Day: July 20, 2017

Madison Davis ‘Paying It Forward’ By Helping Shriners Hospital Kids

Madison Davis, center, with her mom, Helena Hampton-Davis, and her dad, Mike Davis.

One of the top songs on Madison Davis’ playlist is “Titanium,” sung by Australian recording artist Sia.

It’s a song about prevailing over adversity, and when the refrain, “I am titanium, I am titanium” comes around, the New Tampa 12-year-old sings along with the words coming from a place deep within her.

That’s because Madison recently had titanium rods surgically inserted in her back to correct a severe case of scoliosis, or curvature of the spine. The rods are attached to her spine in order to hold it straight.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a case of scoliosis is considered severe, requiring surgery, if a still-growing person has a curvature of 45 degrees or greater.

She is well on the road to recovery following the six-hour surgery she underwent at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Tampa (located on the Tampa campus of the University of South Florida; see story on page 35 of this issue) in March, and her experience of overcoming a tough challenge at an early age has taught her to be generous.

Madison has formed a foundation {and applied for 501(c)(3) status} called Not on My Back, which raises money for rolling backpacks that she gives to children, including patients at Shriners who either have scoliosis or have had a spinal surgery.

Money is raised through fund-raising events and a GoFundMe page (GoFundMe.com/MadisonDavis). At our press time, the page showed that $5,625 of Madison’s $10,000 goal had already been raised.

To Madison, the rolling backpacks her project provides relieve a painful burden from the backs of children with scoliosis and is a way she can make a difference in the lives of others.

“It’s for a good cause, to give kids something they need and to make sure they’re not alone,” she says.

According to Madison’s mother, Helena Hampton-Davis, her daughter wants to express appreciation for the life-changing work that the doctors and staff at Shriners perform.

“She decided she wanted to do something nice for Shriners and that’s when she decided she wanted to start her own foundation,’’ says Helena. “We’ve committed to Shriners for 100 backpacks and we’ve already delivered 50.”

Helena adds that the backpacks are “fully loaded” with school supplies when they are presented to recipients.

The personal strength and generosity of spirit Madison displays has earned her a role as a member of the Shriners team, as a patient ambassador. The hospital’s public relations manager Lisa Buie says Madison is an inspiration to everyone who meets her.

“She is a delightful young woman, and we couldn’t be prouder of her,” Buie says.

There are many people who are proud of Madison and some of them gathered at her family’s home in Heritage Isles on June 24 to celebrate both her accomplishments and National Scoliosis Awareness Month, which is observed in June each year.

“Madison has a team of people who support her,” says Helena.

Professional artist and graphic designer Morgan Welch, who designed the fashionable “Curves are for hips, not backs” t-shirts that attendees wore, is part of that support team.

Another is Mercedes McDowell, who sells Premier Designs jewelry at in-home events and is planning one of the jewelry company’s “Parties with a Purpose” to raise money for Madison’s foundation.

Helena also acknowledges the daily, routine support her family received.

“There are people who came to the house to check on her,” Helena says. “They brought food, gifts, cards and stuffed animals.”

Madison and her family also want to raise awareness about scoliosis and within their circle of support, they have definitely succeeded.

Anytime a child goes through a tough situation, it’s always a challenge for their parents, too. Madison’s father, Mike Davis, says his daughter has become a role model for him.

“My strength is really listening to her,” Mike says. “Instead of complaining about the situation, she’s helping others.”

Through dealing with the curvature of her spine and the surgery to correct it, Madison has acquired insight as to what is required to prevail in such a situation.

“It takes courage and strength, and you will get those from your family, friends and doctors,” she says. “You have gifts that God gives you and you will discover them.”

According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons website, as many as nine million people in the U.S. have scoliosis, which can develop in infants and toddlers, but most frequently begins when children are 10-15 years old. Severe scoliosis also can put pressure on the heart and reduce lung capacity.

Treatments range from wearing a supportive brace to surgery. Madison’s operation was performed by Geoffrey Cronen, M.D., a spinal surgeon at Shriners. His prognosis of Madison’s prospects for a fulfilling life is positive.

“She’s a great person and has a bright future,” Dr. Cronen says.

Madison says that her future includes designing clothes and exploring careers in medicine and law. “I want to help people,” she says.

Madison Davis Shriner's Hospital

Feeling Crafty? You Can ‘Go Craft Yourself’ Pretty Much Anytime You Want

Lindsay Rewald works on a craft with her daughters Hayley (left) and Madison. The Rewalds decided to drop in to Go Craft Yourself on Cross Creek Blvd. after a doctor’s appointment.

