Vol. 8, Issue 6, June 2020
Your community. Your magazine. ™
®
The Premier “Shop Local” Community Magazine Directly Mailed To 15,000 Homes In Carrollwood, Lake Magdalene & Avila
Same Day Teeth®: The New Way to Bring Back Your Beautiful Natural Smile Written By: Dr. Michael A. Pikos
“Thanks to Dr. Pikos and Dr. Hedger I now have a beautiful smile,” recalls Gail Portervint. Gail suffered from periodontitis which caused tooth and bone loss. She came to Coastal Jaw Surgery looking for help with her failing teeth and to restore her self-confidence.
The doctors at Coastal Jaw Surgery have been caring for patients in the Greater Tampa Bay Area for over 37 years. Dr. Michael A. Pikos opened the Palm Harbor office with the goal to treat patients like family while ensuring their oral surgical needs are cared for. See “Coastal Jaw” on page 10
Carrollwood Area Business Association Pivots to Sustain Local Businesses CABA Continues to Promote Businesses and Referrals through Virtual Networking and Community Outreach
By Kelly Stuart Williams, MA
The Carrollwood Area Business Association (CABA) will be celebrating the installation of its 35th Board of Directors this month, and CABA celebrated its 34th birthday in May 2020. Over the past year, CABA has INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Editor.................................................5 Tech Talk with Bob.............................................6-7 COVID-19 Brings Out Kindness and Extraordinary Helpers in the Tampa Bay Community..............8-9
had many things to celebrate: not the least of which has been its ability to “pivot” and help its 300+ businesses (members) during “Shelter in Place” and business closures from March 2020 – June 2020. See “CABA” on page 14
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As Tampa Bay Slowly Reopens Let’s Exercise Our Patience & Kindness Even though the number of confirmed Coronavirus cases keeps growing at a stable rate, and the curve is far from being officially “flattened,” Governor DeSantis recently decided to reopen Florida. But are we really ready? Phase one of reopening the sunshine state went into full effect early May, and lots of people in the Tampa Bay seemed eager to get out of their homes. Folks of all ages (with and without masks on) have been seen out and about at beaches, malls, restaurants, gyms, nail salons, barbershops, and other retail businesses, which are currently operating at 50% capacity. Sporting venues will begin to operate soon but without spectators. I don’t know about you, but I am personally looking forward to seeing the Lightning play again, even if it’s only through my TV screen. Go Bolts! Specific Social Distancing guidelines are still in effect, which may vary from business to business. Some places may require you to wear masks and gloves to provide you with goods and services, while others may not deem it necessary. So wherever you and your loved ones decide to go, please make sure to follow and respect each establishment’s unique safety regulations during this pandemic. Do not get irritated if business owners or their employees politely ask you to stand farther from other customers. Don’t complain about the service taking longer than usual. It’s been a rough year for most of us, and everyone is doing their best to regain
some normalcy. Understand that we’re all in this together, even if we are 6 feet apart from each other. Remember, patience over panic! Slowly but surely, we can flatten the curve and rebuild the economy, but we have to be kind to everyone. Whether we agree or passionately disagree with Gov. DeSantis’ decisions to reopen this quickly, one thing we should all agree with; COVID-19 is no joke, and it should be taken seriously. Florida’s second phase of reopening will allow businesses at 75% capacity, although we don’t have a specific date for when it will begin. In the meantime, whatever you decide to do for yourself and your loved ones to stay well, please do it with caution and sensitivity. Small Business Assistance? If you own and operate a small business and you’re looking for Coronavirus Relief, please visit www. sba.gov. You’ll find multiple resources to help you overcome the economic challenges created by this health crisis. They offer numerous funding options for those seeking relief. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and would like additional information on how to stay afloat while safely and successfully reopening your small Tampa Bay local business, please visit sbdctampabay.com/coronavirus. They offer helpful resources, guides, tips, and templates on how to strategically reopen your business while adhering to Governor DeSantis’s phased reopening plan. Stay safe, stay kind. Until next time,
Carla M. Dubis Tedeschi
Tech Talk with Bob: Folks are staying safer! I am pleased to announce that since last month’s TECH TALK many folks have stepped up and taken responsibility for their computer’s security. We have done numerous remote security scans on many systems. It warms my heart so much to see how many people are being proactive and not reactive when it comes to their computer’s safety. Of all the security scans we have done, only two systems have shown to come up to be completely clean. Every other system we
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have scanned so far has had some kind of malware infection on it. From the sample of computers that my techs and I have scanned to date, we are finding that many computer systems we scan are asymptomatic. Folk’s computers are infected without even showing signs of infection. That’s one of the malware’s most dangerous characteristics. Your computer can appear asymptomatic on the surface, meanwhile underneath, the attack moves in. Now we are also
getting calls from some folks who are concerned
about the safety and the integrity of their
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computer systems now after giving someone they do not know access. These people are also wondering if they were scammed or even worse. What is worse than being scammed out of some money? It is letting someone you don’t trust have 24/7 access to your computer who might use it for nefarious purposes without you even knowing. If you have given others access to your computer, don’t worry. The security scans we have been doing have found not only malware infections, but remote access programs installed on systems.
