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Procession Thanks Healthcare Workers
Healthcare professionals from SouthBay Hospital waved at the motorcycles and cars. (Photo by Pat Jones)
Motorcycle officers pass by Sun Towers.
By Diane M. Loeffler On April 28, more than 60 vehicles drove by South Bay Hospital honking and waving to thank the nurses and staff there. We wanted to make sure they knew how grateful we were. In May, the community went one step further. Community members wanted to express their gratitude to all healthcare professionals throughout our zip code,
The officers are ready to start the processional. (Photo by Pat Jones)
those at the nursing homes and assisted living facilities as well as those at South Bay Hospital. The result was a May 28 procession
of vehicles led by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies in their dress uniforms. The cars, trucks, and vans that followed displayed thank-you posters as they drove by honking their horns and waving. In some places, healthcare professionals and residents of the facilities stood or sat outside the buildings. In others, they waved from windows. There was a feeling of celebration in the air.
The day began with cars, trucks and motorcycles meeting at the United Methodist Church (UMC) parking lot at 8:30 a.m. One of the lineup assistants, Douglas Moore, says he and the other orange-shirted volunteers were experienced parking lot attendants at the church. Thankyou posters, a card listing the route, and individually wrapped cookies were given to drivers as
Thanks continued on page 7.
Pelican Players to Mark Four Decades in November with Nana’s Naughty Knickers
By Bob Sanchez This year, the Pelican Players will celebrate 40 years of stage shows in Kings Point with the production of its first big stage show, Nana’s Naughty Knickers, the week of November 9-15 in the theater on 1900 Clubhouse Drive. According to the Lancaster Journal, the show “is a slick comedy by a new playwright, Katy DiSavino…the dialog is crisp and funny, and the action fastpaced…[this] Senior Citizen’s sexy sideline will have you in stitches!” Attendance in past shows averaged from 800 to 1200 for the full run of the five showings, which are Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and Saturday and Sunday afternoons. They have three main shows yearly, in spring, summer and fall. Like everyone else, their 125plus members have had to deal with the slings and arrows of the coronavirus. They’ve held small meetings outdoors or at the Firehouse Cultural Center with members six feet apart, and they’ve used Zoom for video meetings.
Barbara Boyle applies make-up to Jack Stevens before a 2019 performance of Is He Dead.
L to R: Ron Banaszak, Cyd Charrow, Chuck Foell, Barbara Boyle, and Kevin Steinke in The Trouble with Harry (2019).
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L to R: Barbara Boyle, Carol MacAlister, Sue Barnett, and Jack Parry in the 2017 production of Harvey.
The all-volunteer Pelican Players work hard to prepare every show. The ten-actor cast has already started rehearsals, and at least 15 others will work on sets, sales and other essential behindthe-scenes tasks. Production of the upcoming play involves a complicated set with five moving walls, according to Board President Chuck Foell. “My biggest satisfaction,” he says, “has been to be involved with such unique, talented, hardworking people, who also have lots of fun. For people who would like to help, there are many learning opportunities such as set design and building, acting, sound and lighting and more. A Kings Point club founded in 1980, Pelican Players is a 501(c)(3) organization that donates all profits to the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay to endow the Pelican Players Scholarship Fund. To date, the fund has donated about $600,000 to help Hillsborough County students pursuing studies in the performing arts. For more information, visit their website: www.pelicanplayersscc.org.