Gary & Tina Pike
Husband and wife team, Gary and Tina Pike, are sure to entertain everyone. Gary was born and raised in Elmira, New York. Tina was born in Tucson, Arizona but her family moved back to the East coast to be near her mother’s family in north central Pennsylvania. They settled across the border in Elmira, NY, where Gary and Tina met. Love triumphed over the several years’ difference in their ages, and they married in the fall of 1990. They moved to Plant City, Florida in 1995 following Gary’s promotion to Division Manager of the Sunbelt Division of Consolidated Electrical Distributors, for which he now oversees Georgia, South Carolina, and half of Florida. And recently, Gary expressed interest in becoming a Federal Air Marshal. Though they have not been blessed with children, they have been blessed in so many other ways. They have chosen to be a part of the community through involvement in charitable activities close to their heart and principles. Tina has a dual Masters Degree in Education and is very involved in the community. She has served on boards for the Pregnancy Care Center of Plant City, Hillsborough County Republican Executive Committee and the United Food Bank of Plant City, to name a few. Gary is a member of the board of directors of the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce and is the president of the Clubhouse Woods Homeowners Association. The Pikes are members of St. Clement Catholic Church. Tina and Gary Pike enjoy making their home in Plant City, Florida.
Charles Harris & Tara Smith
Charles Harris and Tara Smith, also known as, Mr. and Ms. Wonderful, met more than 10 years ago while she sprayed perfume on potential buyers walking through the fragrance department at Burdines. They live in Plant City with “The Girls,” their 4-year-old Bichons, Princess Fiona and Princess Leia. Charles is a Florida native who grew up in Clearwater, Florida. He is a proud University of Georgia Bulldog and owner of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites on Park Road. Tara is a Carolina girl who grew up on the outskirts of Blue Ridge Mountains, before moving to the Sunshine State nearly 12 years ago. For over eight years she’s worked as a National Account Manager at LidWorks M&N Plastics. The couple cherishes the community values and close friendships they’ve formed these last 10 years and are honored to call Plant City “home.”
Marcus Caswell & Traci Walding
Marcus Caswell and Traci Walding have teamed together to compete this year. Caswell, born in Lakeland, currently resides in Plant City. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business and a Master’s in Entrepreneurship from the University of South Florida (Go Bulls!) and works at Wish Farms. Plant City native Traci Walding has spent the majority of her life here. As a young girl she studied tap and jazz for more than 10 years at Jackie’s Dance Theatre. She has two boys, Kaid, 12, and Keato, 10. Traci works as the Wellness Coordinator at the Plant City YMCA and also instructs classes for Zumba and group fitness, a class she’s taught for the YMCA for 15-plus years. Traci is currently training with her partner Marcus and a few other Plant City residents for Tough Mudder, a 12-mile muddy obstacle course they will challenge on December 4th.