These are programs that are installed to give scammers complete control of your computer at any time of the day. This can happen when someone let’s someone else have remote access to their computer recently, or even months ago. My techs can clean out any threat or potential threat on your system. I am currently offering folks a three-step service call: First, we will work with you to help determine what software on your computer might be a security risk. Then remove any programs that have the potential to hurt you. Second, we will use multiple
methods to analyze and find any malware that is not so obvious but may be crawling around your computer. And finally, we set you up with a oneyear subscription to a high quality antivirus software. Not trial software that expires after a few days, and not that freeware that other computer repair people or some internet service providers might give away. We have the best solutions already in place. Plus, we can do it all remotely without you having to leave your home or office, and without us coming to your location. See not only does your computer stay safe, so do
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you and your family, and my team and our families, while we provide this vital service to you. Cyber criminals will exploit the easy victims and unprotected systems. Protecting yourself online is your responsibility. Don’t go it alone. We’re here to help. If you are not sure your system is safe, please have it looked over by a Professionally Certified IT Specialist. Call us now at 727534-4000. We’ve been helping folks restore their peace of mind, and sanity, with their technology for decades. Be Safer In Your Digital World!
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COVID-19 Brings Out Kindness and Extraordinary Helpers in the Tampa Bay Community By Deborah Bostock-Kelley Fred Rogers once said, “When I was a boy, and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” Despite social media littered with inflammatory posts of people hoarding toilet paper and ignoring six feet of separation, or the stay-at-home order, sprinkled in-between are stories of people reaching out to make a difference. The helpers are ordinary men and women taking it upon themselves to provide entertainment, make masks, halo shields for those in harm’s way, feed essential workers and those on the frontlines, and deliver meals by bicycle to many whom it’s dangerous to leave home, as well as supply food for pets so they aren’t surrendered and even start a nonprofit to
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help small business during this unprecedented time in our shared history. Fred’s quote resonates now more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, locally and across our country. Here are a few highlights of the helpers in our community. Masketeers In Pensacola, by mid-April, Jessica Patton and the Pensacola Mask Sewers, affectionately dubbed the “Masketeers,” have delivered over 10,000 masks to Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. “I was watching the news and saw a hospital in Indiana had put out a pattern for making 100% cotton masks. I started calling people and asking them to make masks. I got out my sewing machine and made one. It was pretty simple. I started a Facebook page on a Saturday
afternoon and by the next day it was 400 people, then 1000, then 2000. It just keeps growing.” Jessica’s mother and grandmother were ER nurses, so growing up, she saw firsthand what her mother went through. “The thought that she or any other nurse having to go and take care of somebody who is so sick and potentially going to die and potentially make them sick for lack of a mask seemed unbelievable to me,” she said. “I believe that one person can change the world. When we really care about something and believe in it, and come together with others who believe in the same thing, we can effect positive change. It’s been wonderful watching people come together, working with people I normally wouldn’t meet – every age, every race, every sexuality. It’s very cool to see everyone work together for a common goal. I love the
community we built.” Not only is their Facebook page a place to find community and hope during the pandemic, but the group also started an emotional support team. The group is also making surgical gowns for two local
