Saturday, April 27, 2013
Hillsborough County Commissioner Al Higginbotham answered a question about development near the Bloomingdale Regional Library at the April 25 meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon.
At the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon's meeting April 25, Hillsborough County Commissioner Al Higginbotham fielded questions about a wide range of community issues, including what will become of a 43.5-acre pasture on Bloomingdale Avenue next to the Bloomingdale Regional Library. "Back in 2003 that property was zoned . . . for a big-box store," Higginbotham said. "Somehow a rumor started that a Walmart was going in there. I’ve seen noting in writing, I’ve had no briefings from staff, that a Walmart’s going there. But that doesn’t mean a Walmart is not." Adding that he "can only deal with the facts that I have," Higginbotham said that before any building takes place there would be "concurrency and road improvements to complement the site…
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Steve Morrow of Brandon spoke to the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon about his battle with cancer, and the strength and friendship he found at the Cancer Survivor Program at the Campo Family YMCA.
Steve Morrow is a big, strong guy who battles a formidable foe — cancer. At a recent meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon, he talked about his cancer fight, and the strength he found at the Campo Family YMCA in Valrico. "I like to say, 'I lost my leg but I won the war," said Morrow, a two-time cancer survivor. "It's a tough road, but luckily I have my wife, my family, behind me." So, too, the Cancer Survivor Program at the Campo Family YMCA on Culbreath Road in Valrico, where Morrow has been an active participant. He was the at the April 4 meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon to talk about that program, with Anne McFee, senior director of development for the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA. Morrow said he lost his leg …
Friday, April 5, 2013
The April 6 "Kickstands for Kids" fundraiser at Uncle Mike's Smokehouse Grill aims to benefit Kiwanis youth programs in local schools and the Joshua House. The Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon event is not just for motorcycle riders.
The Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon is gearing up for the April 6 "Kickstands for Kids" fundraiser for Kiwanis youth programs in local schools and the Joshua House, a safe haven for absused, neglected and abandoned children in the Tampa Bay area. The local club's inaugural poker run kicks off with registration at 10 a.m. at Uncle Mike's Smokehouse Grill in Brandon, at 9847 East Adamo Drive, indside the Old Town Brandon Harley Davidson on State Road 60. "You can walk it, you can bike it, you can drive it," said event organizer Dustie Amatangelo, about the poker run. "Nobody is excluded." Proceeds from the event — which includes vendors at Uncle Mike's, "a table full of raffle prizes," a 50-50 drawing and a scavenger hunt — will benefit …
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Sponsorships to support the Iraq Veterans Memorial at the Hillsborough County Veterans Memorial Park and Museum in Tampa are drawing the interest of local donors, groups and organizations.
The Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon at its Feb. 7 meeting, at Ben's Family Restaurant in Brandon, announced it was donating $1,000 to the granite- and brick-fundraiser under way to support the erection of the Iraq Veterans Memorial at the Hillsborough County Veterans Memorial Park and Museum in Tampa. The $1,000 donation is for a 3-star sponsorship, which entails a 16-by-16 inches granite marker to be displayed on a column wall of the memorial. "We felt that this was a way for us to help kick-start the campaign to bring an Iraq veterans memorial to Hillsborough," said Fran Palek, president of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon. According to a Jan. 17 blog posted by Mark Goujon, chair of the memorial effort, the first stage of …
Friday, February 8, 2013
The Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon, at its breakfast meeting at Ben's Family Restaurant in Brandon, heard from a representative of the Emergency Care Help Organization about the group's services and upcoming events.
The needs of the hungry and the community's response to meet them were discussed Thursday morning, Feb. 7, at the weekly breakfast meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon, held at Ben's Family Restaurant in Brandon. "One in six people in this area face hunger issues, which means they may not know where their next meal is coming from," said the meeting's speaker, Kathy Collins, events director for the Emergency Care Help Organization (ECHO) in Brandon. Her job is to talk about ECHO and program fundraising events, "which we need to be able to buy fresh produce and proteins and socks, underwear and diapers for kids." These items augment the non-perishable food items and clothes and small household furnishings that area residents have…
Friday, November 16, 2012
Set to speak at this year’s Great American Teach-In, Brandon Kiwanian Karen Gerardi recounts why she decided to return for a second year. Her biggest thrill? What the Bank of Tampa service supervisor learned from the students at Frost Elementary.
