Former presidential candidate Dr. Benjamin Carson to headline Vero Beach Prayer Breakfast

VERO BEACH — The Vero Beach Prayer Breakfast is back for an in-person gathering Feb. 15 for the first time since 2019.

In 2020, the event was canceled because of COVID-19 and last year, it was held virtually.

This year's speaker, for the 18th event, is Dr. Benjamin Carson, a candidate for President of the United States in the 2016 Republican primaries and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 2017 to 2021. He is founder of the American Cornerstone Institute, which, acording to its website, "champions conservative solutions to the real problems our nation faces, with faith, wisdom, and compassion."

The breakfast, at 7:30 a.m., will be under a tent in Riverside Park.

It originally was planned inside a building at the Indian River County Fairgrounds, but was moved to accommodate more people in an outdoor environment, according to coordinator Jenna Featherstone.

Moving the prayer breakfast to a tent in Riverside Park will allow for better airflow for participants because the tent has many openings, Featherstone said.

Also, other events were scheduled at the fairgrounds during the same time that could have limited the group’s set-up time, so Riverside Park seemed to be a better choice, she said.

John Bona, who founded the prayer breakfast in 2005, said the group is honored to have Carson as the keynote speaker.

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“Dr. Carson is always speaking about the four founding principles (faith, liberty, community and life) which are the cornerstones of our country including faith,” said Bona. “He truly has had an amazing life and people are very impressed with his abilities as a neurosurgeon. They are anxious to hear what Dr. Carson has to say.”

For nearly 30 years, Carson served as director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, a position he began when he was 33 years old. He was the youngest major division director in the hospital's history.

In 1987, he successfully performed the first separation of twins conjoined at the back of the head. He also performed the first fully successful separation of twins conjoined at the top of the head in 1997 in South Africa.

Carson received dozens of honors and awards in recognition of his achievements including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. He is a recipient of the Spingarn Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the NAACP and has been awarded over 70 honorary doctorate degrees.

He has authored nine books, four of which he co-wrote with his wife Candy, who worked in real estate, trust administration and insurance in the Baltimore area. The U.S. News Media Group and Harvard's Center for Public Leadership named him among "America's Best Leaders" in 2008.

Also during the breakfast, Christian musician Guy Penrod, the former lead singer of the Gaither Vocal Band will perform. He has appeared at “The Grand Ole Opry” in Nashville and performed at the Faith Freedom & Future Inaugural Ball for President Donald Trump.

The first Vero Beach Prayer Breakfast in 2005 also took place at Riverside Park, drawing 1,200 people looking for spiritual comfort after the devastating hurricanes. It was originally known as the “Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast” because it was hosted by then Vero Beach Mayor Tom White.

Over the past decade, the Vero Beach Prayer Breakfast has attracted speakers of national prominence including the Rev. Jerry Falwell, Ravi Zacharia, Pat Boone and Kirk Cameron.

The event draws a large, cross-section of the faithful from Vero Beach and the surrounding area.

18th Vero Beach Prayer Breakfast

When: Tuesday, Feb. 15 at 7:30 a.m.

Where: Riverside Park, 3280 Riverside Park Drive in Vero Beach on Orchid Island. Tent opens at 7 a.m.

Tickets: A limited number of tickets are still available at www.verobeachprayerbreakfast.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Ben Carson, former presidential candidate, to headline Prayer Breakfast