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Honorary Mayor Race Set To Start

D'Ann Lawrence White, Tribune photo

Tammy Holmberg and Jake Piascik are vying to be the next honorary mayor of Brandon.

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By D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 31, 2008

BRANDON - While Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton try to woo voters with speeches, debates and campaign visits, Jake Piascik and Tammy Holmberg prefer to win votes with luaus, poker parties, barn dances and cheeseburgers.

Piascik and Holmberg will kick off their campaigns Sunday for honorary mayor of Brandon with a full slate of fundraisers planned throughout the month.

The two are vying for a position that goes to the candidate who raises the most money for charity from June 1 through July 4. The money is counted on the morning of the parade by members of the Presidents' Roundtable of Greater Brandon, sponsor of the annual Fourth of July parade.

Eighty percent of the money each candidate raises goes to his or her designated charity, 10 percent goes to the roundtable and 10 percent is given to organizations sponsoring the candidate.

Piascik, co-owner of Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year winner Dream Limousine and Anytime Taxi LLC, is sponsored by the Brandon Rotary '86 Club.

In addition to serving as a director for Brandon Rotary '86, he is vice president of the West Florida Limousine Association, a 2007 graduate of Leadership Brandon and serves on the chamber's government advisory committee and neighborhood accountability board. Piascik also coached football for the Brandon Broncos and Durant High School.

He will raise money for the Emergency Care Help Organization, which provides food, clothing and other supplies for families in crisis; A Kid's Place, an emergency shelter for children in crisis; and The Trey Curry Foundation, established to help children in need in the Brandon area in honor of 20-year-old Valrico resident Trey Curry, who died this year.

"I want to raise as much money as possible to help Brandon area charities and show people how they can get involved in our little big town," Piascik said.

His rival owns the Chik-fil-A in Lake Brandon Village and is well-known for her involvement in Brandon charities, including the Care Pregnancy Center, Center Place Fine Arts and Civic Association and schools.

Sponsored by the Brandon Rotary South Club, Holmberg will raise money for the Brandon chapter of the Dream Factory, which grants wishes to critically ill children, greater Brandon area YMCAs and the children's theater at Center Place.

Holmberg will kick off her campaign with her first fundraiser from 7 to 10 p.m. Monday, Tammy's Taste of Italy, at AllStars American Grill in FishHawk Ranch. The evening will include dinner, an auction and live music for $50 per person.

The event will be followed by Tammy's Taste of Summer from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center on Beverly Boulevard in Valrico. The event will include samples from food vendors, face painting, balloon animals and a disc jockey. Cost is $15 for adults and $10 for children.

Piascik will kick off his race from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday with Rock the Race, a dance featuring a disc jockey at the Winthrop Pole Barn on Bloomingdale Avenue. Tickets cost $25.

Holmberg also is planning a 50th birthday Hawaiian luau from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. June 7 at Exotic Plumeria on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Seffner, featuring a full feast and dancing. The cost is $100 per person.

Piascik will host a groundbreaking ceremony for A Kid's Place on Lithia-Pinecrest Road in Brandon at 10:30 June 13, followed by Full Moon Fever from 6 to 10 p.m. June 18 at the Clubhouse Sports Pub, 1265 Kingsway Road, Brandon.

An All-American Family Picnic to benefit Holmberg's race is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 14 at The Park Club of Brandon, featuring food from Chick-fil-A, popcorn, cotton candy, snow-cones, watermelon, a bounce house and an exhibit of cars from the 1950s. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children age 12 and younger.

Also on June 14, Holmberg will host Tammy's Tex-Mex BBQ Barn Dance at Cross Creek Ranch in Dover from 5 to 9 p.m., featuring a bluegrass band, barbecue fajitas from Jaymer Que, family activities, a sundae bar and a drawing. The cost is $20 for adults and $10 for children age 12 and younger.

Peterbrooke Chocolate and The Cork & Olive in The Shoppes of Lithia on Lithia-Pinecrest Road in Valrico will host a benefit for Holmberg's race from 5:30 to 8 p.m. June 17. The retailers will donate 10 percent of sales that evening to Holmberg's race.

A Summer Splash family event will be held at the Aquatic Club on Churchside Drive in FishHawk Ranch from 6:30 to 11 p.m. June 21 to benefit Piascik's campaign. The cost is $8 for adults, $5 for children and free for children age 3 and younger. The event will feature pizza, a magician, a shallow beach area, a flume ride, junior Olympic pool and waterfalls.

Meanwhile, Holmberg will be making a splash of her own at the Campo Family YMCA, Brandon Family YMCA, FishHawk YMCA Express and Camp Cristina with the kick-off of the YMCA Duck Splash from 9 a.m. to noon June 21. Residents can purchase a $5 duck for a chance to win big.

Flicks and Poker Chips will be on tap from 6:30 to 11 p.m. June 22 at the FishHawk Ranch Osprey Club, where Piascik invites residents to enjoy a game of poker or "chick flicks." Entry into the poker games costs $50. Entry to the movies costs $25.

Holmberg will wrap up her campaign with Tammy's Trendy Tea and Fashion Show from 2 to 5 p.m. June 22 at Center Place, featuring a silent auction, tea and fashion show. Tickets are $25.

A Cheeseburger in Paradise party is planned at FishHawk Ranch's Palmetto Club on FishHawk Crossings Boulevard to benefit Piascik's campaign from 6:30 to 11 p.m. June 27 for $50 per person. Then he'll hold a Club Hopping Indoor Golf Tournament starting at 3 p.m. June 29 that will take participants to O'Brien's Irish Pub, Mojitos, Beef O'Brady's and other popular locations in Brandon for $30 per person or $100 for teams of four.

For information about Holmberg's fundraisers, call (813) 727-0749 or go to www.votefortammy.com.

For information on Piascik's fundraisers, call (813) 662-7300.

MEET TAMMY HOLMBERG

PROFESSIONAL: Owns the Chik-fil-A in Lake Brandon Village, known for involvement in several Brandon charities, including the Care Pregnancy Center, Center Place Fine Arts and Civic Association and schools

SPONSOR: Brandon Rotary South Club

CHARITIES: Brandon chapter of the Dream Factory, which grants wishes to critically ill children; greater Brandon area YMCAs; and children's theater at Center Place

MEET JAKE PIASCIK

PROFESSIONAL: Co-owner of Dream Limousine and Anytime Taxi LLC, a director for Brandon Rotary '86, vice president of the West Florida Limousine Association, a 2007 graduate of Leadership Brandon and serves on the chamber's government advisory committee and neighborhood accountability board

SPONSOR: Brandon Rotary '86 Club

CHARITIES: Emergency Care Help Organization, which provides food, clothing and other supplies for families in crisis; A Kid's Place, an emergency shelter for children in crisis; and The Trey Curry Foundation Inc., established to help children in need in honor of 20-year-old Valrico resident Trey Curry, who died this year

Reporter D'Ann Lawrence White can be reached at (813) 657-4524 or dlwhite@tampatrib.com.

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