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Brandon ‘86 Rotary Club Celebrates

Marie Gilmore — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:46:55 +0000

By De’ger Saner
Brandon ‘86 Rotary Club held its annual charity check presentations and gave over $25,000 to eight charities in December, which included $10,000 for Brandon Outreach Clinic, a matching grant partnering with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida.
“This gift was made at the request of the Brandon ‘86 Rotary Club,” wrote Susan B. Towler, Blue Cross and Blue Shield vice president of Community Affairs in her letter to the Brandon Outreach Clinic. “When we were informed of the grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida for the Outreach Clinic, the board voted to match the grant request up to the maximum award,” said Brandon ’86 Rotary President-elect Becky Jordan. “We are proud to support all of our charities.”
Representing Brandon Outreach Clinic, Director Debbie Meegan and Dr. Stephen Parks received the $10,000 check and thanked Brandon ‘86 Rotary Club for its support. Parks went on to address all the charities present at the meeting and said, “I feel as if Brandon ‘86 and all the charities here today are partners working to better this community. I am honored to be here with all the other charities.”
“We saw about 1,800 patients and provided over 4,200 prescriptions in 2007,” Parks said. “Debbie Meegan deserves much credit here because she runs the clinic with the passion to help people desperate for medical care, and groups like Brandon ‘86 help us keep it going.”
Other charity organizations that received checks included the I Am Hope Café, which fed over 11,000 people this year, Carefly, a group of pilots who fly patients to destinations where they can get medical help for free, Young Life, an organization which reaches out to hundreds of middle and high school students in need or in trouble, Campo Family YMCA of Brandon, which continuously runs charitable programs for the needy, ECHO, an organization which feeds the hungry in overwhelming numbers, Every Day Blessings, an adoption agency which helps less fortunate families and kids, and the New Horizons non-profit group, which continues to build or repair homes for families in need.
“Last month we got 60 percent [increase in] new people who came to ask for help,” said Stacy Efaw of ECHO. “With all the food donations, we did not turn one person away because of people like the ones in this room.”
Chartered in 1987 Brandon ’86 Rotary Club meets every Friday at 7 a.m. at Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country Club located at 2721 S. Miller Rd. in Valrico.
Rotary International is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world. Call 664-6881 for more info.

Durant Athletes Give In A Big Way

Tamas Mondovics — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:32:18 +0000

With Durant High School Head Basketball Coach Jeffery Shotwell at the helm, athletes from the school’s basketball, track and field, soccer and cheerleading program were able take part in the holiday spirit of giving by helping those in need.
“It was good for these student athletes to get involved in community projects and experience the satisfaction of giving and helping those who are less fortunate,” Shotwell said as he explained that just before the holiday break the students were involved with a couple of fundraisers, including selling T-shirts, which resulted in raising $700.
The money was then given to Everyday Blessings — a foster home for children in Thonotosassa — in the form of a Walmart gift card.
“They need the money for everyday supplies such as baby wipes, diapers, kitchen items and laundry detergent,” Shotwell said.
According to Shotwell, the children at Everyday Blessings desperately need role models and people that they can consistently depend on in their lives. He believes that the Cougars’ athletic program has a number of students who will step to the plate and be the type of people who will fill those roles.
“Everyday Blessings restores hope for these kids, and it would be great for our athletes to be a part of that process,” Shotwell said.
After visiting Everyday Blessings, to deliver the Walmart gift card, Shotwell was deeply touched and hoped to get personally involved with the facility during the coming year, while he vowed to strongly encourage the Durant athletes to do the same.
“I literally wanted to scoop up all the babies that were there and bring them home with me,” he said. Being a new father himself, having an 8-month -old son, Shotwell was overwhelmed at how children can get into that type of situation.
But the giving this past holiday season did not end there, as the fundraising continued with the effort of the Cougars cheerleaders, who have raised just over $1,100. With that money, toys, books and games were bought and given to All Children’s Specialty Clinic in Brandon in order to help it furnish its playroom and to give the therapists new supplies to use with children in therapy.
“They gave us a wish list of items they needed, and we were able to get most everything on the list,” Shotwell said, adding, “My assistant coach, Brandon Waraksa, even donated his own Wii video gaming system to the clinic, along with some games.”
During an earlier interview, Shotwell explained that it is important for young athletes to appreciate that there is more to life than just sports and that being successful is much more than just winning on the court.
For more information about Durant High School, please visit www.sdhc.k12.fl.us.

