New Tampa Family YMCA Names New Director & Volunteer Of The Year!

The New Tampa Family YMCA’s Volunteer of the Year Steve Young (left) and new executive director Robyn Ostrem at the YMCA Regions Community Impact Dinner on March 4.

The New Tampa Family YMCA in Tampa Palms has a new executive director at its helm.

Robyn Ostrem, 46, relocated to Tampa from Chicago last month to accept the position that seemed tailor-made for her. It opened up right when her husband, Matt, decided to retire from a career in law enforcement. 

“It was always our hope to land in Florida when that happened,” says Ostrem, who is in the process of finding a new home for her family in Tampa. Her husband Matt, their two daughters and the family’s Labrador retriever will arrive in our area in June.

“Three weeks in, and I love everything about my new post,” she says. “I’ve met such great people, and you can’t beat the weather!”

Ostrem’s passion for the YMCA grew from her beginnings at Big Brothers Big Sisters in Chicago, where she ran a suburban branch of the agency for 13 years. A major donor took notice of Ostrem’s skills and persuaded her to transition in 2013 to the Sage YMCA of Metro Chicago, where she served as executive director for the past five years.

“One of my favorite parts of working in the Y movement is community connectedness,” she says. “YMCAs are pivotal parts of communities across the U.S., and New Tampa is no exception.”

The New Tampa facility opened in 2001 and is located at 16221 Compton Dr. It is a popular staple in the area for its family events, fitness classes and volunteer opportunities.

“The Y is an amazing resource for families; we’re grateful for their summer camp and affordable programming,” said member Catherine Mund on Facebook. “We moved here in the last year, and the Y helped make New Tampa home.”

Members enjoy a robust selection of amenities, including a full gym, group sports for children and adults, and even the City of Tampa’s only Olympic-sized (50 meters long) swimming pool.

Ostrem says she is excited about what she sees as enormous potential for her new workplace. “This is a large, robust center with dedicated staff, members and advisory board,” she says. “Collectively, these groups will bring innovative programming and an excellent experience to the community, along with raising much-needed funds to support our Open Doors program.”

The Open Doors initiative, currently established in many YMCA facilities around the country, allows residents who are struggling financially to apply for a membership on a sliding fee scale. 

“The New Tampa community is fortunate to have a YMCA here,” said Ostrem, who says she has an open-door policy and welcomes input from members. “You can expect some transformation projects in the coming years, and I’m elated to assist!”

Ostrem’s first major project as executive director will be the Safety Around Water program, which will provide free swim lessons for children aged 3-12, whether or not they are YMCA members. 

The four-day course, taught by certified instructors for one week in May and one week in September, teaches children the skills to reduce the risk of drowning and increase their confidence in and around water. 

Camp Extravaganza, an open event on Saturday, April 27, 1 p.m.-4 p.m., will feature the Healthy Kids Day initiative and offer family activities, vendors, raffles, treats and more. 

Ostrem entirely credits YMCA volunteers with the New Tampa Y’s success, particularly the Board of Directors, which she hopes to expand in the coming years.

“My vision is to bring the Y into the community by being more visible, aligning our selfless leadership staff with service opportunities and assisting other nonprofits to further their missions,” she says.

Congrats, Steve!

Among the six volunteers on the New Tampa Family YMCA board is Steve Young, who was honored as the New Tampa Y’s 2019 “Volunteer of the Year” during the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA’s Regions Community Impact Dinner on March 4 (photo). 

The annual event attracts more than 500 guests and showcases the volunteer accomplishments from every Tampa-area YMCA. “Not only does Steve help provide guidance and leadership for the New Tampa Y’s cause-driven life-changing work, but he is also actively involved in raising funds, increasing community awareness and creating partnerships that further the success of the Tampa Y’s Vision 2020 strategic plan,” said Lalita Llerena, the senior communications director for the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCAs. “(That plan is) to close the achievement gap, improve the community’s health and well-being, prevent drowning and develop teen leaders.”

Young, a Tampa native and YMCA member since 2011, joined the New Tampa YMCA Board in 2014.

For more information about recreation and volunteering at the New Tampa Family YMCA, visit TampaYMCA.org or call (813) 866-9622.

Our Exclusive Taste 2019 Preview — What’s New? A Lot!

Congratulations to the Rotary Club of New Tampa, which will host the annual Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel for the third year in a row, again at what is now being called AdventHealth Center Ice (AHCI) on Sunday, March 24, 2019, noon-4 p.m.

