Turnout for Special Operations Warrior Foundation a thriller

hamptoweenThe New Tampa community of Grand Hampton recently held its second annual community 5K road race and childrenโ€™s one-mile fun run, raising $6,050 for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

The theme of the event this year, held on Oct. 17, was the โ€œGrand Hamptoween Monster Dashโ€ and โ€œโ€˜Lil Monster Dash,โ€ featuring a twilight run through the streets of Grand Hampton. Children and adults also competed in monster costume contests, sponsored by Cartwright Realty.

A haunted house, bounce houses, DJ dance party, face painting, popcorn, pizza and food catered by OTB Delights Cafรฉ provided hours of fun and entertainment to hundreds of Grand Hampton residents and Tampa Bay-area runners. Florida Race Management provided the 5K race course and timing, as all runners had chipped bibs this year.

A โ€œflash mobโ€ of monster dancers set the tone for the race, performing a routine to Michael Jacksonโ€™s โ€œThriller.โ€

Twelve other area corporations and businesses combined as donors for this yearโ€™s race, and many were present at the race site.

Walgreens at Country Line Road and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. was a second-year sponsor and also provided flu shots on-site. Other second-year sponsors were the Melrose Management Partnership, Two Men & A Truck, The Breakfast Nook of Lutz, Valley Crest, Bright House Networks, Dr. Lisa LaPresti of Sea of Smiles Childrenโ€™s Dentistry and ICI Homes.

First-year sponsors included AAA, Donna โ€œKโ€ Kempinksi of Keller Williams, Iernaโ€™s Heating & Cooling and Dr. Bill Scheuโ€™s New Tampa Chiropractic & Injury Center.

The Tampa-based Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) provides full scholarships and grants as well as counseling to the surviving children of special operations personnel who die in operational or training missions. Immediate financial assistance also is provided to severely wounded special operations personnel and their families.

As the main community event for the fall season, this yearโ€™s Grand Hamptoween 5K race more than doubled the charitable donation to SOWF over last yearโ€™s race and provided lots of family and athletic fun for all.โ€” Special to the Neighborhood News

 

Ninth Annual Tampa Fisher House Golf Tourney A Classic!

FisherHouseWEBMeanwhile, we went to press so soon after the ninth annual Fisher House Golf Classic (held at Pebble Creek Country Club off Bruce B. Downs {BBD} Blvd.) on October 30 that organizer and New Tampa Noon Rotary Club president Val Casey and her amazing committee did not yet have a total amount of funds raised.

But, with a full field of golfers and plenty of great sponsorships โ€” including, for the first time, Valโ€™s employer Delta Airlines โ€” thereโ€™s little doubt that this yearโ€™s Fisher House Golf Classic was, indeed, a true classic.

Of course, the Tampa Fisher House is the 20-bed residence which houses and feeds โ€” at no charge โ€” the families and significant others of the wounded soldiers being treated at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital.

And, thanks to Val, the Arbor Greene resident from a military family who has organized and run the annual golf tourney to benefit the Haley Fisher House, more than $210,000 already had been raised in the previously eight years of the event, including surpassing her goal of $30,000 this year.

Val again thanks her fellow New Tampa Noon Rotary Club members Barry and Clare Shuman, as well as all of the tournamentโ€™s sponsors, golfers and supporters for their efforts this year and was again thrilled that injured U.S. Army Ranger Romy Camargo and several other Purple Heart recipients and other military veterans were again on-hand for the event.

Tampa Fisher House director Paula Welenc and Fisher House national Board member and U.S. Marines Lt. Gen. (ret.) Marty Steele, who has been a member of the Board of Directors of the national Fisher House Foundation, were both again thrilled to be able to attend โ€” and speak at โ€” the tournamentโ€™s awards ceremony.

โ€œWe certainly couldnโ€™t have housed more than 850 family members of our wounded soldiers at the Tampa Fisher House without all of you supporting events like this one,โ€ Welenc said.

To make a donation, email ValCasey3@aol.com or visit FisherHouse.org.