Florida State Fair Embraces Super Bowl with “Touchdown Tampa Bay”

Jennifer Silverstein — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:07:03 +0000

It’s just about time for Fair time! The Florida State Fair will be back in town before you know it. The fair will run this year from February 5-16. Gates open daily at 9 a.m. and closing time varies by the day of the week and weather conditions.
This year there will be five armband days, February 6, 8, 13, 15 and 16.
“This year’s ‘big event’ should be a lot of fun,” said Paul Wilson, President/CEO of Wilson Media, the company which handles all of the fair’s advertizing and media relations.
Rides and foods are still being secured, and there will be new of each, Wilson said. Food is the No. 1 reason people came to the fair last year, he said.
Wilson said, “Sharks will be sighted at this year’s Fair. A new exhibit, Shark Encounter is very interesting. But it’s educational and exciting for Fair-goers.”
“Yep, someone swims with the sharks, ‘live’ at the Fair,” he said.
Elvis impersonators will shake, rattle and roll in as the Elvis Extravaganza returns. Also, new this year, a Vegas-style show is coming called Glitz, A Tribute to halftime shows.
Opening day, Thursday, February 5, after 3 p.m., you can save 33 percent off regular price of an armband at $20 each armband. No advance sales; must be purchased at a Fair Midway booth inside the Fair.
Student days Friday, February 6 and Monday, February 16, students ages 12 through 12th grade can get into the fair for $6, children ages 6-11 for $5. This student discount on gate admission can only be purchased at the entrance gate on these fair days.
Visitors are encouraged to bring a box of pens and/or pencils to benefit Teaching Tools program for Hillsborough Education Foundation.
This discount is separate from the free admission voucher provided to the public school district students in participating counties. Students must bring their admission voucher and provide it at the entrance gate to get free admission on the specified day.
Hillsborough county public school students will receive free admission vouchers valid for use on Friday February 6.
Senior days are February 10-12, with seniors ages 55 and over getting in for $6; free gate admission is available on February 12 after 4 p.m. This discount can only be purchased at the entrance gate on these days during the fair.
For more information about the 2009 Florida State Fair, call toll-free (800) 345-FAIR or 621-7821 or visit www.floridastatefair.com.

Palmer House Gears Up For Holiday Season

Jennifer Silverstein — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:01:46 +0000

The Palmer House Bed and Breakfast in Lithia is ready to cater to your holiday guests. Gail Palmer, owner of the Palmer House, said that she would like to thank the community for another great year and for its love, support and encouragement. Even in tough times like these, she said that the Palmer House is still a thriving business. “We have a lot of repeat customers,” she said. Palmer said Palmer House caters to locals, out of town guests, weddings, baby showers, holiday parties and more. Palmer House is located at 2221 Hinton Ranch Rd. in Lithia and is described as having a “country feeling.” Each Suite is decorated with a different theme: suite memories, spring garden, southern cabin, suite memories and country morning. Palmer House and all of its suites are currently decorated for the holidays, with a tree in each suite and a larger tree in the grand room. Palmer says her most popular room is also the newest, Suite Memories. It has been open for about a year, she said. Activities that Palmer offers include horseback riding and canoeing. Upcoming holiday activities at Palmer House include a Christmas Tea with Joa Jane of Lah-Tea-Dah. The tea will be held at Palmer house on December 14 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $25, with tax and tip included and are available through Lah-Tea-Dah. Tickets are not available at the door. To order your tickets, please call Jane with Lah-Tea-Dah at 326-4921. Next year, Palmer said she plans to start doing mystery dinners, couple’s retreats, network events, a wellness weekend with RobZFitness and financial coaching to be called “Romance and Finance” with Mike Larkin with Larkin Finance. Palmer also puts out a newsletter with specials in it every month. She said she will have specials in the newsletters for the holidays, Valentine’s Day, football packages for football season and more. “Basically we will have a new special every month,” she said. Palmer is active in the community, being a member of the FishHawk Area Networking Group (FANG). She said she also gives back to the community by providing gift certificates to Palmer House for any event, like silent auctions. “We are always willing to give to charitable organizations because giving is better than receiving,” she said. She said that her and her husband would like to wish the community a blessed Christmas; “We’re successful because of you,” she said. She would also like to personally thank the Osprey Observer and Marie Gilmore for their outpouring in the community. She said she is also very excited about the shop local campaign and supports and pledges to shop local. For more information on the Palmer House and its upcoming events or to book a room, call Palmer at 654-0961 or visit the Website at www.palmer-house.com.