The club (which meets Fridays at 7 a.m at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club) did an excellent job of rounding up not only many of your returning favorite eateries from the last two years, but also some outstanding newcomers among the 29 restaurants and eleven beverage purveyors that had signed up to participate in the Taste by our press time on March 15.

We caught up with Taste co-chairs Karen Frashier and Jennifer Cofini and asked them about what new and old favorites attendees will be enjoying at this year’s Taste:

NN: How excited is everyone about this year’s Taste of New Tampa event?

TONT: We’ve had the pleasure to give away Taste tickets at several North Tampa Bay Chamber and community events. We always ask the crowd if they know why we’re there and what’s coming up. A large percentage of the crowd shouts back “Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel.” Hearing that crowd response makes our day! 

The Rotary Club of New Tampa is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) hosting this event with the Chamber to support scholarships and our charities. Our committee has grown to 20 Rotarians and Chamber volunteers. We’re invested.

NN: What do you have planned?

TONT: We’ve got 40 food and beverage vendors that will start tummies grumbling the minute guests enter Rink C at AdventHealth Center Ice. 

The Freedom High Naval Junior ROTC flag corps will kick off the festivities, along with: Denyse Bales-Chubb, the CEO of AdventHealth Wesley Chapel; Dist. 7 Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera; and Mike Wells, the chairman of the Pasco County Board of Commissioners. 

Then, the Freedom High School drum corps will get the party started by marching throughout the venue. Attendees have told us they want tables spread throughout the venue so they can hang out with friends and neighbors. Done!

NN: So, what’s new at this year’s Taste?

TONT: We’ve added cookie decorating to the photo booth and kids painting/art booth located in the family fun area. A Dash of Salt ‘n Pepper, DCA Media Consulting and Pinot’s Palette Wesley Chapel are sponsoring the fun for kids. 

Our presenting sponsor is Advent Health Wesley Chapel. The Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel focuses on friends, family and food — three important building blocks to whole, healthy lives. Building blocks that inspire both the Rotary Club of New Tampa and AdventHealth Wesley Chapel to serve our North Tampa Bay neighbors.

NN: What restaurants are you particularly excited to see that you think the locals will be happy to see?

TONT: Taste attendees will be particularly interested to see how the chef showdown between past winners Ciccio’s Cali, Noble Crust and Nothing Bundt Cakes shakes out. Pincher’s, Vom Fass, Blondie’s Cookies, Fat Rabbit, Cinebistro, Chuy’s and Top Shelf Sports Lounge were crowd favorites, too.

Earth Fare, a green grocer which newly opened on S.R. 56 (across from Tampa Premium Outlets) and Bahama Breeze are bringing their chefs’ A games.

NN: What about any under the radar places? Maybe some eateries that aren’t located nearby or are new to the area that many will be getting a first taste of?

TONT: Taste foodies will be especially interested in locally owned food and beverage purveyors such as Ava’s Low Country Cuisine, Pomodoro Pizza and the Ice Dreammm Shop. They can have their cake and eat it too from the newly opened community venue called Canterbury Hall at Grace Church Tampa Palms. And, Batter & Dough is offering yummy filled mini-pancakes.

NN: Other than food samples, what else can people look forward to at the Taste?

TONT: There will be big competition in the beverage category this year with Coppertail Brewing competing with 81 Bay, Zephyrhills, Time for Wine. The Brass Tap and PRP Wine International. New beverage options include Blue Chair Bay Rum and Buttermilk Provisions sangria. Chamber chair Karen Tillman-Gosselin with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services is sponsoring the water again this year and we’ll have a booth for soft drinks.

NN: What do you expect or hope for in terms of attendees? Talk about the growth of the event over the past two years, and how Center Ice has proven to be an ideal facility.

TONT: The event has a 20-year history as one of North Tampa Bay’s premier events.

Last year we hosted 2,000 guests. Based on history and the growth we’ve seen over three years, we expect 3,000 guests this year. AdventHealth Center Ice is a perfect location because the event is indoors — no worries about the weather. The parking is free and plentiful in front and behind the building. We’ll have volunteers in the lots helping guests locate parking and directing people to open parking. Plus, Taste-goers who present a Taste ticket the day of the event can get free ice skate rental to glide off the calories after snacking their way through the restaurants and beverage purveyors.

NN: What charitable organizations receive the proceeds that are raised?

