Brandon’s Honorary Mayoral Race Kicks Off; 2 Vie To Buy Your Vote

Wining and dining is on tap this month as the annual race for honorary mayor of Brandon kicks off with two candidates vying to buy their way into office with your votes of dollars for local non-profits and charities.

Barbara Schwabe, president of the Center Place Fine Arts & Civic Association, is vying to raise funds for her organization, as this year’s current mayor, Lisa Rodrigurez, did as well a year earlier.

Schwabe’s opponent is Cami Gibertini, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon, on whose behalf she plans to raise money as well as for the Emergency Care Help Organization (ECHO), the Brandon Family YMCA and the Campo Family YMCA.

Schwabe is president of Fred Schwabe & Associates and lives in Valrico. Also from Valrico is Gibertini, who lives in River Hills and is senior vice president of USAmeribank on Kings Avenue. Gibertini serves on ECHO’s board of directors and is a senior advisory board member of the Campo Family YMCA in Valrico. 

In all, there have been 47 mayors since the first “election,” of Nat Storms in 1959. Hilda Hampton “served” two terms, in 1981 and 1993.  There were no mayors elected in 1961-62, 1965 or 1970. (See list below.)

The race is run each year by the Community Roundtable, a not-for-profit organization founded as the Roundtable Charities of Greater Brandon Inc. and formerly known as the Presidents Roundtable. The group serves as an umbrella organization for area charities and charitable endeavors and meets the second Wednesday of the month at Center Place, at 6:30 p.m.

The candidate who raises the most money for their charities between June 1 and July 4 is declared the new mayor on the morning of the Brandon Fourth of July Parade.

Ten percent of the funds raised during the mayoral campaigns go to the Community Roundtable, to help finance the annual Greater Brandon Fourth of July Parade, which the Roundtable runs. Another 10 percent goes to the candidates' sponsoring organization and the remainder of the funds are divvied up among the charities.

To support either or both candidates, plan to attend the following events (and please note, this list will be updated with additional notices):

• “Wing-It” With Barbara Schwabe / June 1 / 5:30 p.m. / Beef O’ Brady’s, 210 South Kings Ave., Brandon / Features wings and beer. A portion of sales will go to Schwabe’s charity race campaign. Surprise raffle and 50/50 tickets for purchase. 

• Mayor’s Mall Crawl / June 1 / 5:30-7:30 p.m. / Westfield Brandon shopping mall, 459 Brandon Town Centre Blvd. / Sample fare from Singual, California Pizza Kitchen, Grillsmith, Ruby Tuesday, Ryuu and The Brass Tap. / Tickets cost $30. Benefits Gibertini’s race for honorary mayor. 

• Men's Club Sip and Puff / June 3 / 6 p.m. / Center Place Fine Arts & Civic Association, 619 Vonderburg Drive, Brandon / Gentlemen are invited to an evening of cigars, scotch and bourbon plus food. Silent auction featuring hunting, fishing, golf and sports items. / Cost: $25; benefits Schwabe’s race for honorary mayor.

• Ladies Night Out at the Movies / June 7 / 7 p.m. / AMC the Regency 20, 2496 West Brandon Blvd., Brandon /  The ladies night out will feature a pre-movie social with a pink champagne fountain, dinner, dessert, popcorn and soda. Also, a 50/50 raffle and “lots and lots of door prizes." Featured “chick flick” is “Bridesmaids." / Cost: $20 per person. Benefits Schwabe’s race for mayor. Tickets must be purchased in advance and are available at Center Place, 619 Vonderburg Drive, Brandon.

• Wines & Designs / June 17 / 6:30 p.m. / Center Place Fine Arts & Civic Association, 619 Vonderburg Drive, Brandon / Create a hand-painted wine glass or beer stein and enjoy wine and dinner. Supplies are included. / Cost: $30 per person, $50 per couple. Benefits Schwabe’s race for honorary mayor.

• Cami’s Combat Challenge / June 18 / 12:30-2:30 p.m. / Campo Family YMCA, 3414 Culbreath Road, Valrico / Participants will take a body combat class. T-shirt and snack included. / Cost: $20, benefits Gibertini’s race for mayor.

• Bunco for the Arts / June 23 / 6 p.m. / Center Place Fine Arts & Civic Association, 619 Vonderburg Drive, Brandon / Game of dice and luck, easy to learn, played in teams and no experience necessary. Refreshments, prizes and a 50/50 raffle. / Cost: $15 per person. Benefits Schwabe’s race for honorary mayor.

• Cami’s Clay Shoot / June 23 / 9 a.m.-Noon / FishHawk Sporting Clays, 13505 Hobson Simmons Road, Lithia / Lunch included. / Cost: $100. Benefits Gibertini’s race for mayor.

• Barbara's High Tea and Fashion Show / June 26 / 3 p.m. / Center Place Fine Arts & Civic Association, 619 Vonderburg Drive, Brandon / Ladies asked to wear their best hats. Featured fashions from Downtown Divas, at Winthrop Town Centre in Riverview, and accessories from The Green Boutique, in Valrico, at the corner of Bloomingdale Avenue and Bell Shoals Road. Selected teas by The Tea Cup tea room, off Lithia Pinecrest Road. Silent auction,  50/50 raffle. / Cost: $35 per person. Benefits Schwabe’s race for honorary mayor. Table sponsor, $250. Tickets available at Center Place.

Honorary Mayors of Brandon:

• 1959 - Nat Storms
• 1960 - Eva Yonconish
• 1963 - Richard "Dick" Stowers
• 1964 - Buddy Owens
• 1966 - William Cate
• 1967 - Carroll Williamson
• 1968 - James Braswell
• 1969 - Loretta Clements
•  1971 - Helen Patterson
• 1972 - Jerry Raulerson
• 1973 - Don Frye
• 1974 - Don Farr
• 1975 - Doug Grose
• 1976 - Charlie Sykes
• 1977 - Larry Coker
• 1978 - Alan M. Feldman
• 1979 - Harry Vildibill
• 1980 - Lynn Joyner
• 1981 - Hilda E. Hampton
• 1982 - Rex A. McAdam
• 1983 - "Woody" Wood
• 1984 - W. L. Knight
• 1985 - Clifton C. Curry Jr.
• 1986 - John Smithers
• 1987 - Carol Todd
• 1988 - Anne Nymark
• 1989 - Jim Alderman
• 1990 - Fred Uphoff
• 1991 - Dick Cimino
• 1992 - Chris Scogin
• 1993 - Hilda Hampton
• 1994 - Sherry Stewart
• 1995 - John Paton
• 1996 - Jean Barfield
• 1997 - Jeff Reynolds
• 1998 - Vincent Ferraro
• 1999 - Dave Braun
• 2000 - Keith G. Johnson
• 2001 - Arlene Waldron
• 2002 - Grita Perry
• 2003 - Becky Jordan
• 2004 - Ryan Odiorne
• 2005 - James Young
• 2006 - Billie Smith
• 2007 - George T. May IV
• 2008 - Tammy Holmberg
• 2009 - Connie Smaldone
• 2010 - Lisa Rodriguez 

MORE FROM THE WEB

•  The Community Roundtable
• 2010 Honorary Mayor of Brandon
• 2010 Reception for Honorary Mayors
• 2009 Honorary Mayor of Brandon
• 2008 Honorary Mayor of Brandon