Pinecrest Pilots 2008 FYFCA Cheer-Off Champions

Jennifer Silverstein — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:54:33 +0000

The Pinecrest Pilots 2008 Super Midget Cheerleaders had a lot to celebrate on Saturday, November 8. This team of 35 girls ages 9-11 performed a near flawless routine in an effort to defend the title of FYFCA Cheer-Off Champion. Defend it, they did! This first Place Cheer-Off Championship title is this team’s third in four years. “These girls have worked hard this year. They have pulled together as a team and we are so proud of them!” said head coach, Michelle Groat. She and Lisa Dimsdale have been coaching together for four years. This year their coaching staff included Tracy Coggins, Krisy Gilmore and Kelly Gilmore. “We couldn’t have done it without them,” Lisa said. In addition to the first place trophy, the Pinecrest Pilot Super Midget Cheerleaders also earned the title of Large Group Grand Champion. Their score was the highest of the day for cheer squads of 16 or more girls. Many of the girls said they were excited about winning first place, but the Grand Champion title is something they never expected. The FYFCA Cheer-Off Champion title is the second first place trophy this team has won this year. On October 26, they also took home first place at the Antioch Pow Wow. Twenty of the girls on the team have been cheering together for several years. These girls know what it is like to win. They worked hard to prepare themselves and their teammates for another victory. At the same time, this year there were quite a few who had never cheered before. “It is amazing to see what these girls are capable of both physically and mentally. The way they learn the routine, learn difficult stunts and tumbling techniques and perform it all in front of a crowd,” one proud parent commented. These girls and their coaches work hard. Six hours a week of practice that begins in July and continues through the end of November. The girls cheer for their football team every Saturday, with a game time of 12 noon. There is no doubt that cheerleading is sport.

Small Business Of The Year Winners Announced

Marie Gilmore — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:45:42 +0000

The Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of the 2008 Small Business of the Year Awards. The annual recognition gala, featuring a red carpet theme, was held in October at The Palmetto Club at FishHawk Ranch. Fifteen area businesses were recognized as finalists at the Chamber’s annual event, sponsored by Bank of Tampa – Brandon Division. Supporting sponsors include Alday Donalson Title, Hanna, Lemar & Morris, P.A., State Farm- Melissa Snively Agent, and The Brandon News & Tribune/ The Tampa Tribune. Dave Mishkin, radio voice of the Tampa Bay Lightning, was the celebrity emcee for the 2008 event. One winner from each of the five categories was announced. Each finalist and past recipients of this prestigious Chamber award were also honored and featured in a video presentation. Nominations were received from the 1,800-plus members of the Chamber and divided into categories based on the number of employees or type of business. Judges reviewed the applications and interviewed the candidates to determine the finalists. The judges made personal visits to the finalists’ places of business, to conclude the judging process and determine the five winners. Award categories include home based businesses, minority and woman owned businesses, businesses with one-five employees, six-15 employees and 16 or more employees. This year’s winners include: Home Based Business Black Diamond Associates, LLC Minority or Women Owned Business Brandon Montessori School at River Hills 1 to 5 Employees Huth & Booth – The Portrait Gallery 6 to 15 Employees i9 Sports Corporation 16 Plus Employees ServiceMaster 24 Hour For more information on this event, visit the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce’s Website at www.brandonchamber.com or call Jamie Reid at 689-1221, ext. 43.

Library Celebrates Anniversary with Big Event

Jennifer Silverstein — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:52:32 +0000

SouthShore Regional Library is celebrating its second anniversary on Saturday, November 15, with a variety of programs available for all ages throughout the day. The Friends of the Library are organizing this event. According to the SouthShore Friends of the Library Website, the Friends organization does for the library what the PTA does for schools and the booster clubs do for sports programs. “Basically, library employees cannot raise or handle money, so lucky libraries like this have a ‘Friends of the Library’ group that does fundraisers and raises money for programs beyond the basic ones offered at every library,” said Friends Board Member in charge of programs, Diane Waronka. “It really is another example of Sun City Center retirees that find a cause they like and really offer wonderful time and resources.” Jim Duffy was the founder and original president of the SouthShore Friends group. He held meetings a year or more before the library opened and got corporate and individual sponsorships. Duffy asked Waronka to represent Apollo Beach since it’s a regional library. The board of Friends now meets quarterly. Last year, Waronka ran a Harry Potter trivia contest on the first anniversary and “for the opening ceremony, I organized a ‘Why I like to Read’ essay contest with local schools and had a big awards ceremony,” she said. This year, the festivities will begin at the library at 10:15 a.m. with the Fritzy Brothers One Man Circus. “This really funny program truly appeals to kids of all ages,” Waronka said. “The entire family will laugh at juggling, unicycling, clowning and comedy.” At 11:30 a.m., children will learn the art of cartooning as a form of personal expression. All readers and doll collectors ages 7-14 will do games or crafts based on Samantha, Kitt and other girls from the new series of American Girl at 2 p.m. Youngsters are invited to bring one doll of their own, if they wish. At 3:30 p.m., in the Game Zone, local teens will teach seniors how to play Wii bowling and tennis and then assist in games and tournaments. Also in the Game Zone, Rock Band and Guitar Hero will be available to play. For more information on the SouthShore Library’s second anniversary or the SouthShore Friends of the Library, visit www.southshorefriends.com.