TONT: Proceeds support high school scholarships through the North Tampa Bay Chamber and charities supported by the Rotary Club of New Tampa. In 2018, the Rotary Club of New Tampa donated more than $46,000 to local and Rotary International Foundation signature projects, including End Polio Now, Feeding Tampa Bay and the Fisher House at the Haley VA Hospital.

Signature youth programs such as Interact, Rotaract and Seminar for Tomorrow’s Leaders help young people develop leadership skills. Find the complete list on TasteOfNewTampa.org/nonprofitsbenefit.html.

Interactive ‘Herstory’ Museum Opens At AdventHealth Center Ice!

Jeff Novotny shows hockey players Danielle DiPasquale (center) and Tristina Doyle how to access the information at the Herstory Museum at AdventHealth Center Ice. (Photos by John C. Cotey)

As Marnie McClain looked around the new Herstory Museum at AdventHealth Center Ice (AHCI) in Wesley Chapel, she was grinning broadly.

An eighth-grader from Fort Myers, McClain was at the facility competing with her Florida Alliance U-14 team in the Southeast Regional Girls Hockey Championships on March 9, but the Grand Opening of the interactive Herstory Museum on the same day was an added bonus.

“I saw it on Digit Murphy’s Instagram, that it was going to be here, and I was so happy to come and see something like this,” McClain said. “It is really cool.”

Margaret “Digit” Murphy is a women’s hockey pioneer and legend, as well as a champion for Title IX, the federal law prohibiting anyone, on the basis of sex, from being excluded from participating or denied the benefits of sports, or being discriminated against under any education program or activity that receives Federal financial assistance.

The interactive Herstory Museum is Murphy’s brainchild, inspired by a visit to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH, that left her disappointed over the lack of exhibits honoring women’s accomplishments in the NFL.

She and Wesley Chapel engineer Jeff Novotny created it for girls just like McClain, to bring to them the stories they would otherwise never get to hear. The walls are covered with portraits of the gold-medal winning 2018 U.S. Women’s Olympic ice hockey team that trained at Center Ice, as well as large vinyl displays for each featured female hockey pioneer. Visitors can access a QR Code, which takes you to a webpage featuring a biography and video, or you can send a text to a certain number to receive that pioneer’s website link. 

All of the information is available online at GetHerStory.org.

The museum is located on the second floor of AHCI, next to the skating facility’s Top Shelf Restaurant & Sports Bar. While only occupying about 100 square feet or so, plenty of women’s hockey history is crammed into the space, which also overlooks two of the ice rinks at the facility.

Parents and players lined up against the glass to watch the action in the ice, strolling over to the exhibits on the wall during breaks in the games.

“It’s pretty inspiring to see what women have accomplished in hockey,” said Tristina Doyle, a teammate of McClain’s on the Florida Alliance U-14 team. “Usually, it’s only the men you can read about, but really not much about women.” 

The first display features Murphy, a former Ivy League Player of the Year at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. She also produced seven Olympians while becoming the all-time winningest women’s hockey coach in NCAA Division I history — with 318 wins at Brown (she is still currently 13th on that all-time wins list).

Everyone Has HerStory

New Tampa resident Marisa Martin, 55, thinks stories like Murphy’s should be shared with as many young female athletes as possible. 

“I think it’s very important,” Martin said. “The sad part is, a lot of times, these younger women don’t know the history and that’s a problem. I think it’s a shame, because they’ve been given so much privilege, they don’t realize what was required to get here. I think it’s important to remember the women who came before.”

Martin has her own story. When she was 9 years old, she had to take her 6-year-old brother Lonnie Jr. to sign him up for Little League because their mother was sick that day. With a check made out to Atlantic Little League (in Jacksonville), she and Lonne walked a half-mile to sign up. A woman sitting behind a table jotted down her brother’s name, and then looked up at Marisa and asked if she wanted to play, too.

“I was like, ‘Are you talking to me?,’” Marisa said. And, with a little help from the woman, Marisa signed up for Little League baseball for the first time.

“That woman changed my life,” she said. Marisa ended up playing Little League (and every other sport available to her) as a kid, and played basketball and softball in high school, where in 1981, she helped lead Fletcher High to the Class 4A state softball championship — 13 years before the sport converted from slow to past pitch, thanks in part to Title IX. As an adult, Marisa says she took up tennis and hockey as well.

How It Happened

After Novotny presented the idea to AHCI general manager Gordie Zimmermann, a three-year agreement was signed to bring the museum — which will be developed by Murphy’s Play It Forward Sport Foundation — to Wesley Chapel.

