Recapping The Sarah Vande Berg Foundation’s ‘Raise A Racquet’ Fund Raiser 

The 2024-25 SVB Tennis Foundation Ambassadors.

Congratulations to executive director Nick Walton and everyone involved with the Sarah Vande Berg (SVB) Tennis Foundation, which hosted its 4th annual “Raise A Racquet” gala at the SVB Tennis Center (located on Simon Rd. in Zephyrhills) on Nov. 9. This year’s gala raised more than $63,000 to support the Foundation’s ongoing efforts to provide tennis racquets, lessons and the opportunity to play the sport at no cost to kids who would not otherwise be able to afford them. Among the 12 school partner programs, impacting more than 350 students, are Watergrass and New River elementary schools. 

Foundation exec. dir. Nick Walton (left) with Board chair Mike Avadikian 

The Foundation also provides opportunities for high school students to serve as the Foundation’s Ambassadors, where they are taught by adult mentors the proper way to coach younger kids. 

“By teaching our Ambassadors how to lead and coach,” Walton said, “we’re not only building skilled athletes but also role models who guide our youngest student-athletes with enthusiasm and heart.” 

Walton also noted that, thanks to the fact that the Ambassador program had more applicants than ever this year, the Foundation has added a Junior Ambassador group, “giving future leaders as young as the third grade the chance to shine.” 

Among the Foundation’s 14 Ambassadors for 2024-25 are three Wesley Chapel-area high school students — Amya Ramsey, a junior at Wesley Chapel High; Dalton O’Donovan, a freshman at the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation; and Treye Hochstetler, a junior at Kirkland Ranch Academy. 

Emily Vande Berg (left) presents the SVB Memorial Character Award to Jenna Goodman. 

The winner of this year’s Sarah Vande Berg Memorial Character Award, given each year to one of the Foundation’s Ambassadors, was Zephyrhills High senior Jenna Goodman. Jenna was presented the award by Emily Vande Berg, the sister of Sarah Vande Berg. Sarah and Emily’s father, Todd, also spoke at the event. 

Sarah, of course, was the Zephyrhills High tennis star for whom the Tennis & Wellness Center was named. She was continuing her career at the University of South Carolina Upstate when she was tragically killed at age 21 — with three other of the school’s athletes — in a car accident in 2015. 

Nearly 200 of the Foundation’s supporters attended this year’s gala, where attendees raised a provided tennis racquet during live auction “bidding” on gifts for the participating students — from $18 for one racquet for one kid up to $5,000 for 30 kids to receive 8 weeks of after-school programming at one of the Foundation’s partner schools. 

For more info about the SVB Foundation, visit SVBTennisFoundation.org. For info about the SVB Tennis Center, call (813) 361-6660 or visit SVBTennisCenter.com. — GN 

Your Favorite Pizza Places In Wesley Chapel 

This was a super-competitive category, as NY NY, 900º Woodfired & Amici all finished within three votes of each other, while PizzaMania, last year’s #1 “Favorite Pizza in NT & WC,” dropped to 4th in WC this year. 

1. NY NY Pizza (photo) 

2. 900º Woodfired Pizza (Wiregrass Mall) 

3. Amici Pizza 

4. PizzaMania 

5. Mama B’s Pizzeria 

6. 900º NY Pizza (The Grove) 

7. Moschella’s Italian Eatery & Market 

8. (tie) Best NY Pizza & Caprese Pizza House 

Feel Like A Run Before The Feast Tomorrow? Here Are Three Local Options!

7 a.m. – BayCare Wobble Turkey Trot.

At Tampa Premium Outlets. Run. Walk. Wobble! The BayCare Wobble Turkey Trot (photo), presented by BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel is coming back for another race at Tampa Premium Outlets. Events include 5K, 1K and virtual 5K runs. Proceeds to benefit the New Tampa Family YMCA. 

The cost for the 5K is now $45. For the 1 “Tur(K)” Fun Run, the cost is now $27.50. For more information, visit runsignup.com/Race/FL/Lutz/BayCareWobbleTurkeyTrot5k. 

8 a.m. – Wiregrass Turkey Trot.

At The Shops at Wiregrass. Join your neighbors at the 12th annual Wiregrass Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day, hosted by the Rotary Club of New Tampa and AdventHealth. This year’s events include the annual 5K Run/Walk, 1-Mile Fun Run and Kid’s Turkey Dash for all under 12 years old, as well as selfie stations, a costume contest, awards, music and fun for the entire community. 