When she wasn’t working as a software salesperson, or in real estate or defense manufacturing, Samantha Harrison says she was working on crafts.

Many of her projects — other than adding an artistic touch to her young daughters’ rooms and their home — were gifts for friends that always seemed to be a hit. Combined with a Pinterest account burgeoning with projects she was hoping to get around to one day, the road to a crafting career was already in the works.

“You know, you should do this for a living,’’ her friends would tell her, and one day, Samantha agreed.

In February, in the Cory Lake Isles Professional Center off Cross Creek Blvd., Samantha and her husband Brian opened Go Craft Yourself, a concept that combines crafting with affordability and availability.

While Go Craft Yourself does hold crafting events and themed outings, its scheduling flexibility is one of the things that make it stand out from its few competitors in the Tampa Bay area.

It’s this simple: Do you want to craft? Then come on in.

Samantha and Brian Harrison opened Go Craft Yourself in February of this year.

“You can walk in the door anytime,” Samantha says. “You pick a project and do it, and take it home with you that day. You don’t have to make an appointment; you don’t have to come to a scheduled workshop. We’re open every day but Mondays, so we’re pretty much always here.”

Go Craft Yourself is located right across the way from the popular Children’s Dentistry office of Dr. Greg Stepanski, and shares the plaza with a number of other kid-friendly businesses where parents are often stopping by so their children can see doctors and dentists and take their music and martial arts lessons.

“It seems like everybody’s kids go to the dentist right across the way,’’ Samantha says, laughing.

That’s how New Tampa’s Lindsay Rewald discovered Go Craft Yourself. Her young daughters, Madison, 12, and Hayley, 9, were visiting their doctor’s office when they noticed the crafting center.

The three of them walked right in, found a project they liked, and started crafting.

“It’s a great concept,’’ says Rewald, who was stenciling the family name over the letter R onto a rectangular piece of wood she planned to hang in the family room of their home. It is Go Craft Yourself’s most popular project, Samantha says.

Madison and Hayley were working on a similar project, painting their first names to hang in their bedrooms.

“It’s fun,’’ Hayley said.

“And, we will definitely be back,’’ her mom added.

One of the things Rewald says she liked about Go Craft Yourself is the workspace. The shop is more than 3,000 sq. ft., with a half dozen or so large, square wooden tables set up to handle large groups.

While the Harrisons looked around for the right studio, more expensive locations right on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. didn’t fit their needs. For a better price, they chose a far more spacious locale.

“The space is one thing that definitely makes us different,’’ Brian says.

The Harrisons made the distinct, dark wood tables in the studio themselves, as well as the front counter and the wood-slatted wall behind it.

There is a children’s area in one corner, with chalkboard walls, and in another corner is a work area. On Father’s Day, children were able to fill a squirt gun with different colored paints and then fire away at a stencil, creating a unique gift for their dads.

Most of the crafts offered are wood-oriented, like signs, custom serving trays, planter boxes and wall decorations, although the studio also has painting for kids and various other crafts. Pricing is per project and varies depending upon the project.

Though you can walk right in and start crafting, Go Craft Yourself also offers workshops for serious crafters ages 18 and older, and is available for private events.

Go Craft Yourself is currently running “Christmas in July,” where crafters can come in and make gifts for the upcoming holiday, or festive decorations for the home and tree. With Halloween and Thanksgiving quickly approaching as well, crafting season is about to kick into full gear and the art shop plans to offer a number of season-themed activities.

“We are versatile,’’ Brian said. “We had a whole bridal shower come in one time, and they wanted something that we typically don’t offer. But, we showed them something else, and they ended up making really nice custom-designed pieces for the wedding.”

Samantha said that as the business grows, it will offer kid camps, with room to handle 70 budding artists at a time. She also is hoping to work with nearby schools on projects. She is already working with Benito Middle School, where currently, students can come in and decorate pavers for $10, which will then be used for a pathway at the school.

Samantha was born and raised in Melbourne, FL, and studied business and religion in college at Stetson and Liberty universities. However, the jobs that followed, she says, lacked a connection for her.

“They weren’t very creatively-driven jobs,” she says.

Two years ago, the Harrisons moved to West Meadows for Samantha’s new sales job. However, since college, she says she has always imagined herself as a CEO or owner of a company, leading to Go Craft Yourself.

“I just never knew what that looked like, until we figured this out,’’ she says. “This fulfills that desire.”