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hospitals, and with materials supplied by the hospital, H-600 masks from the surgical material medical instruments are wrapped in. “It’s amazing when I look back and think, ‘I did all this from home.’ It just shows you the power of WE and the power of Together.” To learn more or to volunteer, visit https://www.facebook.com/ groups/203196457622124 “The Mask Project Tampa Bay.” Danielle Sullivan and Penny Foote met through “PB&J Kids Spreading Help,” where they fed the homeless. On March 20, Penny started a Facebook group and texted Danielle, “Help!” Penny had been reading about how nurses were suggested to wear scarves and bandanas, and with friends who were nurses, she was concerned for their safety and well-being. “I began thinking we can come together as a community, and we can help them,” said Penny. “Every day, the group grows. We get more sewers, more runners, and more donations. The group grows which means we can help more people. Nurses should never be forced to go into work without the protection they need. It’s not fair. If the government can’t provide for them, then the people in this community can get them out as soon as possible to the people that need them.” People with time on their hands, wanting to focus on something good, wanting to help
found the perfect solution in “The Mask Project Tampa Bay.” “We got busy spreading the word. Every time the media kicks in we get another two and three hundred members involved. I encourage our group members to share the word and try to recruit people. We’re at over 4000 members now in 18 days,” said Danielle. The Mask Project Tampa Bay is now in seven counties: Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, and Sarasota, with over 20,000 requests for masks. “Our goal was 10,000 masks, and we’re already close to 9,000,” said Danielle. “Though we have businesses coming on to mass-produce, right now it’s people sewing with their sewing machines. People are supportive, asking ‘how can I help?’ We literally built this system from the ground up. Every time we get the hang of it, we get another thousand people. We’ve had to learn and grow, and learn and grow.” Volunteers are taking material from donors and spreading them through the seven counties. Their next level initiative is getting businesses involved to sponsor a lunch for a local nurse unit, or donating resources or monetarily. To learn more visit The Mask Project Tampa Facebook Group at: https://www.facebook. com/groups/httpstinyurl. comthemaskprojecttampabay/ 3-D Printed Halo Shields Lorri Brown told her daughter the eve of March 21 that she
was going to start 3-D printing halo shields to help the men and women in the hospitals on the frontlines of Coronavirus. “She kind of rolled her eyes, ‘ok Mom,’” Lorri recalled about her post. “The next morning, Eric Burton saw what I was planning, and he has a 3-D printer at home, and he started making the prototype. He was messaging me videos and I was thinking that it was actually workable. We can do this.” Lorri decided she needed ten 3-D printers, so she needed to raise $3K via GoFundMe. Tim Keeports, Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association, saw the GoFundMe and forwarded the fundraiser to Michael R. Guinn, who just happened to have 15 industrial size 3-D printers ready to donate to her cause. “God just brought it all together,” she said. Christ Fellowship Seminole Heights donated their now empty community center space to set up the 3-D printers during the quarantine, and they were in up and operational by Sunday. Over 3000 masks have been printed. On April 1, the first halo mask ever made was used by a nurse. On April 15, 300 face shields were delivered to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue firefighters and paramedics. “Our goal is to do 6000, and now I have another project. Michael and Tim are handling the 3-D lab, so I’m setting up another department because we have a lot of church volunteers. I’m going to start selling cloth masks,” she said. “Keeping a social distance, we can do this. My goal is to distribute throughout the church and their families. This isn’t for the medical community. I want to blanket Seminole Heights. We can all do something, and if we all do a little something, it’s comes together to be huge.” To learn more or to volunteer, visit https://timecounts.org/ tampa-ready-3d?fbclid=IwAR 2TjUw6Qk2ThKd9XoThRfRY 3NIQg6Kb1ZKhmmuqtk9tNhpcx5mqRBcyGs. Pet Food “I just bought my first food and bedding for a gerbil,” joked