Ruskin Thanksgiving Day Dinner

Carisa Biesecker — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:44:49 +0000

Teaming up with the South Hillsborough County Service Center advisory board and Beanie’s Family Sports Grill, the Ruskin Chamber of Commerce plans to lull the pangs of hunger for 500 people at the upcoming SouthShore’s Big Give in Ruskin. According to Executive Director Melanie Morrison, of the Ruskin Chamber of Commerce, “This year, there are so many more people that are not only homeless, but just ‘in need,’ mainly because of the current condition of our economy.” Taking place on Thursday, November 27, at 11 a.m. at Beanie’s Family Sports Grill, located at 2002 U.S. Hwy. 41 S. in Ruskin, a feast of turkey and all the traditional sides of Thanksgiving Day dinner will be served. The chamber is welcoming any residents who would like to start the spread of holiday cheer through the offering of their time. Volunteers are needed for the set-up of the event, the serving of food, the breakdown of the event and with the collecting of donations. If time is not on your side Thanksgiving Day, the chamber is also welcoming cash donations for tents, tables and chairs as well as food donations including bread, potatoes, green beans, cranberry, stuffing, turkeys and desserts. Paper or plastic table settings are in need as well. And on the other side of the spectrum, residents are also encouraged to mention the upcoming event to anyone in the SouthShore area who may be in need of a good meal. The first-time event is headed by committee members Morrison, Beth Howard of SouthShore Gallery, Tony Zipperer of Zipperer’s Funeral Home, Ron Simpson of Weichert Realtors – SouthShore, John Lawson of Hydro Harvest Farms and Debbie and Beanie (Don) Teachy of Beanie’s Family Sports Bar & Grill. Along with the contributions of the committee, local organizations such as the Ruskin Advisory Committee and the South Hillsborough Community Cupboard, a nonprofit in Ruskin, also plan to sponsor the event, while South Bay Hospital plans to donate 25 turkeys. “This is a wonderful way to reach out to these people who are right here in your very own community, to show them that you care. It’s a great lesson to teach your children to get involved and at the same time ‘be thankful’ of what they have,” exclaims Morrison, concluding, “On Thanksgiving Day it would give everyone something extra to be thankful for. It’s definitely a win-win for the entire community.” To make a donation, get involved or learn about the dinner, call the chamber at 645- 3808 or the center at 671-7647, ext 222.

Interns Learn The Ropes While On Osprey Observer Summer Assignment

Marie Gilmore — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:54:50 +0000

Over the summer break, seven students, including college journalism majors, marketing and public relations majors and high school journalists, completed an Osprey Observer internship, a program open to all students interested in learning more about the field and jobs in journalism.
“We love to open our doors and teach students about the opportunities available to them in the field of journalism,” said Managing Editor Marie Gilmore. “And, each time we complete a program, we learn something new, too.”
Interns are asked to commit to 100 hours of in-office training on a flexible schedule. “Our interns leave our program with a letter of recommendation from us, 10 published articles and, hopefully, a new love and appreciation for the field,” mentioned Gilmore.
University of Florida journalism major and Riverview High School graduate Jennifer Smith enjoyed her time at the Osprey Observer and said, “From the internship, I learned that writing is truly my passion and that I would like to pursue a career in print journalism.”
The program, which runs spring break and summers throughout the year, requires a resume and a request, along with transportation and a love of writing. In addition, graphics interns are accepted and given the opportunity to design advertising and supplements for the Osprey Observer.
In addition to writing, photography and reporting, interns are invited to Brandon South Rotary meetings and to participate in community events.
For more information, call 657-2418 or email editor@ospreyobserver.com. Resumes and internships are being granted for summer, 2009.
2008 Summer Interns
Name: Jennifer Smith
School: Graduated Riverview High School, currently attends the University of Florida.
Major: Journalism

“The most memorable story I worked on was about the Pediatric Cancer Foundation’s Cure Kids Cancer Walk. It was an inspiring assignment because I got to work with a great organization and offer my support to a great cause.”