Samantha says that while there are similar crafting studios in Tampa Bay, there aren’t any this area. And, there also aren’t any where you can walk in, sit down and begin crafting something special at a moment’s notice.

Go Craft Yourself definitely has an artistic feel to it, and even includes a sitting area with coffee and Wi-Fi for those taking a more leisurely approach to their project.

“People love the atmosphere,’’ Samantha says. “There’s no time limit, no pressure, you can sit here all day if you want. We try to provide a calm, relaxing environment.”

There also is the convenience factor, she adds. Instead of buying crafting supplies that you will use a few times and then store away until you end up with bottles of dried paint and crusty brushes, it’s more pragmatic to use what you need. No storage, no clean up.

And, it’s cheaper.

“We make it easy,’’ she says.

Go Craft Yourself is ideal for a girls night out, birthday parties and team-building events, Samantha says, adding that her customer base has expanded every month.

“We’ve grown significantly since we opened in February,’’ Samantha says. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know new people. We get a lot of repeat customers, and I see a lot of them with the same passion for crafting I have.”

Go Craft Yourself is located at 10311 Cross Creek Blvd., Suite A, in the Cory Lake Isles Professional Center, and is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., and 2 p.m.-7 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call (813) 345-8498, visit GoCraftYourselfFL.com or see the ad on pg. 32 of this issue.

Go Craft Yourself

Rolled Ice Cream & Boba Tea Help Set Frogury Apart From Its Competition!

As you’re probably already aware, there are a lot of frozen yogurt and ice cream shops in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. So, how do any of them distinguish themselves from everyone else?

Jackie Chan (not his real name, but the name he goes by), the owner of the Frogury Frozen Yogurt Café, has been open for almost five years, next to Five Guys in the plaza across from LA Fitness at the corner of County Line Rd. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

A few months ago, we told you that Jackie had added a taste sensation that is becoming popular all over the U.S., especially on and near college campuses — rolled ice cream and frozen yogurt.

Jackie takes fresh cream and pours it onto an ice-cold, circular “pan.” He’s happy to mix in anything from Oreo cookies to almonds to a variety of fresh fruit, including the fresh banana he added to mine.

While the cream is chilling, Jackie mashes up your mix-in until as smooth as possible and then rolls it out flat. He then takes a steel spatula and rolls the now-firm ice cream into, well, rolls. He then scoops up the super-cold rolls and places them side-by-side into a cup, adding virtually any topping you want. I tried to keep it healthy with fresh strawberries, although I also added chocolate syrup and whipped cream.

If you’ve never had rolled ice cream, it is significantly colder and more dense than soft-serve yogurt or ice cream and most “hard” ice creams, too. And the flavor? Out of this world!

As someone who still prefers “real” ice cream to any kind of frozen yogurt, I can tell you that if you haven’t yet sampled Frogury’s rolled ice cream, you owe it to yourself to visit and try it out today!

Boba Tea, Anyone?

Although I’m not the biggest ice tea fan, either, I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed my most recent foray into Boba, or “bubble” tea, which was first created in Taiwan in the 1990s and has been gaining popularity in the U.S. since the ear;y 2000s.

Bobas are ball-shaped, chewy bubbles of tapioca to which a variety of flavors, especially jellied fruit, can be added. Jackie had me try the traditional, “plain” bobas in iced black tea (there’s also green tea and other flavors) with milk, which was yummy, even though I’m still not a big boba fan. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think. A woman visiting the shop named Suzy says she comes to Frogury every day, just for the tea. “It’s the best in town,” she said. “It’s why I’m a regular here.”

Frogury (6431 County Line Rd.) is open Mon.-Sat., 11 10a..- p.m., & noon-10 p.m. on Sunday. For 20-percent-off your purchase or buy-one, get-one-free smoothies, see the ad on pg. 46 of our last New Tampa issue. For more info, call 994-1960 or visit Frogury.com.

Frogury

The Chamber Expands

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any more exciting or complicated for the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC), on June 28, the WCCC announced that it was merging with the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce (GPCC), which immediately increases the WCCC from nearly 600 to more than 900 business members.

The announcement, made at the Culinary Institute at Land O’Lakes High, featured (photo, top left, l.-r.) Pasco Economic Development Council (EDC) president and CEO Bill Cronin WCCC Board chair Jennifer Cofini and CEO Hope Allen, as well as GPCC Board chair Michael Cox and Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore.

Allen was excited to announce that the two chambers had formed an alliance back in January and “would become one Chamber of Commerce.” Under the agreement, current members of either chamber would have reciprocal membership in both.