Murphy, a whirling dervish of energy and a fountain of hockey knowledge, was the star of the Grand Opening. But, she shared the space with interactive displays featuring Katey Stone, the winningest women’s coach in NCAA hockey history; gold medal winners Sara DeCosta-Hayes (1998; photo) and Amanda Pelkey (2018); and Kitty Guay, the first woman to ever officiate an NCAA Division I men’s game in 2015.

Another wall in the Herstory Museum will one day feature a local hero, which could be anyone, says Novotny, but will likely be someone with a relationship with hockey. That person hasn’t been selected yet, but visitors were allowed to nominate someone at the grand opening. Novotny says they will choose someone over the next few months.

Admission to the museum is free. For more information, visit GetHerStory.org and PlayItForwardSport.org.

Liberty Students Turn Principal Into A Sundae For Fund-Raising Success!

Sixth-grader J.D. Ammirati got to pour the first round of chocolate syrup over the face of his dad, Liberty Middle School principal James Ammirati, as part of a reward for raising $5,254.37 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

She has seen a principal take pies in the face, another sing songs from the top of the school and another kiss a pig, goat and a llama on the lips.

But until March 15 at Liberty Middle School, Tracey Maniecki of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society had never seen a principal turned into a human sundae.

A smiling James Ammirati, Liberty’s principal, sat on a chair in the gymnasium as hundreds of students cheered loudly for every scoop of vanilla ice cream, every drop of Hershey’s chocolate syrup, each piece of crumbled Oreo cookie, every sprinkle and, naturally, the jars of cherries that were dumped over his head.

It was all for a good cause, as well as a reward for every homeroom that raised more than $100 towards Liberty’s final tally of $5,254.37.

“About two months ago, I met with Ms. Katie Smith and also several students that are on Student Council, and we just threw around some ideas and this is the one they landed on,” said Ammirati. “I was all in because its for a great cause. And, it obviously drove our numbers up.”

 Smith, a 7th- and 8th-grade Spanish teacher and Student Council advisor, has led the fund raiser the past five years, but says she usually raised about $1,000. This year, she says the students were sparked by stories of children whose only wish was to make it to their eighth birthday.

“For a child not much older than that, it really hit home,” Smith said. “It hit home for me, too.”

Money was raised from donations from students, with some parents sending their kids to school with checks of more than $100, while additional funds were raised selling treats like chocolate and Takis.

“Sometimes it’s hard to get the principals engaged, but I can’t say enough about Katie Smith and the fact she was able to get the principal on board to raise the awareness,” Maniecki said.

Ammirati tilted his head back during the sundae making, joking that he consumed enough ice cream and toppings that he probably gained a few pounds.

Next year, he hopes to be involved again, but wouldn’t mind a warmer payoff.

“It was freezing,” he said.

Wesley Chapel’s Best Big Bro

Howie Taylor and his “little brother” Hunter have enjoyed many adventures together, including this recent visit to Busch Gardens Tampa. The two were named the Big Brother & Little Brother of the Year by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay.

All that Howie Taylor says he wanted for his fifth birthday was a toy truck.

Instead, he got a baby brother.

Howie, now 52, and his brother Chris were inseparable. They grew up in Kansas City, MO; closer to each other than to any of their other siblings because of that shared birthday. They stayed close even as they settled in different places — Chris in Nebraska, and Howie with his wife Karen in Wesley Chapel, with whom he has two adult daughters. Howie has been a Wesley Chapel resident for the past 20 years. 

In 2014, Chris passed away, and Howie sunk into a deep depression. Just a year later, his youngest daughter moved out, widening the sudden empty space in Howie’s life.

All that changed in 2016, when Howie walked into a Dairy Queen and left with a flyer that would bring him a new little brother.

The flyer was for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay.

It led to a connection with a 12-year-old Land O’Lakes boy named Hunter, that turned into more than either expected — Howie and Hunter were recently named the Big Brother and Little Brother of the Year by the Tampa Bay chapter of the nonprofit organization, and have a shot at the national prize, which will be announced later this year. 

“It’s kind of a whirlwind right now,” said Howie, who was asked to travel to Tallahassee and speak to legislators about the importance of mentoring. “We’ve got 500 kids sitting out there like Hunter was, just waiting on somebody to step up and offer a few hours of their time.” 

