Our Story

Born from a Child's Heart. Built for Every Family.

Meet the People Behind the Mission.

Purple Playas Foundation was built on empathy, community, and a deep belief that no child or teen should face chronic medical conditions alone. Get to know the story, mission, and passionate people who make our work possible every day.

Meet Our Team
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Purple Playas Foundation was inspired by Parker Lentini

Parker lives with systemic onset juvenile arthritis (sJIA, formerly Still’s Disease) and hypogammaglobulinemia, along with overlap syndromes including severe allergies and asthma, myositis, vasculitis, Raynaud’s, ankylosing spondylitis, and Crohn’s Disease, alongside psoriatic features. These diseases have impacted his heart, lungs, lymphatic system, endocrine system, autonomic system, and gastrointestinal system. He has endured many surgeries and multiple medications, including shots and infusions.

Through all of this, Parker continues to think of others. He believes in hope and love and often says, “You’re never fully dressed without a smile.”

Parker loves community service and advocates for children with chronic conditions. He continues to raise awareness and funds after learning about families who struggled to pay for electricity, food, and travel to treatment due to medical expenses. He could not bear the thought that children might go without basic needs because of the cost of medical care.

Purple Playas Foundation was born from that heart and commitment.

Our Mission

The mission of Purple Playas Foundation is to provide support and resources in the area of pediatric complex chronic care needs and to gift smiles to children and their families. 

Our Goals

Provide Social Emotional Resources

Provide social emotional resources and information on coping with medical trauma to support families and children impacted by chronic conditions.

Purple Playas SMILE Power

Provide funding and resources to providers and families of children with chronic conditions to bring smiles to children’s faces. Examples include:

  • Funding to camps that support children with rare, chronic or complex conditions
  • Food and gas cards to get to treatment
  • Bravery Prizes (e.g. crafts, toys, retail gift cards)
  • Durable medical equipment not funded by another means
  • Family fun days to connect families

Support Fellowships and Scholarships

Support fellowships and scholarships in high need pediatric care with a critical shortage, beginning with pediatric rheumatology.

View Our Annual Report
Meet the Playas

Our Leadership

Rochelle Lentini

CEO and President

Rochelle Lentini is the parent of two boys, one of whom has rare, chronic and complex medical conditions. She began her career as a pre-kindergarten special education teacher and later worked at the University of South Florida on projects focused on early childhood education for young children with disabilities and challenging behavior.

She directed the University of South Florida’s Program-Wide Positive Behavior Support Project funded by the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County from 2006 to 2018. She is a Pyramid Model Consortium member and contributed to the design of the Pyramid Model to promote social emotional development in young children.

Rochelle is a nationally recognized speaker in her field.. She collaborates with national juvenile arthritis initiatives and has been  a parent voice with the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA), along with the Arthritis Foundation (AF). Her areas of interest include positive behavior support, early childhood education, inclusion of children with disabilities, practice-based coaching, social emotional development, raising a child with chronic illness, and family-centered support.

Parker Lentini

Vice President

Parker is the inspiration behind Purple Playas Foundation. In addition to his medical journey, Parker has raised over $150,000 through his Arthritis Foundation walk team, “Parker’s Purple Playas.”

He participated in a National Institute for Health clinical trial to test a new biologic drug and has received numerous honors, including:

  • 2012 St. Joseph’s Hospital Kids are Heroes Award
  • 2013 Child Honoree for the Tampa Arthritis Foundation Walk
  • 2015 Camp Boggy Creek Honoree & Keynote Speaker
  • 2016 Arthritis Foundation National Youth Honoree
  • 2016 PhRma Research and Hope Award
  • 2016 IFAA WAAD Inspirational Patient Recognition Award
  • 2020 Walk to Cure Arthritis Honoree
  • 2022 Invited speaker at the Pediatric Rheumatology European Society National Conference in Prague

Parker is a public speaker, advocate, and community leader who continues to perform random acts of kindness and expects nothing in return but a smile.

Michael Lentini

CFO and Treasurer

Michael Lentini is the parent of two boys, one of whom has chronic illness. He is an Area Manager with Southern Glazers Wine and Spirits and believes strongly in advocacy, fundraising, and service to others impacted by pediatric chronic medical conditions.

He has provided workshops on fundraising and networking with fathers of children with juvenile arthritis and has participated in focus groups, conference planning, and walk committees for the Arthritis Foundation.

John Leanes

Secretary

John Leanes is a retired clinical faculty member at National-Louis University and retired from the Pinellas County School system after 35 years in education. He has served as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, and educational leader focused on social, emotional, and academic success for students.

He previously served as Board President for Clothes To Kids and continues to support student success through quality systems thinking and leadership.

