Hometown: Gulf Stream
Community Foundation Connection: Elmore served on the Board of Directors twice, from 1984-1991, and 2010-2019 and is a Legacy Society member; LaTour has been volunteering on the Investment Committee since 2019
Community Foundation Funds: George T. Elmore CGA Fund, George and Wilma Elmore Fund, Hardrives of Delray, Inc. Fund
When George Elmore moved to Florida in 1947, I-95 didn’t exist. Neither did the Turnpike. He remembers the area was quiet, modest, and — most importantly — possessed promise.
An entrepreneur at heart, he founded Hardrives of Delray, Inc. in 1953 and soon began to pave the arteries that would move millions around sunny South Florida. As Palm Beach County grew, so did its needs. Inspired by leading local families like the Flaglers, Kenans, and MacArthurs, he began planting philanthropic seeds of his own.
“The most successful people you see in America are the most involved in the community, helping out,” said Elmore. “Over the years, I’ve felt it’s better to share my success, and help develop it for others. You give, and you get. Philanthropy pays dividends, too.”
Motivated to do more, Elmore joined the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors in its early days at a friend’s request, serving alongside its first president, Shannon Sadler Hull, to steer the still-nascent organization. He volunteered for a second stint in the 2010s.
The Community Foundation was hardly the only area organization to benefit from his support and stewardship; when he celebrated his 90th birthday nearly three years ago, his sweetheart Marti LaTour pulled together a list of over 50 local nonprofits to whom he has given or volunteered.
“It’s really George who has opened my own eyes to the power of philanthropy more than anything,” said LaTour. “I’ve never seen any situation where any one person has impacted that many organizations. He’s a model for how to reinvest in a community that helped make his business a success.”
Inspired, LaTour joined the Community Foundation as a volunteer, too, advising on its Investment Committee, which oversees a $255+ million endowment. The committee is made up of a high-caliber group of investment professionals like LaTour who know the business, and she says everyone “should know that their money is thoughtfully cared for at the Foundation.”
Together, the couple is thinking about ways to support the community’s needs in perpetuity. Long ago, Elmore included the Foundation in his estate plans.
“It’s easier and smarter to partner with the Foundation — I can say, ‘These are the causes I want to continue taking care of forever,’ and I trust they’ll spread my support around the community,” said Elmore. “It’s important to keep giving even after I’m gone because all that I have done for others has enriched my life, too. And when you give, it opens doors that I couldn’t have opened by myself.”