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Rhonda Eldridge, president of the mobile nonprofit, The Community Pet Project that provides basic needs to the pets of the homeless and at-risk in Hillsborough County. Rhonda turns her garage into a makeshift warehouse. Usually, Rhonda and her team go out to the homeless outreaches four times a year in partnership with Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department, Tampa Police Department, Temple Terrace, and Tampa International Airport. Because of the overwhelming number of animal surrenders happening due to COVID-19, the nonprofit began getting requests for help from people impacted beyond her regular clients. Rhonda decided to open their service to anyone that’s been affected by the pandemic. They offer a no-contact delivery and will text to let the recipient know they’re en route. “They don’t have to fill out any paperwork. They simply tell us they’ve been affected medically – their doctor has told them not to go out and go shopping – or they’re physically ill themselves, or they have loss or reduction in income. They notify us, and we will supply the food at this time. People are so grateful that they can feed their furbabies because they think how can I eat if I can’t feed my pet.” Since opening their doors to assist the public during Coronavirus, the organization has helped nearly 500 pets, ranging from dogs and cats to small animals like ferrets, guinea pigs, and gerbils. “A dog owner said we have a dog and a ferret. I opened the email and realized we have nothing for a ferret. I said to myself, ‘seriously; you’re going to go there and drop off food for a dog and look at that ferret in the face and not feed it?’ I can’t do that. So I stopped at Petsmart, and I’m like, ‘show me what ferrets eat.’ We bought a bag of ferret food.” Grateful pet parents share photos of their pets on the nonprofit’s Facebook page. “Our vision is to bring the community together. We don’t
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“Coastal Jaw”
- continued from page 1 As the practice grew, he expanded to five locations in Palm Harbor, Spring Hill, New Port Richey, Trinity, and Tampa. Our dynamic, surgical based multispecialty team consists of Dr. Michael A, Pikos, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Dr. Kenneth L. Anderson III, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Dr. Jason B. Blundell, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Dr. Lindsey Pikos Rosati, Periodontist, Dr. Anthony M. Pikos, Periodontist, and Dr. Philip J. Hedger, Prosthodontist, who are committed to the practice’s mission to provide exceptional dental care under one roof while creating a safe, welcoming environment to make all patients feel like family. The practice specializes in dental implants with an emphasis on the Same Day Teeth® procedure created by Dr. Michael A. Pikos. Same Day Teeth® is an innovative surgical procedure that bypasses the traditional dental implant’s time-consuming
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process and allows for the placement of implants and new teeth to occur on the very same day. Same Day Teeth® protocol begins with a 3D cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan, which will provide us with 3D images of your bone, nerve pathways, soft tissues, and teeth, which allows us to determine the optimal placement of your implants using the best digital assessment software and related stateof-the-art technology to ensure that your treatment is truly customized. Most service providers, especially corporate-based, treat everyone the same way with the one-size-fits-all mentality. You are as unique as your fingerprint and as a result, we draw from a variety of digital-based, precision solutions to give you a customized beautiful natural smile and restore your ability to eat and chew foods that you love. Our unique approach not only includes a comprehensive treatment plan for each of our patients, but also a thorough explanation. “The best around not
From left to right Dr. Kenneth L. Anderson III, Dr. Jason B. Blundell, Dr. Michael A. Pikos, Dr. Lindsey Pikos Rosati, Dr. Anthony M. Pikos, and Dr. Philip J. Hedger
only in Florida but I am convinced the best in the nation”, states Nicholas Louis. Nicholas received traditional dental implants for his Same Day Teeth® procedure. Dental implants are artificial tooth roots surgically placed in your jaw to support replacement teeth. These replacement teeth are designed to look and feel like your natural teeth, restore the aesthetic appearance of your smile, provide optimal functionality, and reduce your risk of developing other oral health issues. Coastal Jaw Surgery offers several dental implant options to ensure your smile is natural and custom to
you. Same Day Teeth® offers patients a beautiful, natural smile completed on the same day with the use of dental implants, zygomatic implants, or subperiosteal implants. Patients who are missing all of the teeth in their upper jaw or whose teeth have broken down due to advanced periodontal disease may be good candidates for zygomatic dental implants. These implants are longer and anchored in the upper jawbone near the zygoma bone. Patients who are experiencing significant bone loss in the lower jaw may be good candidates for subperiosteal implants.
