber, brought to the attention of the board that most chambers have a foundation, Myers said. It was his suggestion to focus the foundation on area youth.

Fran Myers speaks during the 2017 Spirit of the Holidays.

Myers was a member of the Chamber and was named chairman of the foundation.

Beasley joined the foundation in 1990. Her husband, Bob, and son, Jason Padilla, had both attended Fort Myers Beach Elementary School.

At first, as a part of the Chamber, the foundation only had a few activities. It raised money for scholarships, and Beasley launched the annual “Golden Coconut” award for the teachers at the school. Lee Schools has the Golden Apple, but the beach’s teachers have never been recognized, Beasley said, so they decided to take matters into their own hands.

But other than those two initiatives, the foundation wasn’t as connected to the kids as it is now.

“When we were with the chamber, we did other things besides,” Myers said.

About five years ago, the foundation broke from the Chamber to become the Beach Kids Foundation.

“Now, everything we do is for area kids,” Myers said.

The schism allowed the foundation to expand its offerings and focus all its fundraising to go directly back into the community children’s needs.

From its annual holiday gift drive and the Spirit of the Holidays fundraising dinner to simply asking the school what its students need, the foundation is there for the youth.

Last year, the foundation was able to buy Chromebooks for several grades. During the cold front a couple weeks ago, the school called to tell Myers that some students didn’t own jackets or colder-weather shoes. So Beasley and Myers went out as the foundation to purchase those items to give to students who otherwise would go cold.

“That $100 you donate is going back to the kids,” Beasley said.

Myers said another reason she was stepping down was the board was growing, to the point where it was looking for more people to be involved strictly as volunteers for the board.

Beasley has lived on Fort Myers Beach since 1990, and got involved with the Chamber and the then-foundation almost as soon as she arrived. She’s also one of the original members of the Local Planning Agency and owner of Outer Island Mortgage. As the foundation’s new leader, she’s focusing right now on the Golden Coconut awards coming up. While it will be her first year fully in charge, she spent a lot of last year learning the ropes. She and Tracey Gore managed a majority of the arrangements for the dinner this year, Myers said.

“I’ve never been on the board without Fran,” Beasley said. “It kills me she’s leaving, I’m very sad about it.”