Karen Gerardi started her day Nov. 15 at the weekly breakfast meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon, at Ben's Family Restaurant, across the street from Nativity Catholic School and church. She had to run, she said, as the meeting drew to a close, to teach the kids at Sandra and Ron Frost Elementary School in the Greater Brandon community of Riverview. Gerardi for a second year was set to fufill her promise to participate in the annual Great American Teach-In; to stand before first- and fourth-graders and talk about her service supervisor job at the Bank of Tampa on North Armenia Avenue. "My son is a student at the school and they asked me last year to do it," she said. "I really enjoyed it and volunteered to go back. It's really…
Monday, August 20, 2012
The Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon pledges to make certain no child will be left behind without school supplies. Remember the people with the big truck who collected your donations at Kmart and other places? Here's what they did with your donations.
At the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brandon, the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon met to sort the large collection of school supplies it received from a community committed to ensuring that kids in need are outfitted well with a fresh batch of supplies for the new school year. There, on Aug. 17, Kiwanians gathered to count and sort tables covered with supplies, including pens, pencils, composition books, notebook paper, folders and binders. Later that day, counselors from area schools were expected to arrive to pick up the supplies for distribution to the students at their schools whose families struggle through tough economic times. "We started the donation drive the second week in July," said Kiwanian Dustie Amatangelo, the drive's …
Saturday, August 4, 2012
The Back-to-School Bash at the Brandon Family YMCA aims to help Stuff the Bus for the Brandon Kiwanis club. Donate school supplies, shred documents, take pictures with Star Wars characters, learn about child safety, health care and physicals.
The Brandon Family YMCA on Kingsway Raod in Seffner is a chance to help Stuff the Bus with school suppplies for the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon, which runs the drive each year to benefit children whose families have a hard time affording school supplies. The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 4 at the Brandon Family YMCA at 3097 South Kingsway Road in Seffner. Here's what's on tap: ______________ RELATED COVERAGE:
Friday, July 27, 2012
The Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon is working with the Brandon Family YMCA to collect school supplies for children whose families live in economic need. The fourth annual “Stuff the Bus” collection drive kicks off Aug. 4 at the Y in Seffner.
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- D'Ann White
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Friday, July 27, 2012
It’s time to “Stuff the Bus” with the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon, which this year is partnering with the Brandon Family YMCA to kick off a collection drive for school supplies for children whose families live in economic need. The launch of the Kiwanis club’s fourth annual school-supply drive is scheduled for Aug. 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Brandon Family YMCA at 3097 South Kingsway Road in Seffner. Proceeds from the event will support both the Kiwanis Stuff the Bus effort and the YMCA’s annual back-to-school giveaway at Camp Cristina in Riverview, according to Kiwanian Dustie Amatangelo. The event will feature Star Wars characters, food, games and information booths. The Shred-It truck also will be on hand to shred sensitive …
Thursday, March 8, 2012
A recently relocated woman left her pit bull with her parents, but now Angel is in the hands of a Brandon Kiwanian, who said she needs to find a more permanent home for “the sweetest dog."
Gena Schaffer spent her happy dollar wisely. At today’s meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon, at Ben’s Family Restaurant in Brandon, Schaffer took advantage of the group’s weekly offer to pay a dollar to share a thought. Her thought was more of a plea: to find a home for Angel. Angel is a mixed-breed pit bull, who last year had to leave her owner’s home because the owner, Schaffer's friend, had to move to Miami. Angel was left with her owner’s elderly parents (“little, bitty frail people,” Schaffer said) who now have more than they can handle tending to a pet. “Angel’s owner would prefer somebody to foster her until she gets a permanent home, or straight-out adopt her,” said Schaffer, who herself owns a labrador retriever. “…
P.Bassett
1:20 pm on Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Al Higgenbotham where is your loyalty to your constituency? You can deny your part in and knowledge of of this proposal, but the facts are known. Please be aware that the very people you are evading in the district you represent are the same people to whom you will look for re-election support. more ›