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This type of implant must be custom-made to fit the contours of a patient’s bone. Whether it is traditional dental implants, zygomatic implants, or subperiosteal implants, we have a solution to your missing teeth or loose dentures.
If you have been told you can’t have dental implants due to bone loss, Coastal Jaw Surgery is the answer for you. Our doctors have the opportunity to help you with missing teeth or ill-fitted dentures now with Same Day Teeth®’s solutions to traditional
dental implants. We encourage second opinions. We want to make sure that the best treatment possible is presented to you so the end result gives you back your smile and selfconfidence. Our Coastal Jaw Surgery team of oral and maxillofacial surgeons, periodontists, and prosthodontist have 65 combined years of experience within the realm of implant dentistry, oral surgery, periodontics, and prosthodontics. There is no better place to go for your comprehensive implant care. If you are missing teeth or wear dentures that aren’t fitting right - call Coastal Jaw Surgery to make a Same Day Teeth®
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appointment today. Transform your smile. Change your life with Same Day Teeth® at Coastal Jaw Surgery! Call 800-NEW-LOOK or visit www.CoastalJaw.com to book your appointment today!
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“CABA”
- continued from page 1 In March, CABA began reaching out to its members and its restaurants that needed to move from “in-person meetings” and “dine-in” to online, virtual, and take-out support. CABA continues to host weekly networking meetings in its CABA Zoom Room and is hosting Lunch-nLearns and Power Lunches that feature a different restaurant each week. Pivoting to help its members experiencing closures is nothing new for CABA, as local businesses were facing adversity in 1985 when a small group of about 16 committed citizens and business owners in the Carrollwood area came together to address a “growing” problem— specifically, Tampa was “growing” faster than its roads could accommodate. Accordingly, the Florida
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Department of Transportation (FDOT) had embarked on a number of roadway expansion projects to include the widening of North Dale Mabry Highway from two (2) to four (4) lanes. A few years earlier, business owners had been hurt by the widening of Waters Avenue; in some cases, businesses closed
due to the lack of ingress and egress caused by the road construction on Waters. Convened by John Baumann, CPA, the group of Carrollwood business owners organized to communicate with a unified voice to FDOT, and the widening of North Dale Mabry Highway became
one of the first major road construction projects in Florida to be completed at night: when businesses were closed. While this successful business advocacy initiative could have been the end of the CABA story, it was only the beginning. Months after the widening of Tampa’s Northwest
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corridor, Dale Mabry’s businesses were growing not only because of better roads but also due to the number of business to business (B2B) referrals that were being passed among the members of CABA. Accordingly, Baumann and the other founding members of the organization decided to form the Carrollwood Area Business Association: a volunteer-run, event-driven association of local businesses. President-elect Jennifer Jenkins is the CABA Board Liaison for the Community Outreach Committee. She explained that helping Carrollwood businesses is helping the community—that her Committee focused on communicating #ShopSmall and #EatLocal throughout the year: long before the CARES Act or Covid-19. “Strengthening small business is strengthening our community…we know that small businesses not only contribute to the local economy, but they sponsor everything from our Little League teams to our schools to
our charities,” said Jenkins. In addition to CABA businesses “giving back” to local charities, CABA itself integrates charitable giving in most of its activities. Since 2017, CABA has been sponsoring the Carrollwood “Trunk or Treat” and “Holiday Tree Lighting” events, where Carrollwood businesses are invited to “treat” residents, families, and children to an evening of fun in Northdale Park before Halloween and Christmas. “We have been working with the Northdale Civic Association on Trunk or Treat and the Tree Lighting, and they get bigger every year,” said Jenkins. “The events are focused on getting our CABA members out into the community to promote their businesses, as we celebrate with our neighbors. Proceeds from our table sponsors are designated to a local nonprofit or school, and it’s a great celebration of community.” Aligned with #ShopSmall