Name: Elizabeth Wilhelm
School: Marist College/University of South Florida
Major: Marketing
“I learned how to market myself as an individual and as a part of an organization and how to create contacts throughout a community. I also learned a lot of interesting things about my community.

Name: Nora Zaki
School: Newsome High School
Major: Journalism and MidEast Studies with a minor in Arabic
“I truly think interning at the Observer for nearly four weeks gave me a larger sense of independence. I learned how to listen intently to the person(s) I’d be interviewing to make sure I wrote down their responses accurately and wanted them to realize that I was truly interested in listening to them. I guess one can say, my perception of the community where I live has somewhat improved.”

Name: Lauren Ashley
School: Brigham Young University
Major: English
“I loved writing about the charm classes held at Center Place because of the interview I had with the teacher of the class. She was the perkiest and, yet, most sincere person I had ever met, and even though I was interviewing her about what she did, she took time to get to know me and really helped me to feel the importance of the classes she taught. I really wanted to be a better journalist and person!”

Name: Luz Ma
School: Savannah College of Art &
Design
Major: Graphic Design
“I was interested in using my time wisely over summer break, besides just working, and developing any skills with computers or design.”

Name: Kasie Anthony
School: University of Central Florida
Major: Marketing with a minor in Communications
“The internship helped me enhance those skills and apply them to real life situations. Just being in the office and experiencing how a business is run was a learning experience of itself.”

Name: Keria Martin
School: Bloomingdale High School
Major: n/a
“ During my internship, I learned the true meaning of the term “prioritize.” Between phone calls for quotes and deadlines for articles, it was really important to priortize the multiple assignments that were given. Sometimes that meant rescheduling an interview to make room for a more important story that had a much closer deadline. I think this will be a crucial skill in my career as a journalist. “

Local Moms Roll For A Cure

Carisa Biesecker — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:36:56 +0000

“An estimated 138,530 people in the United States will be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma in 2008,” reads the Website of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, inspiring the MOMS Club of Lithia to continue the fight, hosting the Fourth Annual Roll for a Cure.
Taking place on Thursday, November 20, at the Palmetto Club, located at 17004 Dorman Rd. in FishHawk Ranch, Roll for a Cure will be “a night of fun, food, prizes and bunko,” according to Terri Fischer, president of the MOMS Club of Lithia-Bevis, which is working in conjunction with the MOMS Club of Lithia-FishHawk Creek to host the event. The two groups were once one, having dispersed into two due to growth, and both felt the effects of lymphoma first-hand as they watched one of their own pass away from the disease, forging the conception of Roll for a Cure.
Residents will wine and dine on appetizers, desserts and a cash bar with a DJ on-hand to dole out the tunes and $2 and $5 raffle tickets will be available for purchase to win prizes. With last year’s event welcoming 130 residents and raising $8,500, the group is hoping for a turnout of 100 this year. “Our goal is to beat our amount raised last year, but we will be excited about any amount raised since all the proceeds from the evening go directly to benefit the amazing charity,” says Committee Chair Danielle Triplett of the MOMS Club of Lithia-FishHawk Creek.
Doors will open at 7 p.m. for Roll for a Cure, with games beginning at 7:30 p.m. Those interested in donating to a good cause can play bunko for $20. Sponsors of the event include: www.mountaincabinbythelake.com, Family Medical Care of Riverview, Superior Autobody in St. Petersburg, It’s Personal-Seriously Adorable Personalized Artwork, the Bank of Tampa as well as donations from sponsors such as Alycia Alverez Photography, RobZFitness, Studio 1 to1, Lowery Park Zoo, Stonewood Grill and Tavern and many more.
If you are a business owner and would like to make a donation to be incorporated within the prize baskets, need more information or would like to find out more about the MOMS Club of Lithia-FishHawk Creek, please contact Triplett at 294-0405 or visit www.rollforacure.info. To learn more MOMS Club of Lithia-Bevis, call Fischer at 654-9988. To inquire about The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, visit www.leukemia-lymphoma.org.