Morningstar Named Ambassador Of The Year
Local Brandon resident and owner of local electric company, Morningstar Electric, Tammy Morningstar has been selected as the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce’s Ambassador of the Year.
Morningstar is co-owner of Morningstar Electric, located at 506 Shamrock Rd. in Brandon, with her husband, Ken.
“I was completely surprised when I was announced as the winner of the award,” she said. “I felt honored to receive this award. I was selected by my peers for this award and it means a great deal to me to know my peers respect and trust me enough to honor me in this way.”
Bonnie Tekampe, who was Ambassador of the Year in 2006, said that receiving the award is quite an honor because the ambassadors do a lot to get the word out to the community. “It meant a whole lot to me,” she said. Tekampe said that Morningstar deserves the award because she is very giving; involved in the community and her business is very reputable. “I’ve used her business both commercially and residentially,” she said.
“Basically, the job of the ambassadors is to welcome new members and make them feel a part of the community, and she does that very well,” Tekampe said.
“When I became an Ambassador I was extremely shy and didn’t know anyone,” she said. “I made it my goal to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself everyday to excel to new levels.”
Morningstar said her future plans for the community is to see it come together and support local business and charities, neighbors helping neighbors and family events for all to attend.
Her company is very involved in the community and has plans to become more involved. It has done free electrical work for wounded soldiers as well as some local charities. It is involved in the Community Roundtable Charities of Brandon and plan to waive its $49 Dispatch Fee to all customers in the month of April and May if they donate a bag of non-perishable grocery items to us for the Emergency Care Help Organization (ECHO).
“I was also involved with the Brandon Mayors Race and plan to stay involved until I myself am able to run for Mayor,” Morningstar said.
Morningstar and her husband have lived in Brandon for 12 years and have three children, Alexis, 14, Nicholas, 12 and Kelly, 8, and they all attend Central Baptist Christian School located on Windhorst Rd.
For more information on Morningstar Electric, please call 892-4582 or visit www.morningstarlighting.com.
The Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce is located at 330 Pauls Dr. in Brandon.
For more information on the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce and its Ambassador program, please call 689-1221 or visit it’s Website at www.brandonchamber.com.
Eco Quest Challenges All Residents
New and improved, the Emergency Care Help Organization (ECHO) is kicking off its Fourth Annual Eco Quest, offering four challenges for residents to choose from this coming spring.
Scheduled for Saturday, March 28, from 8 a.m.-12 Noon at the Alafia State River Park, located at 14326 S. C.R. 39 in Lithia, the Eco Quest has something for everyone. Residents can sign up for one of four events: the Eco Quest, the Eco Mini Quest, the new Ultimate Challenger or the new Nature Walk.
According to Executive Director Stacey Efaw, Eco Quest was created in 2006 because, “ECHO was looking for a way to come up with a fun, different type of fundraiser that would reach out and touch different groups.”
For those in peak condition, the Ultimate Challenge may be the way to go as one must have endurance and stamina to trek this 17-mile challenge consisting of a four-mile run, 10-mile complex bike, three-mile canoe and an obstacle course. The YMCA actually created the obstacle course which will be incorporated throughout all four races.
Those who are in fit condition but want to have a relatively laid back exercise regime for Saturday morning may want to check out the original, 13-mile Eco Quest maintaining a four-mile run, six-mile bike, a three-mile canoe and an obstacle course.
Both events require participants, taking part solo or in a team of two, to fundraise a minimum of $65 or more to cover the entrance fee.
Those with children in tow can enjoy the family-friendly Eco Mini Quest, a two-mile event comprising of a one-mile run, a one-mile bike and an obstacle course, or the Nature Walk, a low-intensity event encompassing a two-mile walk or run – your choice.
Encouraging each entrant to raise at least $30 for the entrance fee, the Eco Mini Quest’s top three winners will be awarded prizes, along with the top three winners of the Ultimate Challenge and the Eco Quest. All contestants will be given a commemorative T-shirt, a goodie bag, an event poster and free breakfast and lunch.
