Rosie & Joe Martin

April 14

Boca Raton, FL – Dedicated supporters of hundreds of Palm Beach County middle and high school students who care for family members will be honored on April 14 by the American Association of Caregiving Youth.

The Boca-based nonprofit partners with The School District of Palm Beach County to offer services and support to young people who provide full-time care for their chronically ill, injured, disabled or elderly relatives at home.

AACY’s Community Caregiving Champions Breakfast will be held at 8 a.m. in the Boca Marriott at Boca Center.

This year’s honorees are:

  • Philanthropist and Investments Limited family business co-founder Marta Batmasian;
  • Immediate past AACY board chair Rosie Inguanzo-Martin her husband Joe Martin and Allegiance Home Health, their skilled nursing, physical and occupational therapy business
  • Ron Wichowski, vice president of operations, Southeast Region, Dimension Hospitality

Sponsorship packages with tickets or single tickets at $75 by March 24, afterward $100 at: https://aacy.ejoinme.org/CaregiverAwardsBreakfastTickets

Registration and breakfast buffet open at 7:30 a.m. Videos of the Champions and their support for students who juggle their family and school responsibilities will highlight the event for the honorees in person. Co-chairs for the event are AACY board member Althea Ceasor and supporter Penny Westbury.

“We hope friends and associates of Marta Batmasian, the Martins and Ron Wichowski will come out to join us in honoring these committed community leaders who help us make these children’s lives easier and prevent them from interrupting their education,” said Dr. Connie Siskowski, president and founder of AACY.

Here’s more information on the honorees:

  • Marta Batmasian is a proud Armenian-American whose name is synonymous with education, business, the arts, animals and nonprofits, from Florida Atlantic University to Boca Raton’s Walk of Recognition, to Tri-County Animal Rescue. Raised in Istanbul, she emigrated and completed her graduate studies, leading to a career in education as a professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Massachusetts. Among her many honors locally, she has also received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Batmasian and her husband Jim Batmasian own Investments Limited, a real estate company that owns and manages commercial and residential properties. They have two sons and three grandchildren.
  • Rosie Inguanzo-Martin was born in Cuba, raised in Delray Beach, and is a graduate of FAU. A former teacher, she is secretary of West Boca Medical Center’s governing board and on FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing Advisory Board. Inguanzo-Martin was the longtime chair and remains on the AACY board. She and her husband Joe Martin are also involved with the Boca Chamber, Peter Blum Family YMCA of Boca Raton, Greater Palm Beach Habitat for Humanity, Impact 100 and the Rotary Club of Downtown Boca. Joe Martin is a University of Florida alum and holds a masters in physical therapy from Nova Southeastern. They founded Allegiance Home Health in 2005 that now has 300 employees. Their son Joseph is 21.
  • Ron Wichowski is a New Jersey native who oversees 15 hotel properties in the eastern U.S. At the Marriott, he’s an active member of the CARE Committee that identifies a charity to help each month. He and his wife have two sons.

About AACY 

The American Association of Caregiving Youth (AACY) is a nonprofit organization based in Boca Raton with a national reach. Dr. Connie Siskowski, its President and Founder, was among the 2012 Top Ten CNN Heroes. In partnership with The School District of Palm Beach County, AACY supports middle and high school young people who have the responsibility of providing care for chronically ill, injured, disabled, and/or elderly family members, all while balancing their caregiving with school, time to be a kid, and often with work outside the home. Its full program is in 35 public and charter schools to identify Caregiving Youth and provide them and their families with services and resources so they can have academic and personal success. Under its umbrella, AACY hosts the Caregiving Youth Institute, a growing affiliate network, and national partnerships.


Ron Wichowski


Marta Batmasian