Above photo: Members of G.F.W.C. Valrico Service League at the 2017 Bunco.
Diabetes Prevention Program
A free diabetes prevention program will be held at Brandon Sports and Aquatics Center starting Wednesday, January 31 from 6-7 p.m. This one year program will be held for 16 consecutive weeks and then bi-weekly for two months and then monthly for the rest of the year. Throughout the program a trained Lifestyle Coach will give participants the help and support that they need to make and sustain lifestyle changes to prevent type 2 diabetes. This evidence-based program developed by the CDC can assist you to prevent or delay Type 2 Diabetes. Program topics include strategies for healthy eating, being active, dealing with day-to-day situations that may impact a healthy lifestyle, and more.
Goals of the program: Lose 5-7% of your starting body weight, and incorporate 150 minutes week of physical activity.
Can I participate? – To qualify for the program you must be: 18 years and older, overweight (BMI of 25 or higher) and; at high risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes or have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes by a healthcare provider.
Brandon Sports and Aquatics is located at 405 Beverly Blvd. in Brandon. Registration is required. Please call 307-8015; ext: 7111.
Hawthorne Hosts Parkinson’s Disease Support Group
Hawthorne Health & Rehabilitation Center hosts a monthly support group for those diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and caregivers on the third Thursday of every month.
A variety of speakers will provide information on topics relating to swallowing, balance, walking, speaking, mobility, exercise, self-care, cognition, and memory, all of which can be impacted by Parkinson’s Disease.
The Parkinson’s Disease support group is free of charge and open to those who have been diagnosed with the disease, family members, caregivers and anyone with an interest in learning more about Parkinson’s.
Hawthorne Health & Rehabilitation Center, located at 851 W. Lumsden Rd. in Brandon, is a skilled nursing facility with inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs including speech, physical and occupational therapies. Hawthorne also hosts a dementia support group in the assisted living facility, as well as past meetings for those dealing with strokes, diabetes, low vision and other diseases.
For more information or to register, call 661-8998 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Chief Petty Officers Meeting
The Tampa Bay Chief Petty Officers Association meets the fourth Thursday each month (alternate dates in November and December) at 6:30 p.m. at the Tampa Buffet, 3904 S. Dale Mabry, Britton Plaza in Tampa. The association is open to active duty and retired Navy and Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers. It supports the Navy community and award an annual scholarship to a deserving member or relative of a TBCPOA member. The TBCPOA holds fund raisers for the scholarship fund during the year and coordinates with the active duty Chiefs Association (Suncoast CPOA) at MacDill for many of these events. Included are the AirFest at MacDill and the annual Army-Navy game at a Beef O’Brady’s in the area.
The TBCPOA has a closed Facebook group, TBCPOA, with meeting calendar of events. More information is available from Chuck Peterman, President, TBCPOA at 767-1569.
The G.F.W.C. Valrico Service League, Inc. Presents Puttin’ On The Ritz Bunco
Join the G.F.W.C. Valrico Service League’s Putting on the Ritz Bunco for a night of fun on Tuesday, March 6. Social Time/Dinner is from 6-7 p.m. with Bunco starting at 7 p.m. It will be held at Center Place Fine Arts Center, located at 619 Vonderburg Dr. in Brandon. Evening includes light dinner, drinks and prizes. Tickets cost $20 and may be purchased at Center Place or contact Claudia Yake at 685-7998. Proceeds help support local school children and families in need in our community. In the past year, the group has supported A Kids Place, Brandon Outreach, Campo YMCA, Cards for the Troops, Center Place, Apostles Village, Family Promise and provided books, educational activities, food, clothing and shoes for Title I elementary school children.
Save The Date, Local Charities Win…
Kappa Kappa Chapter of Kappa Delta Phi has another fun evening planned that will benefit local Brandon charities. Mark your calendars on Wednesday, March 28 for HAMBINGO at Hamburger Mary’s Brandon 7 p.m. Cost to play 10 games of Bingo is $10.
KDP focuses its fundraising efforts on children as Kids Depend on People. All proceeds from this and previous fundraising events will be distributed to local charities prior to May in time to share its activities with pride at National in June.
Kappa Kappa Chapter is a civic and social sorority established within the Brandon community 53 years ago. Many families, children, and military have benefited from Kappa’s fundraising efforts over the years.
Reservations are recommended. Call 643-2110 and tell them you are with Kappa Kappa group when reserving.
American Pickers To Film In Florida
Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz, and their team are excited to return to Florida to film episodes of the hit series American Pickers throughout the region this winter. American Pickers is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique ‘picking’ on History. The hit show follows Mike and Frank, two of the most skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques. They are always excited to find sizeable, unique collections and learn the interesting stories behind them. As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, Mike and Frank are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics. Along the way, the Pickers want to meet characters with remarkable and exceptional items. The pair hopes to give historically significant objects a new lease on life, while learning a thing or two about America’s past along the way.
American Pickers is looking for leads and would love to explore your hidden treasure. If you or someone you know has a large, private collection or accumulation of antiques that the Pickers can spend the better part of the day looking through, send us your name, phone number, location and description of the collection with photos to: americanpickers@cineflix.com or call 855-OLD-RUST. Visit on Facebook: @GotAPick.
Social Media Marketing Workshop
A free interactive Social Media Marketing Workshop will take place on Thursday, March 15 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. It will teach you how to use social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to reach your target audience. Andy Morris, co-founder of digital marketing strategy and branding agency, Hook & Blade, will demonstrate automation tools to improve the posting process. Discover what your message should be and how often you should post on a variety of platforms. Attendees will learn how to build brand awareness and develop a social media strategy that will produce the best results.
Bloomingdale Regional Public Library is located at 1906 Bloomingdale Ave. in Valrico.
For more information, contact Chrissy Toth, Business Reference Librarian at 273-3652.