Having raised almost $30,000 over the last three years, this year’s Eco Quest is expected to bring in a colossal $15,000 with over 250 anticipated to attend, almost doubling 2008’s 150 participant count.
This year, the top three entrants to raise the most funds will be recognized through the sporting of yellow jerseys. Also new in 2009, the Grand Prize Fundraiser will be held as a raffle for those who obtained massive donations, with every $500 calibrating to one raffle ticket for the possibility of winning a $2,000 custom mountain bike frame from Quijano Bicycle Company. All are invited to the event’s festivities immediately following the race, with music, food and activities planned.
“It is a fun day; there are four different ‘adventures’ to choose from, so there is something for everyone,” says Efaw, who mentions, “ECHO will really need their help this year. This is a great way to spend time outside with family and friends and help the needy in our area.”
Helped by approximately 90 volunteers weekly, ECHO has been a place of refuge for those in need since 1987, having helped over 100,000 residents in need. Located at 507 N. Parsons Ave. in Brandon, the facility welcomes volunteers and donations, such as jelly, spaghetti sauce and canned meat, through the hours of 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monetary donations are also welcome, going towards the purchase of perishable food items by ECHO at a discounted rate. Those who would like to help can mail donations to ECHO or donate online at www.echofl.org.
To register for the Eco Quest, with a deadline of Friday, March 20, visit www.echofl.org. For more information, email echodirector1@verizon.net or call 685-0935. For more information about Alafia State River Park, call 672-5320.
Rotarians Unite To Help Medically Needy Nations
“We can better the lives of others and even save lives in countries that have lacked the proper medical facilities and supplies. What a reward, knowing that we can make such a difference,” stated Kathy Curry, sergeant of arms of the Brandon South Rotary Club which, along with the Brandon Rotary, recently packed a 60-foot Wal-Mart semi-trailer truck with medical supplies gathered from local rotary clubs in support of Project C.U.R.E. (Commission on Urgent Relief and Equipment).
Project C.U.R.E., an organization helping medically depleted countries, is said by local chairman Alan Feldman of Feldman’s Photography to be sending over a million dollars worth of donated medical supplies weekly to 105 countries throughout the world. Former president of Brandon Rotary, Feldman went on to say, “Seven thousand tons of medical supplies are thrown away everyday in the Unites States. It’s pretty sad, us throwing away things everyday that others could really use.”
Feldman felt led to support this organization, informing fellow Rotarians of the lack of necessary tools and equipment that we as Americans have access to during surgeries, but those overseas may not – things like scalpels, gauze, numbing agents, crutches or even a bed to recover in post surgery. From there, various rotary clubs of District 6890 teamed up to collect needed medical items from generous facilities such as Brandon Regional Hospital, Bill’s Prescription Center, Brandon Outreach, Emergency Care Help Organization and many more in order to support the cause.
Together, the rotary clubs were able to accumulate enough medical supplies to accommodate the 60-foot trailer of a semi-truck, which was donated for use by Wal-Mart upon its return back north, stopping in at Nashville, Tennessee to drop-off the supplies. In response, the rotaries received a thank you letter for their support from Project C.U.R.E. Its mission to be one of support to charities and the community, Rotary International has a total of 1.2 million members. Brandon Rotary, meets every Tuesday at 12 Noon at Center Place located at 619 Vonderburg Dr. in Brandon and Brandon South Rotary meets on Wednesdays at 12 Noon at Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country Club located at 2721 S. Miller Rd. in Valrico.
If you are interested in joining the clubs in their efforts to help Project C.U.R.E., which is now sending supplies to Haiti, please call Feldman at 685-4343. To learn more about either rotary club, please visit either Website at www.brandonrotary.org or www.brandonsouthrotary.org.Or visit www.projectcure.org.
Feed The Bay Event To Help The Needy
By Donna M. Rogers
Based on the motto, “Together we can do more,” 14 churches in the Brandon area and two grocery store chains will join forces to combat hunger and poverty in a practical way. Due to the overwhelming basic needs of our community, Read more
Bleu Donates Special Day For Victim
There has been a recent outpouring of support from the community for the East Bay High School student who was attacked at Bloomingdale Library in April. Read more