and #EatLocal is the CABA Presents Taste of Carrollwood (TOC) event that has been held at Raymond James Stadium for the past two years. Special Events Board Liaison Danelle Castillo explained that promoting CABA members and the Carrollwood community in Tampa’s largest venue allows CABA to feature nearly 100 vendors to include Carrollwood businesses and restaurants. “CABA’s annual tasting event has grown from meeting in the Gaither High School Cafeteria to hosting in the same venue where the Super Bowl will be played in 2021.” Castillo added, “Regardless of how big the event or the venue, our focus remains on promoting our CABA member businesses and restaurants.” A portion of the proceeds of TOC 2020 has been designated to the American Cancer Society. As part of promoting its members through TOC, CABA hosts a “Best of” Taste of Carrollwood contest. Attendees
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complete their ballots while tasting samples from nearly 30 restaurants and enjoying entertainment and drawings from nearly 100 vendors. While entering to win flat screen TV’s, a diamond ring, test drives of luxury vehicles, and enjoying in-crowd entertainment from Star Wars characters and four (4) Beasley Media radio stations, attendees cast their ballots for the following winners of the 2020 “Best of” Taste of Carrollwood competition: Best Mains- Noble Crust; Best Deserts- The Cake Girl; Best Booth (a tie): Tampa Bay Realty and Investment Group and Caspers Company McDonalds; Best GiveawayAdventHealth If you live in the “Greater Carrollwood” area, please visit our online directory at usecaba. com where over 350 businesses are represented: from lawn care to legal advice. When you support a CABA member, you are supporting our community. #CABAConnects
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“Helpers”
- continued from page 9 want you to surrender your best friend. Nobody’s at fault for this. It’s not like you got fired from your job. We’re all victims of COVID. And if you’re a victim, why should you have to lose your pet? You’ve already lost so much. Why do you have to lose your best friend? I couldn’t do it, so I’m not going to let somebody else do it if I can help them. Not if we can stop it.” Rhonda is seeking volunteers that can go to Seffner to pick up the deliveries and deliver to the pet parents in need throughout Hillsborough County. For more information about assistance or volunteering, visit https:// www.facebook.com/pg/ communitypetproject or https:// communitypetproject.org. Meals “I was reading about how restaurants are hurting, so what we did was a win-win. We contacted restaurants that weren’t able to survive, and we got them
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to come up with a $10 pricepoint meal. We mobilized the community to call in orders to be donated. The restaurant delivers to our contact person at Tampa General Hospital. She’s in charge of charities and delivers to the various departments. She keeps track of the orders,” explained Michelle Augley. Fourteen restaurants participating in this community volunteer-driven program called Together for Tampa have been able to bring in furloughed workers and make regular lunches and dinners for the frontline workers at Tampa General. To date, the group consists of Michelle, Radhika Patel, who created the Facebook page, Cheryl Miller, who designed a webpage and handles restaurant outreach, Ann Danner, who does outreach, and Janet Hoffnagle, who regularly posts on NextDoor neighbor app. Together, the four have reached out to the community and raised $10,000 in meal purchase donations.
The Davis Island Yacht Club recently donated 290 meals. “Our little idea, slow and steady, is getting some traction and is helping our neighborhood. It takes so little to do so much. One idea can be mobilized into a force for change.” To learn more about Together for Tampa, visit https:// www.facebook.com/ TogetherForTampa/ or https:// www.togetherfortampa.com.
