Gerald and Sheila Laboda moved to Fort Myers in 1965, just in time to catch the remnants of outgoing segregation. Gerald was the second Jewish professional to establish his practice in Lee County, and the first to close the offices for the Rosh Hashanah observance. Their parents followed them, helped raise their children, and in the process, as more Jews moved to the area, a Federation was born. There is hardly any Jewish activity in Lee County that the Labodas were not involved in. They are also involved in a variety of civic, social and cultural endeavors for the community-at-large.