Board Members

Robbie Bloomfield
Sales and Marketing, WFLA News Channel 8,

Family member of someone with special needs

Shannon Boehling
Owner, Studio 813,

Parent of young adult with chronic illness

Tasha Carroll
Concierge Realty Group,

Parent of two children with chronic illness

Michele Innocenti
Vice President, Market Information Manager,

Bank of America

Denise Jackson
Retired Senior Child Development Associate / VPK Teacher,

Hillsborough Community College

Ann Kelly
Radio Morning Show Host on 105.5 The Dove,

Has Systemic Lupus

Logan Lentini
Program Associate, Patient Centered Outcome Research Institute,

Acting in personal capacity, sibling of brother with chronic illness

Kristeen Nelson
Partnership Development,

AAA Director, Partnership Development, The Auto Club Group

Taylor Perez
Area Manager,

North West Florida, Tito’s Handmade Vodka

Jennifer Rivera
Inclusion Support Specialist, Speech Therapist,

Hillsborough County, Early Childhood

Haley Simpson
Consultant,

District Manager On-Premise Florida, Brittany Sales Company

Heather Urquides
Marketing & Engagement,

Plan Chief Marketing and Engagement Officer, Sunshine Health

Janet Wise
Attorney,

Sass Law Firm

Honorary PPF Board Member

Melissa Elder M.D./Ph.D.
Chief of Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology,

UF Health Shands Hospital

Volunteer Staff

Dawn Khalil
PPF Graphic Designer,

USF’s Florida Center for Inclusive Communities, Instructional-Multimedia Developer

Sandy Leanes
PPF Editor,

Pinellas County Schools, Retired Elementary Principal

Megan DeVega
PPF Photographer,

Megan Devega Photography LLC, Owner/Photographer

Advisory Team

Lisa Andrew
Child Life Specialist
Heather Bell-Brunson
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Kayden Boehling
Young Adult with Chronic Conditions
T.J. Carroll
Young Adult with Chronic Illness
Angie Diebold
Parent of 2 children with JA and EDS
Laura Long
Senior Manager Marketing/Community Advocacy, Sunshine Health
Lauren McAllister
Young Adult Sibling, Financial Manager, College of Communication & Information, University of Tennessee
Anne Nymark
PPF Non-Profit Consultant
J. Scott Reed, Esquire
Pilka & Associates, P.A, Legal Advisor
Theresa Russo
Teacher, parent of a child cancer survivor
Marissa Salvador
Young adult with polyarticular juvenile arthritis
Liz Smith
Retired Preschool Director, Parent of 3 children with chronic conditions
Amy Wegner
Director of Child Life
Sandy Leanes
Pinellas County Schools, Retired Elementary Principal
Kerri O'Leary
Sales

Common Questions & Answers

Still have a question? Get in touch and we will be glad to help.

Simply contact us to set up an “Online Zoom Partnership Presentation” to learn about us. You will also learn:

  • About our mission and goals.
  • How you can partner with us.
  • What resources are available to our partners.
  • How to use our evidence-based materials and supports.

As funding permits, we will provide support (i.e. Gas Cards, Food Cards, Bravery Prizes, Coping Kits, etc.).

A partnering medical provider or agency (like clinics, hospitals, medical foundations) must submit a PPF SMILES Application for up to $1,000.

More about the Emergency Family Relief Fund

  • Families can contact us and request to be on the Coping Kit donation waitlist. We will mail one directly to their home.
  • If a child is served at a partnering clinic/hospital/agency, then their nurse, child life specialist or social worker can give them one and coach them on how it is used.

More about Coping Kits

When Parker (our V.P.) was young, he and his father had a Fantasy Football Team called “da Purple Playas”. During a hospital stay, he was asked to paint a ceiling tile. His favorite color has always been purple, so he painted a puffy purple character with the words, “I’m not fat; I’m puffy.” (Steroids caused Parker to gain weight and look puffy.) Then, when Parker started a fundraising walk team, he decided to call it “Parker’s Purple Playas”. Naturally, when we started the foundation in 2018, Purple Playas became the name and Puffy our Mascot.

Our CEO’s background is in special education and family centered social emotional support. She worked as a teacher, and then at USF directing a project on reducing challenging behavior and teaching social-emotional skills. Her own children naturally grew up with learning these skills. Parker spent much time in infusion clinics. While getting treatment, he actually started to teach other children coping techniques. So, when our CEO retired early, she wanted to help families access these tools and strategies for their children with medical needs. She also asked Parker’s doctors what their biggest needs were and these needs became our goals.

  • Online Resources (tip sheets, tools, printable stories/supports, etc.)
  • Family Fun Days
  • Young Adult Furthering Education Grant
  • Care packages for kids in hospital
  • Holiday SMILES (gifts)
  • Funds to Camp Boggy Creek
  • Emergency Relief Funds (bills, furniture, appliances, iphone, etc.)
  • Back to School Backpacks/Supplies
  • Use “Contact Us” to let us know you would like to volunteer at events, behind the scenes, delivery to hospitals, and/or with assembly of materials/items
  • Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
  • Engage in fundraisers
  • Share our social emotional supports
  • Donate
  • Sponsor us

See all the ways to help

  • Fundraisers
  • Grants and Sponsorships
  • Community Support (Altar’d State, LoveTito’s, Dillards, TPC Tampa Bay, Vertical Flights, Primrose Preschool, etc.)
  • General Donations
  • And…We are 100% Volunteer Driven

$45 (This doesn’t include shipping.)

  • UF Health Shands Hospital
  • St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital
  • Nemours Children’s Hospital
  • Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
  • Arthritis Foundation (National and State)
  • Duke University Children’s Hospital & Health Center
  • Sunshine Health
  • Camp Boggy Creek
  • AiArthritis International Foundation for Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Arthritis
  • Stroger Hospital
  • Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital
  • Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
  • Arnold Palmer