TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

A Slam-Dunk Dinner For Winners

ADVERTISEMENT

By BARBARA ROUTEN Tribune correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 26, 2008

BRANDON - The Brandon Elks awarded trophies and treated the winners of the local Elks Hoop Shoot Competition to a spaghetti dinner at the lodge Nov. 12.

The first-place winners of the various age and gender categories at the event, held Sept. 27 at Brandon High School, have been invited to participate in the district competition in January in Lake Placid.

Winners in the boys category for 8- and 9-year-olds were Ryan Davis, first, and Alex Brucatto, second.

In the 10- to 11-year-old category, Drew Bethoney took first; Jordon White, second; and Elliott Hirn, third.

Among the 12- and 13-year-olds, Patrick Tipaldo won first place; Dylan Dean, second; and Alfred Morales, third.

Of the girls, winners in the category for 8- and 9-year-olds were Marcella Brenner and Julia Harbord, who tied for first, and Theadra Turaga.

First place among 10- and 11-year-old girls went to Charla Schultheis, and second place went to Bailey Dame.

Rachel Patten won first place in the 12- and 13-year-old category.

Beth Shalom Celebrates Hanukkah

The public is invited to a free Hanukkah festival from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 21 at Congregation Beth Shalom of Brandon, 706 Bryan Road.

The celebration will include Israeli dance and song, Hanukkah gelt - or chocolate coins - potato latkes and other treats, a menorah contest, crafts, games and prizes.

For information, call the temple office at (813) 681-6547 or e-mail Carol Balent at monkeyandwife@yahoo.com or Amy Weinstein at awine007@msn.com.

Military Officers Hold Christmas Reception
TAMPA - The Tampa Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America and the Military Officers' Wives Club will host a Christmas reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 13 at the Bayshore Club Officers' Club at MacDill Air Force Base.

Active duty, reserve, retired, National Guard and former U.S. military officers are invited to join the association and attend the formal reception, which will feature door prizes, dance music by the Melody Booth Orchestra and carved turkey, cocktail shrimp, pasta and cheese.

Toys and monetary donations will be collected for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation.

The cost for the reception is $35 per person. Reservation forms and checks must be received by 8 p.m. Dec. 5.

Get details and a reservation form by going to www.moaatampa.com and clicking on "Chapter News."

Aquilla To Sing At AARP Meeting

The Brandon High School show choir Aquilla, under the direction of Marilyn Rose Nicholson, will perform for the Greater Brandon Chapter No. 4442 AARP at a meeting that will begin at 11:30 a.m. Monday at the Brandon Recreation Center, 510 Sadie St.

The choir has 22 members, "the largest group in many years," Nicholson said. They will sing choreographed, holiday-theme music, including "Baby, It's Cold Outside," "Variations on 'Jingle Bells'" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."

The AARP district coordinator, John Myrick, will install the 2009 officers: Al Johnson, president; Betty Boyd, vice president; Lois Munger, secretary; Mary Starling, assistant secretary; and Jean Popovich, treasurer. Two-year directors are Margy Watkins and Mary Starling; one-year directors are Kathryn Castillo and Art Popovich.

Sorority Sends Packages To Troops

Members of the Brandon Laureate Epsilon Beta chapter of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority recently sent three care packages containing books, snacks and movies to female troops overseas in care of a captain in the U.S. Army stationed in Iraq. She shared the goodies with other servicewomen there.

The sorority sisters sent prayers and well wishes, too, said Babs Prudente, chapter publicity chairwoman.

"As women and as sisters, we understand how difficult it must be living so far away from home and away from those you love, and we want the soldiers to know they are not forgotten," Prudente said.

The sorority also provided food to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Stephen Catholic Church. It will be used to provide Thanksgiving dinners to area families.

To learn more about the organization, visit www.beta sigmaphi.org.

Pirates Participate In Parade For Vets

RUSKIN - About 30 members of Ye Notorious Krewe of the Peg Leg Pirate participated in the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. Ruskin Memorial Post No. 6287 Veterans Day parade Nov. 8.

Joining the krewe in dancing and throwing beads to spectators were Jack Bach, Billie Fox, Jim Merrigan and Joe Thrower - Ruskin-area veterans who served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

The krewe helps amputees and their families. They have given out more than $16,000 in scholarships, provided custom handcycles and tricycles to children who are missing limbs, and donated hand controls and other items to help adult amputees and veterans. They work with the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital and the Shriners Hospitals for Children - Tampa.

To learn how to get help or help out, visit www.pegleg pirate.org or e-mail info@peg legpirate.org.

Girl Scout Earns Gold Award

RIVERVIEW - Why are the initials "EB" carved into the sidewalk outside the new entrance to the Riverview United Methodist Church's Restore Food Pantry?

Emily Bradley of Girl Scout Troop 931 left her mark on the sidewalk after planning, funding, recruiting volunteer help for and pouring the sidewalk. This was her Gold Award project, the equivalent of a Boy Scout's Eagle Scout project.

She raised more than $400 for the initiative. More than a dozen volunteers helped her remove tree roots, set forms and pour concrete to construct the walkway.

Among them were Joe Cornell, Diane Williams, Dewey Brown, Steve and Lauren Williams, Jim Bryington, Carol and Rob Bradley, Gary Floyd, John Nelson, Steve Penta, Mike Plett and Jim Rollison.

Rollison is "a professional contractor whose knowledge proved invaluable," said Beverly Plett, publicity coordinator for the church.

The Restore Food Pantry, 8002 U.S. 301 S., provides free food, clothes and spiritual encouragement to people in emergency situations.

For information, call the office at (813) 677-5995 or visit www.riverviewflumc.org.

Veterans Win, Hands Down

RIVERVIEW - Jack Skelding, commandant of the Riverview Detachment of the Marine Corps League, presented a $5,000 check to Pat Schenck, a member of the board of directors of the Haley House Fund, and Ruth Fisher, a Haley House staff member, at the detachment's Nov. 4 meeting.

The money was raised at the detachment's Sept. 27 annual poker run, of which Joe Stajkowski and John Bain were co-chairmen.

The Haley House, affiliated with the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa, is a home away from home for families of injured military personnel.

For information, visit www.haleyhousefund.com or write to info@haleyhouse fund.com.

Santa To Send Braille Letters

With the help of the National Federation of the Blind, Santa will send Braille letters to blind children between Dec. 1 and 24.

Parents should request a letter for their child at www.nfb.org no later than Dec. 16. A print copy will accompany the child's Braille letter so parents can read what Santa says, too.

Marc Maurer, president of the federation, said in a recent e-mail that the ability to read Braille is the key to success and opportunity for blind people.

The 50,000-member federation works to improve the lives of blind people and hopes this partnership with Santa encourages children to become fluent readers.

For information about the local chapter of the National Federation of the Blind, visit www.blind411.org.

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) 657-4531.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT