Valrico
11 C E L E B R A T I N G
May 2020 Volume 17 Issue 5 Ph: 657-2418 1 8
Y E A R S
O F
P U B L I S H I N G
P O S I T I V E
C O M M U N I T Y
N E W S
Local Photographer Supports ECHO Food Bank With Front Porch Photo Sessions
River Hills Members Support Local Restaurants To Provide Front Line Workers With Meals
rate career in Bishop November 2018 to Desmond Tutu do my full-time photo once said, “You business and have don’t choose been so in love with your family. They are what I’m doing.” a gift from God, as With the recent you are to them.” COVID-19 pandemic, Tina Cardoso would Cardoso wanted to agree with Bishop use her photography Tutu because her skills to give grandfather, Howard back to the McPike, was a gift to community. her. Cardoso is a After much photographer and Howie Mac Photo in Riverview is debate, she the owner of Howie offering porch photo sessions with a to do porch decided Mac Photo in portion of the proceeds being donated photo sessions and Riverview. “Howie to ECHO. donate a portion of the proceeds from the Mac Photo is named after my grandfather, Howard McPike,” Cardoso said. “My sessions to ECHO. “Honestly, I wasn’t going to do the porch sessions because father passed when I was one and my of the stay-at-home order, but I’ve had so mom moved us here to Brandon to live many requests for them,” Cardoso said. “I two doors down from my grandparents. know that ECHO is working really hard to My grandfather had a big impact in raissupport families in our community by proing me, including my creative side. He viding food to them. Their demand has was a retired Navy captain who was painting with Bob Ross and making beau- increased dramatically with people losing tiful artwork for his home. Our motto, ‘See their jobs and I want to do whatever I can to help. So, I decided to go ahead and all things with your heart, not just your move forward with them—taking all of the eyes,’ came from a time when my grandsafety precautions and respecting the father taught me that I can paint the sun social distancing guidelines.” however I see it.” If you would like to have a porch In 2005, Cardoso began taking care photo session done by Howie Mac Photo, of her grandfather. “I stopped working to help him, and during that time I went back you can visit its website at https://www.howiemacphoto.com/distancto school for photography,” Cardoso said. ing-sessions to purchase a session. “I was blessed to be able to spend that The cost is $50 for a 10-minute sesspecial time with him, and also to photosion and three digitals you can choose. graph him during that time. In 2010, Clients can upgrade the session for $100, shortly after my daughter was born, I which will give them all of the final digital decided to open my photo company and images (six+ images) and the extra $50 name it after my grandfather, using his will be donated to ECHO. Navy nicknames—Howie and Mac. It’s a Howie Mac Photo is located at 11292 special reminder to me to see all things Sullivan St. in Winthrop Town Centre in with my heart and not just my eyes. Riverview. That’s how I photograph. I left my corpo-
“The best include them. part of the Swezey deliveries is explained, “We seeing their contact a restaueyes light up rant and buy $500 because we worth of meals know they are from them, and smiling in gratithen we deliver tude and with $500 worth of thanks for meals on behalf of thinking of the club at RHCC them.” Bob and the restauSwezey, generrant.” al manager of Presently, River Hills Brandon Regional Masked hospital staff are recognized for all Country Club Hospital and they do by donated meals from RHCC and (RHCC) in Tampa General local restaurants. Valrico, said this about hundreds of Hospital/Brandon Healthplex receive mask-wearing healthcare and hospital deliveries. Ten deliveries a day on 10 staff as they receive meals delivered to days each month means 100 heroes them from a generous local initiative. on the home front will receive a deliAfter reading an article discussing cious meal on those days. Swezey the intensified personal and profession- said if donations increased, more al pressures on healthcare-connected meals and additional locations can be workers during the COVID-19 pandem- added to support the nurses, doctors, ic, Swezey wanted to do something for administration, engineering, sanitation those in the community who are on the and all departments that risk their lives front lines in this war. That ‘something’ to support us. Swezey welcomes all became a collaboration with the memsurrounding residents who want to bership at RHCC: preparation of meals donate toward meals to contact Margie by RHCC Sawgrass Grill and local Martin at 653-1554 or mmartin@riverrestaurants. hillscountryclub.com. Swezey said, “We are blessed because our membership has funded this effort 100 percent. These donaInThis Issue tions are used to prepare meals by both our club and selected restaurants.” Of the over $9,000 in donation DAKIN DAIRY POP ‐UP .......................PG 3 commitments received so far, 50 perFRONT YARD CONCERT .......................... 4 cent of those funds go to meals prepared by Sawgrass Grill and 50 perBUY A STEER ......................................PG 5 cent is shared with family-owned HISTORY‐BLOOMINGDALE SCHOOL...PG 6 restaurants like The Landing, Sunflower Grill and Café Cuba to OSCAR MAYER HOTDOGGER .............PG 9 finance its preparation of the meals. EYE ON BUSINESS...........................PG 22 Although it was possible for Sawgrass Grill to prepare all the meals CIGAR PURSES ................................PG 23 and retain the funds in its club, that BRENDA WADE...............................PG 24 was not the spirit of its efforts. Aware that survival of many small eating READ MORE LOCAL NEWS ONLINE establishments frequented by RHCC www.ospreyobserver.com membership is in jeopardy due to COVID-19, RHCC reached out to
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We are OPEN! Visit our website at
www.JFKicksRestaurant.com To Go • Curbside • Delivery
We are following the Governor’s strict guidelines. Summer will be here before you know it and you can’t think about the Fourth of July without fireworks, watermelons and parades coming to mind. This year, the Community Roundtable will host the Brandon Fourth of July Parade for the 63rd year. See Full Story On Page 3
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