The cost for the 5K run is $45 between Nov. 20-26 or $50 Nov. 27-28. For the 1-mile Fun Run, the cost is $25 anytime. There’s also a Kids Turkey Dash for ages 12 & under, which costs $20. 

For more info, visit TheShopsatWiregrass.com/events. 

8:30 a.m. – TPE Trot for Tessa

This year Tampa Palms Elementary School is hosting a 5K Walk/Run around the Tampa Palms Boulevard loop. They are hoping to enjoy this community event as a school family in honor of a former TPE Eagle, Tessa Wiseman, who loved to learn. loved to read, and who loved running.

Even through two cancer diagnoses Tessa continued to run. It was therapeutic for her, and she shared her passion for running with many people she encountered. In addition to being an avid runner, Tessa was a guide for visually impaired runners during races. Tessa inspired so many people through her journey and reminded her family, friends, and strangers who became fast friends, that focusing on the future, celebrating life with every breath and every mile, and aspiring to love and help others is the only way to live, no matter what difficulties may arise along the way and what insurmountable obstacles we may face. These are values they hope to inspire and cultivate within all of their TPE students. At the end of the race they will plant a tree on the TPE campus in memory of Tessa to create a living legacy for years to come.

For more info, visit app.givebacks.gives/trotfortessa/Campaign/Details

Blue Park Dental, Inside Out Aesthetics & Lightning Orthodontics All Cut Chamber Ribbons! 

At the NTBC ribbon-cutting event at Inside Out Aesthetics on Nov. 2, attendees got to check out the many treatment rooms at Inside Out’s new location north of S.R. 56. (Photos by Charmaine George)

Even as the holidays approach, the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) is still helping its new and existing member businesses get the word out with ribbon-cutting ceremonies — and we are proud to partner with the Chamber to help publicize these businesses and events. Here are a couple of those events that have been held since our last issue hit mailboxes four weeks ago: 

Blue Park Dental 
On Oct. 24, Dr. Jordan Brown of Blue Park Dental and his wife Shakirah celebrated the official Grand Opening of the new dental office on Wesley Chapel Blvd. with an NTBC ribbon-cutting event. 

Blue Park Dental, the office of Jordan Brown, DDS, is located at 5470 Post Oak Blvd., Unit 170, in the same plaza off Wesley Chapel Blvd. as the new Moe’s Southwest Grill and Jimmy John’s, in Wesley Chapel. 

Dr. Brown and his wife Shakirah hosted a Grand Opening and NTBC ribbon-cutting event on Oct. 24, attended by at least 50 people, including members of the Browns’ family, friends and of course, NTBC members. 

He told those who were there that he was inspired by the work ethics of both of his parents — Colin and Patricia Brown (who were both in attendance) — and said, “Blue Park Dental is a dental office that advertises comfort, trust and honesty. It emphasizes technology but also makes sure you feel comfort and safety at the same time.” 

Dr. Brown also thanked his wife. “You have no idea how much Shakirah has been in this process. She has helped so much, every step of the way, so thank you for being my rock and my support.” 

For more information about Blue Park Dental, call (813) 742-6227 or visit BlueParkDental.com. 

Inside Out Aesthetics & Wellness 
Family nurse practitioner Tracy Burke (left) and licensed esthetician Amanda McEwan. 

Then, on Nov. 2, it was Board-certified family nurse practitioner Tracy Burke who hosted an NTBC ribbon-cutting event at the new location of her Inside Out Aesthetics & Wellness — at 27613 Cashford Cir., which is located behind Sam’s Club on the north side of S.R. 56 in the Summergate Professional Park. Inside Out previously was located on an outparcel of The Shops at Wiregrass. 

Tracy also thanked the Chamber, as well as all of her friends, clients and her entire family, but especially her son Michael, who recently earned his Florida general contractor’s license and who was instrumental in creating every room in the new med spa to Tracy’s exact specifications. 

“I want to thank all of you for coming,” Tracy said prior to cutting the Chamber ribbon. “I have dreamed about having a location like this and now, that dream has come true.” The event also introduced Inside Out’s new licensed medical esthetician Amanda McEwan, who specializes in skin care and custom facials that blend advanced treatments with a holistic approach. 

Inside Out also offers neuromodulators, injectables, PDO threads, bio-stimulators, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy & semaglutide for weight loss. For info, call (813) 602-6100 or visit insideout-aesthetics.com. 

Lightning Orthodontics 

And finally, on Nov. 7, it was time for Lightning Orthodontics, the office of Isis El Ghannam, DDS, to cut a Chamber ribbon. 

