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Rotary Club Pours Donations Into Charitable Organizations

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By BARBARA ROUTEN, Tribune correspondent

Published: January 16, 2008

BRANDON - Brandon '86 Rotary Club held its annual Denizens of the Deep Southern Family Fish Fry in November. The event is one of several the club hosts to raise money for charity.

President Larry Westberry said the club donated $39,000 to local charities Dec. 21.

On the receiving end were the following representatives of local nonprofits: Stacey Efaw of the Emergency Care Help Organization, Debbie Meegan of the Brandon Outreach Clinic, Larry Underwood of the Brandon Care Pregnancy Center, Melissa Rios of Brandon Young Life, Stephen Parks and Cindy Soferelli of the YMCA and Sister Jackie Kingsbury of Everyday Blessings Adoption Agency. The Bill Carey Boys & Girls Club of Brandon also received money, although no one from the club was able to attend the distribution ceremony.

"When times get tough," Efaw said, "more people come through our doors." Her organization assists low-income families and individuals with food, clothing and other support.

"If it wasn't for organizations such as the Brandon '86 Rotary Club, we could not do the things we do, so thank you to all of you," Efaw said.

For information about becoming part of this active group of community-minded business and professional leaders, visit www.Brandon 86Rotary.com. Details about the Rotary International organization are available at www.rotary.org.

Author, Recording Artist To Play Gongs Concert

BRANDON - Richard Hite, who wrote "Sacred Sounds and Healing Wisdom" and recorded two CDs, "A Calling of Angels" and "Icaros," will perform a concert on gongs from 1 to 3 p.m. Jan. 27 at Unity in Brandon, 115 Margaret St. Sacred gongs are used as healing instruments by Tibetan lamas, or monks.

Hite promotes integrated holistic modes of helping people who suffer from chronic pain, trauma and other problems, believing that paying attention to mind, body and spirit helps heal and maintain good health.

Participants are asked to bring pillows or blankets to lie on and relax with eyes closed while on this musical journey.

"Long-held traditions and ancient spiritual teachings from around the world claim these musical instruments invoke the presence of angels and other benevolent spiritual beings," says Hite's flier at www.unityinbrandon.org.

Love offerings will be accepted. Call Unity in Brandon at (813) 727-4431 or visit www.unityinbrandon.org.

Annual Dinner Dance Stocks Pantry Shelves

BRANDON - The Nativity Friendship Club invites the community to the 24th annual dinner and dance to benefit Nativity Outreach, Food Pantry and Food Bank from 6 to 10 p.m. Feb. 2 in the social hall at Nativity Catholic Church, 705 E. Brandon Blvd.

Catering will be provided by the Notable Edibles, a fundraising catering service run by members of the Nativity Chorale. The band True Identity will infuse the evening with dance music.

Tickets are $15 per person and include dinner, drinks, dancing and door prizes. They may be purchased in the church office during normal business hours or after Sunday morning Masses in the social hall and at Ave Maria Catholic Gift Shop, 222 Bryan Road.

For information, call Carolyn Thomas, event chairwoman, at (813) 685-7262.

Christian Writers Group To Jumpstart New Year

BRANDON - The Brandon Christian Writers Group will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Jan. 24 in the upstairs conference room at Brandon Regional Library, 619 Vonderburg Drive.

Ruth Carmichael Ellinger, author of the Wild Rose novels, will encourage writers with a program called Jumpstarting the New Year - organizing your writing life to be more productive.

Ellinger also will participate in a book signing and tea tasting with Debora Coty, author of "The Distant Shore," from 1 to 3 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Victorian Grace tea room, 616 N. Parsons Ave. The public is invited to this free event.

Learn To Teach English To Adults

TAMPA - The Hillsborough Literacy Council will train tutors for its English for Speakers of Other Languages Program from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at the John F. Germany Public Library, 900 N. Ashley Drive. The program is for anyone who would like to learn how to teach adults who speak other languages how to speak and write in English.

Participants must be at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or equivalent. No knowledge of Spanish is necessary. All necessary materials will be provided for the $30 training fee.

The Hillsborough Literacy Council is a nonprofit organization associated with the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative. It also offers an Adult Basic Literacy Program that uses phonics to raise the reading level of adults 18 and older to a fifth-grade level.

For details or to register, call (813) 273-3650.

Elks, Honor Students Play Santa At Hospital

TAMPA - More than 175 veterans at the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa received Christmas gift bags from members of the Brandon Elks Lodge No. 2383 and 35 National Honor Society students from Brandon High School.

The Elks and Ladies of the Elks held fundraisers and the students raised money to fund the project.

Garden Club Sale Helps Scholarship Fund

RIVERVIEW - The Riverview Garden Club will hold its annual plant and rummage sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 16 at the Riverview Civic Center, 11020 Park Drive. The sale is "the main fundraiser of the year for our scholarship fund," said club publicity chairwoman Susan Miller.

The club awards a $1,000 scholarship each year to a local student who wants to pursue a degree in horticulture or a related field.

Proceeds from the sale also will be used to help other recipients of the club's charity, such as Meals on Wheels, the Veterans Administration's Entertainment Patients' Fund, Seeds of Hope and American military troops.

"We also spruced up the area around the flag at the Riverview Civic Center, as well as one of our area schools," Miller said.

The sale will include plants and seedlings that have been donated by area nurseries, as well as baked goods, clothes, books, household items and jewelry. Drawings will be held for "some really great items," Miller said.

For information, call Gale Lee at (813) 685-3988 or Marlene Kirst at (813) 653-1459.

Send news and photos of community interest to Barbara Routen at The Tampa Tribune, 505 W. Robertson St., Brandon FL 33511, e-mail neighbors@tampabay .rr.com or call (813) 657-453.

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