Small Business Assistance When COVID-19 shut down small businesses in their hometown of Tampa Bay, high school juniors, sixteen-year-old Jordyn Koche and seventeenyear-old Robbie Herzig knew what they had to do. It wasn’t Netflix or Animal Crossing. They started a GoFundMe page to create a nonprofit, COVID Relief Foundation of Tampa Bay for small businesses. “My family has really close friends impacted by the virus who are hairstylists, nail salons, massage therapists, restaurants really hit hard by this. Their businesses are closing,” said Jordyn. “One thing related to this virus that is good is that it’s bringing our community closer together. People are feeling really connected at this time. If that could be a lasting effect afterward, it could be a silver lining to all that’s happened.” Robbie added, “Small business is really the heart of the community. During this time, everyone is missing out on the
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community, so people value it more. We just want to make sure coming out of these businesses are not only surviving but back on their feet so everything can get back to normal and be the culture and community that we’re used to it being. You have to appreciate what makes our hometowns special and unique and that’s always the small business. That’s the main reason for us wanting to get this started.” Once fully funded, the two will be taking applications from business owners and screening possible fund recipients to ensure they will be putting the money back into their businesses by rehiring or keeping employees working. Additionally, the industrious teenagers reached out to partner with Ciccio Restaurant Group. They are currently giving away approximately 800 meals per week to local fire stations, police stations, and hospitals. Jordyn said, “I think it’s important to realize that even something small can have a really big effect, especially in a time like this. If a lot of people are doing small things, ripple effects will happen and it will just make the community stronger.” To date, the project has raised over $14,000 of its $50,000. To learn more, visit https://www.facebook.com/ groups/923803724756457/ about/ and to donate visit https:// www.gofundme.com/f/covidrelief-foundation-of-tampa-bay.
Frozen Treats For Essential Workers “My nephew is in medical school, and both my brother and dad are doctors, the men and women who jumped in no questions asked, risking their lives to help others. I’ve always been supportive of medical workers because this is close to my heart,” said Froyo Fresh founder Tanya Rubin. Froyo Fresh delivered 200 cups of frozen yogurt with toppings to the hard-working doctors and nurses at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Martin Luther King. “We wanted to give something back to show our appreciation to those on the front lines,” said Tanya. When BJ’s Warehouse reached out to her from a Facebook post, Tanya did not hesitate to answer the call to help. “We also delivered 200 cups to the BJ’s Warehouse in Tampa Bay. They are essential workers now and really on the front lines, too, because they have to deal with all the customers coming in.” If any medical organization or essential business would like Tanya to bring Froyo Fresh treats to thank their staff, please email her at froyofresh@gmail.com.
theatre world together virtually during COVID-19. In March, to pass the time in mandatory lockdown, he put out a call to action on social media to his friends and a few other college students about a short playwriting challenge called Quarantine BakeOff. Participants would receive five key ingredients that would need to be incorporated into a finished short play by a next day deadline. “I release the event flyer on Friday, March 13th and figured we’d be lucky to have at most 100 people be a part of this. By Saturday morning, we had 600 people emailing. By Sunday night, we had 5,000. It was all just social media sharing – it shows the power of social media,” said Gus. “It was quite an insane experience. We had people from all over the world, all different backgrounds, all ages, races, genders. It was an incredible experience. This is the first time I’ve really seen social media bring us together, rather than tear us apart.”
Gus is looking about creating festivals based upon the plays received and is trying to figure out how to build upon the network of writers the challenge created and continue past the quarantine. “When we talk about history, we talk about it in retrospect. These plays are very interesting as they are real-time, real responses to being in Coronavirus rather than looking at the history of it. We don’t know what’s going to happen in two months, much less two days. These plays are in-themoment people’s understanding of what’s going on.” Writers can join the Facebook page and signup for upcoming challenges at https://www.facebook.com/ groups/3071865506192448 and read plays submitted at www. quarantinebakeoff.com. When someone says, ‘I’m only one person, what can I do?’ think of the extraordinary men and women who decided to become the helpers for no fanfare, no reward, and no other reason than they could.
A Community of Writers In a time when community to Broadway stages are dark, twenty-year-old University of Minnesota / Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program student Gus Mahoney reached out to his friends, college student Nigel Berkeley and Willie Jones to embark on a way to bring the
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