Located in the small strip plaza at 24795 S.R. 54 in Lutz that also includes Fazoli’s, Lightning Orthodontics (which is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Tampa Bay Lightning) is a beautiful, new office equipped with the latest in orthodontic technology and with room to add additional orthodontists if and when the need arises. 

Dr. El Ghannam is Board-certified and says she is especially drawn to challenging cases as she finds it rewarding to make a positive impact on the lives of her patients. She also is a new mom who says the experience has deepened her empathy and enriched her interactions with families. 

The office, which promises that patients will be, “heard, understood and cared for with the speed of lightning,” offers online appointments, virtual consults and remote treatment options. English, Spanish and Arabic are all spoken at the office. 

For more info about Lightning Orthodontics, visit LightningOrthondtics.com or call (813) 733-0007 and please tell them we sent you!

News from AdventHealth — Wangsness Moves On To AHT; Quattlebaum Takes Over At AHWC; Beam Signing At New Meadow Pointe ER

(01/18/2023) ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FL – USA – AdventHealth. AdventHealth Executive Leadership. Matt Rainey/AdventHealth

AdventHealth has certainly been busy the last couple of weeks. On Nov. 8, the new freestanding Emergency Room on S.R. 54 at Meadow Pointe Blvd. had a beam-signing event that you can read about below. Then, just last week, the nonprofit health care giant announced that Erik Wangsness, who has been the president & CEO of AdventHealth Wesley Chapel (AHWC) since Sept. 2019, will assume the same position at AdventHealth Tampa, effective December 15. Taking over from Wangsness as the president & CEO at AHWC, as of Dec. 29, will be Ryan Quattlebaum, who previously held the same titles at AdventHealth North Pinellas in Tarpon Springs.

For more details about these two latest moves, check out the full stories in the December 10 edition of New Tampa Neighborhood News and the December 24 edition of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News.

AdventHealth Meadow Pointe ER Beam Signed! 
Pasco County Comm. Seth Weightman (3rd from left) & the executive team for the new AdventHealth ER in Meadow Pointe sign the beam. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

George Butler, the construction superintendent for Robins & Morton, the firm building the freestanding AdventHealth emergency room (ER) in Meadow Pointe (AHMP), told the crowd of nearly 100 people in attendance on Nov. 8 that, “Today is a major milestone for this project. The next major milestone will be the Grand Opening.”

The milestone in question that day was the signing and raising of a beam that will be above the sliding door main entrance to the ER located at the corner of S.R. 54 and Meadow Pointe Blvd.

“Every time you go through that sliding door, you will all think of this beam that you signed,” Butler said. 

AdventHealth Zephyrhills president & CEO Mike Murrill thanked all of the people & companies that made the project happen. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

Butler was introduced by William Villegas, the chief operating officer of AdventHealth Zephyrhills (AHZ), who then said that, “You’re here with us today because you were part of the process of getting this building off the ground…and by signing this beam, you are acknowledging all of the hard work of the crew that is sitting here. And, each and every one of you has played a role in it, whether as a support member, an executive or an engineer with Robins Morton.” 

Villegas added that, “So far, this building has endured two storms, and it’s still standing. On April 29, 2025, when we open this building, we will be providing 32,000 square feet of capacity with 12 beds, two triage rooms and advanced lab and imaging services that will provide freestanding emergency room services to the Pasco community. As we expand our reach, build facilities, touch more lives and care for more patients in Pasco County, we fulfill our mission of extending the healing ministry of Christ. And, that’s what we’re here for, to serve our communities and provide the highest quality of care for our patients. None of this would be possible without everyone here today..”

Villegas, the executive sponsor for the AHMP ER, then introduced Mike Murrill, the president and CEO of AHZ.

“I want to thank William Villegas for guiding this team the last several months,” Murrill said. “He just joined our team six months ago and hit the ground running by connecting our community partners and the construction team and it’s exciting to get to this point in the journey.”

Murrill added, “I would just like to take this moment to thank several of our partners who are here this morning — our Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman, Arash Kamangar of Hunton Brady Architects, George (Butler) and our Robins & Morton construction team, all of the subcontractors who have contributed to this project, ans well as our Division Team. We thank you all for your collaborative spirit, your work with each other and what it means to have something new in this community.” 

Villegas then said a short prayer to thank God and to pray that “the patients who end up at this new ER find healing.”

For more information about the new AHMP ER, visit AdventHealth.com. — GN