Holiday Toy Drive At Giddings Law Group
Giddings Law Group, located at 519 Bloomingdale Ave., Ste. B, in Brandon, is hosting a holiday toy drive on Saturday, December 20, from 1-4 p.m. This will be fun event for all the family to attend with activities and free pictures with Santa, even for your pets. Please donate an unwrapped toy for a chance to win a prize. All toys will be donated to the San Jose Mission. Parking is available at Care Animal Hospital, next door to Giddings Law Group.
Tampa Electric’s Award-winning Manatee Viewing Center Opens For The Season
“The Manatee Viewing Center is a place where people can experience the wonders of Florida up close, and see manatees in the wild,” said Stan Kroh, manager of Land and Stewardship Programs for Tampa Electric. “It gives everyone a chance to connect with nature and see what environmental stewardship really looks like in action.”
The Manatee Viewing Center is the anchor attraction of Tampa Electric’s Florida Conservation and Technology Center (FCTC), a 500-acre campus in Apollo Beach, adjacent to the company’s Big Bend Power Station.
The Manatee Viewing Center welcomes visitors from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. every day from November 1 through April 15, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, when it is closed.
Visit the Manatee Viewing Center at 6990 Dickman Rd. in Apollo Beach or online at www.tampaelectric.com/manatee. Call 813-228-4289 for more information.
Conversational Spanish Teacher Wanted
Do you enjoy sharing your love of the Spanish language? Center 4Life Learning is looking for a volunteer Spanish teacher to lead engaging, conversational classes for adult learners. This is a wonderful opportunity to make a difference, meet new people and share your knowledge in a welcoming, supportive environment.
Its 2026 Winter Semester will begin on the week of January 26, 2026, with 90-minute classes once a week for six weeks on the campus of the United Methodist Church of Sun City Center, located at 1971 Haverford Ave. in Sun City Center. The student class limit is 10. Materials will be provided.
If you are interested, please contact Sue Holter, Center 4Life Learning manager, at 813-634-8607 or center4life@sccumc.com.
South Bay Genealogical Society Meeting
The January 20, 2026, meeting of the South Bay Genealogical Society will be at the South Hillsborough Elks Lodge No. 2672, located at 1630 S. U.S. 41 in Ruskin. Beginning at 10:30 a.m., there is an optional roundtable discussion, followed by a sit-down luncheon at 12 Noon. Following the luncheon at 1 p.m., the guest speaker will be Peggy Jude. Peggy’s presentation will be ‘Figuring Out a Mystery Match – How Am I Related to This Person?’
The cost is $18, which includes the meal and presentation. For reservations and meal choice, call Vicki at 360-608-1647.
Raptor Center Of Tampa Bay Holiday Party And Fundraiser
Join the Raptor Center of Tampa Bay (RCTB) for its seventh annual holiday party and fundraiser, featuring live music by Greg Pinney, food, cash bar and raffles. Your ticket helps fund the Raptor Center of Tampa Bay’s education efforts and the rehabilitation of local Florida wildlife.
RCTB takes in over 1,000 birds and animals yearly. The nonprofit consists of volunteers, a state and federally permitted rehabber and conservation advocates, and it is fully funded by generous donations from community members.
The event will be held on Saturday, December 13, 6:30-10 p.m., at American Legion Auxiliary Unit 148, located at 7240 U.S. 301 S. in Riverview. Tickets for the event are $25 online and $30 at the door. Purchase tickets at www.raptorcenteroftampabay.org.
WAVE Opens Online Registration
WAVE (Wild and Victorious Education) of Tampa Bay is thrilled to announce that online registration is now open at https://waveoftampabay.com/ for its highly anticipated third semester in Brandon. Families can explore over 60 in-person drop-off classes designed to foster creativity and connection. WAVE combines essential academics with more than 20 innovative electives, covering physical education, academics, performing arts and more for grades pre-K-12. This 12-week semester runs in 2026 from January 5 to March 24.
Grief Event Presented By Sun City Center Funeral Home
While the world celebrates, some hearts are quietly breaking. In support of those, Sun City Center Funeral Home presents Healing Through the Holidays, a grief gathering event. If the holidays feel heavy this year, if you’re missing someone, or carrying something unspoken or if you just want to be somewhere that doesn’t expect you to be ‘cheerful’ or ‘fine,’ then this space is for you.
This gathering offers a soft, safe space where you don’t have to pretend. You don’t have to speak. You don’t have to smile. You just get to be.
Healing Through the Holidays is a circle of compassion, a place to honor grief, hold space for one another and let your heart breathe.
The event will take place at Sun City Center Funeral Home, located at 1851 Rickenbacker Dr. in Sun City Center, on Thursday, December 11, from 3-4:30 p.m. and will be facilitated by Terri Chaplin, a certified grief companion. Come as you are. Everyone is welcome there.
This isn’t a workshop. It’s not a lecture. It’s a gentle space to sit, to breathe, to remember and to feel however you need to feel.
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