And, even though Allen admitted the merged chambers didn’t yet decide on a name, the same joint task force that created the merger, “will continue to meet every two weeks to help make that decision. Our drop-dead date to come up with all the details is January 1.”

Other issues to map out include the fact that there are still other four other chambers also serving Pasco and how the new merged chambers will fit into that structure, as well as the fact that the WCCC also serves New Tampa, which is in Hillsborough County.

“I did some research and we actually have 160 business members located in Hillsborough,” Allen said. “We will continue to provide the same services and opportunities for those businesses as usual.”

Nibbles & Bytes wesley chapel chamber of commerce

Local Soccer Players Headed To England For A Once-In-A-Lifetime Opportunity

Tampa Palms resident Patrick Callahan (left) and former Liberty Middle School student Julio Plata both earned two-year scholarships to play soccer in England.

Like most serious soccer players, Tampa Palms’ Patrick Callahan has dreams of playing professionally, and there are few places better to do that than in England’s Premier League.

And, while he is still years away from playing at that level, the chance to play and study nearby in one of soccer’s hotbeds was too good for Callahan and recent Liberty Middle School student and Lutz resident Julio Plata to pass up.

Both players were recently awarded scholarships to Brooke House College football academy in Market Harborough, England, less than an hour north of London by train.

Brooke House College is similar to Bradenton’s IMG Academy and Saddlebrook Prep in Wesley Chapel, in that it attracts international athletes to board at the school while undergoing intensive training in their sport while maintaining high academic standards.

The two-year scholarships are valued at roughly $45,000 per year. That includes travel costs; the academy went to Budapest, Hungary, for a tournament last month.

“They have a lot of great facilities,’’ said Callahan, who completed his freshman year at King High last spring. “It’s a great school, they have a really nice gym and training facility. When you train, they have you wear a vest tracking everywhere you run, it’s state of the art. School is like 5-6 hours a day, with small classes, tutoring and you train like six days a week. That’s the amazing part, that you get to play that much.”

Callahan’s father, John, encouraged his son to accept the scholarship offer. John was pleased with both the athletic and academic aspects of the program.

“He will be SAT-ready when he’s done,’’ he said.

The 15-year-old Callahan currently plays club soccer for the Temple Terrace-based Florida Soccer Club (FSC) Spirit of Tampa Bay U16, and already has some experience playing soccer abroad. His mother, Grace Amparo Callahan, is from Ecuador, and on past family summer trips to her country, he would often practice and play with the college players there.

“That’s what I’m expecting at Brook House, a high level of play,’’ he said.

The first day of tryouts for this unique “futbol” academy consisted of soccer drills and scrimmages, with Brooke House College coaches Mickey Adams and Lawrie Dudfeld looking on.

Callahan, who is tall and fast for his age, said was nervous at first.

“I remember I messed up one or two times, and they were like, ‘All right, big guy, get back to it,’” Patrick said. “At first I was playing kind of iffy. But in the scrimmage, I felt I was doing good and standing out. I felt that’s what got me to the next day.”

Plata, 13, who has been playing for the FC Tampa Rangers club team, felt he did well in the drills. A midfielder, he said he just tried to keep the ball at his teammates’ feet.

“I really just wanted to pass the ball and not lose it,’’ he said, smiling.

Day 2 featured a number of games, and Callahan remembers scoring a particularly impressive goal — beating two defenders before depositing the ball into the upper corner — that caught the coaches’ attention

The coaches pared down the group, and announced they would be picking two players to receive the scholarships. Callahan and Plata were among more than 20 finalists at the final day interviews.

Callahan wasn’t sure he pulled it off in the interviews, but was relived to hear his name called.

“At first, I was so excited,’’ he says. “I called my grandma, she lives with my aunt, and I heard them screaming and excited on the other line. I posted a picture with the news on Instagram and, in an hour, gained like 100 followers. That was really cool, too.”

For Plata and Callahan, the Brooke House College football academy opportunity is a chance to hone their soccer skills with top, hand-selected competition.

Founded in 2008, the program boasts more than 70 players ages 13-19 filling four club teams that play in the Junior Premier League and other leagues, while also competing in various cups across Europe, and has produced 12 professional players.

Callahan and Plata, though, both say that if they can come back better players than when they left, it will help their chances to play collegiately in the U.S.

They are both awaiting their visas from the British Consulate in New York, and are eager to book their flights.

“It’s a little nerve-wracking,” Plata says, “but I’m excited to go.”

England soccer