The next time you see our local firefighters out selling their shirts or cooking up barbecue, remember why it is they do what they do. The answer is simple – they do what they do to help their friends and the community in times of need.
The Boca Grande Firefighter’s Association, Inc. is a non-profit organization created in 2009 to help firefighters and their families in times of strife. Even before that, though, our local firefighters were finding ways to give back to the community. Each year they would pool together what money they could between them, then give it to an island family who needed a little extra help for Christmas.
To the Editor: Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast is delighted to announce two upcoming events at their forever-protected Myakka Headwaters Preserve – an Artists’ Day on Friday, May 19, and a morning of education and exploration on Saturday, May 20. The self-guided Artists’ Day takes place from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm. Participants will […]
At its April annual meeting, the Woman’s Club announced that 21 area organizations would receive funding through the BGWC Community Grants Program, for a total of $308,417. Grants were awarded this year to the following organizations: Barrier Island Parks Society (BIPS); Boca Grande Art Center; Boca Grande Historical Society; Boca Grande Preschool; Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association; Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association (GICIA); Gasparilla Island Maritime Museum; Lee County Parks and Recreation; Mote Marine Laboratory; Royal Palm Players; and The Island School. Grants will also be given to L.A. Ainger Middle School Band; Lemon Bay High School (LBHS) Band Boosters; LBHS Chorus; LBHS NJROTC; LBHS Project Graduation; LBHS Theater Guild; and Lemon Bay booster organizations for the school’s football, girls basketball and softball teams.
In addition to awarding community grants, the Club has awarded $236,856 in scholarships for postsecondary education (university, college, trade or vocational) this season. BGWC has committed to providing scholarships to 26 new scholars for the upcoming season. Scholarship recipients must qualify academically, display financial need via FAFSA, and have a verified island connection per the scholarship guidelines. The Scholarship and Community Grant Programs are funded through the Club’s annual fundraiser and proceeds from Boca Bargains.
A Celebration of Life will be held for Stuart Hoeckel on Saturday, May 6 from 7:30 p.m. until sunset at Stump Pass Marina on Maryland Avenue in Grove City. That will be followed by an evening of togetherness, food and drinks (a la carte) and live music at the Lighthouse Grill Restaurant on the same […]
A Celebration of Life for Elsie Bracken will be held on Saturday, May 6 at 1 p.m. at the Crowninshield Community House. Light refreshments will be served.
Lexi was a vibrant, soft-ball-playing, teenager. No one suspected that the blurry vision and headaches she started experiencing around the first of March this year could be anything terribly serious. Teenagers always have something new going on with their bodies. But Briana wanted to be on the safe side and took her to Dr. Tad Kosanovich, at Englewood Eye Center, where Briana was working.
The optometrist discovered there was a serious problem and immediately referred the family to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, in St. Petersburg. There, doctors saw that a large tumor was present on the left side of Lexi’s brain. They acted quickly and operated, removing the entire tumor. With further examination, however, they found she still had cancer, and it was aggressive and was already at stage 4, meaning it had spread.
Dear Boca Bay and Boca Grande friends, I want to say THANK YOU for all of the support that you have shown me as I have discovered my cancer diagnosis and started to undergo treatment. I have always felt so lucky to be a small part of the island community, but I had no idea […]
“As a volunteer, you can learn more about the island you love, or teach us all the stories you know!” said Diff. “We’re looking for volunteers to help foster our island’s vast culture, while having fun and meeting new friends in the process. History spans so many different topics and we’re sure to find something that satisfies anyone’s interests.”
The West Coast Chaos sounds like something Hurricane Ian left in its wake, but it actually is a group of highly committed and skilled young soccer players from the Englewood area. There are a number of teams under the “Chaos” umbrella, both boys and girls teams, but the team getting recognition at this point is […]
Hours for the sale on Monday, April 17, and Tuesday, April 18 are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. During the first two days of the sale, hardcover books, CDs & audiobooks are just $3. Or you can bundle and save – get four items for $10. Paperback books are $2 each or bundle six paperback books for $10.