Filling Needs

The loss of Chris, combined with his daughter’s moving out, left a noticeable void in Howie’s world.

 “The house just seemed so much bigger,” says Howie, a web developer.

Hoping for a sense of normalcy and a way to fill his time in a positive way, Howie began seeking out volunteering opportunities. Even before his brother’s death, Howie was no stranger to giving back. He helped found the Gasparilla Krewe of Blackbeard’s Revenge, which has raised nearly $300,000 for local charities since its inception in 2011. 

He also worked with the YMCA, Metropolitan Ministries and other organizations before he walked into that Dairy Queen.

Hunter says he was looking for something, too. 

“I was spending all my time in my room, playing video games,” says Hunter, who is now 15 and plays multiple percussion instruments in the band at Land O’Lakes High School. “My mom told me I should probably go out and do stuff!”

You Have To Start Somewhere

Soon after discovering that flyer, Howie was sitting in a Land O’Lakes kitchen with Hunter and his family, getting to know his new best friend.

When Howie and Hunter first met, Hunter admits he was introverted, unsure of himself and uncomfortable in his own skin. He talked to other online video game players much more than he ever talked to people in real life.

“You couldn’t drag more than a few words at a time out of him,” says Fred Tanzer, Hunter’s grandfather. “Before Howie, the willingness on his part to open up just wasn’t there.”

Hunter, his older brother and their mother have lived with Fred and his wife, Linda, for the past 12 years. Hunter’s father calls him nightly, but their interaction ends there.

“Hunter hasn’t had a lot of parental anything from his dad,” says Linda. “Howie has just been a ray of light. He’s 100-percent invested, not 98 or 99 percent.”

Adults who volunteer to become Big Brothers or Big Sisters go through a background check and an orientation session, after which matching specialists select a Little Brother or Sister for them. The adults must commit to eight hours a month with their young “siblings.”.

“Both my kids are girls,” Howie says. “I never had a little boy to work under the hood of the car, play in the garage or throw a ball around with. I was hoping for someone not too rambunctious, but I just wanted to help.”

Back in 2016, Howie wanted to expose Hunter to the world outside his room, but not overwhelm him on their first excursion. He thought about his hobby of flying drones and realized it was the perfect compromise.

“We talked about how the dexterity you learn from video games can be good for a lot of things,” Howie says. “Within a few minutes, I handed him the controls and he had the thing out there dancing for me. He was a natural.”

Since that first meeting, the pair have shared a bevy of experiences that Hunter believes he never would have done otherwise, including offshore fishing, regular trips to Busch Gardens, charity walks and other volunteer events, car shows and even appearing together on Howie’s Gasparilla Krewe float the last three years.

“One of my favorite memories was watching him dance and sing at a Pentatonix concert,” says Howie. “I remember him asking if it was okay to do that, because it was his first concert.”

Hunter still talks about their offshore fishing trip; they caught black sea bass and sheepshead, and had a fish fry surrounded by new friends.

One of Howie’s Krewe connections hooked Hunter and two friends from school up with a recent trip to Monster Jam in a limousine.

“We see each other at least three or four times more than the minimum eight hours a month,” said Howie. “I’ve probably seen him three times just this week, and I hope to see him regularly for the rest of my life.”

Hunter’s grandparents consider Howie to be part of their family, which is Jewish. Although Howie isn’t Jewish himself, he has come up with small gifts for Hunter and attended Hanukkah festivities every year at their home.

“Whenever the school band has a concert, Howie and Karen are there,” Linda says. “Birthdays, he’s always at the parties. We feel very blessed that Howie came into his life — and ours.”

Hunter, who says he hopes to turn his gaming talent into a YouTube channel, said he has grown up during his time with Howie, particularly while volunteering, and realizes just how fortunate he is.

“I have a lot more than most people, and I’ve learned to respect others and be confident,” he says.

Howie adds that his friendship with Hunter has helped fill the voids in his own life left by his brother’s passing and his “empty nest” more than he ever imagined it would. 

“I’ve always got someone to hang out with,” Howie says. “I heard it said once that when your grown-up kids call you out of the blue, it’s like winning the lottery. I feel the same way when I get a call from Hunter after a long day at work.”

Howie hopes that those considering becoming a Big Brother or Sister will reach out to the organization and join.

“Anybody can do it, and it doesn’t take a lot of time or money,” he says. “It just takes interest, and a little bit of that can make such a huge difference.”

For more information, visit BBBSTampaBay.org, or call (813) 769-3600.