Compiled by Jenny Bennett
New Market Coming To Park Square
Art Monkey Emporium, located at 16132 Churchview Dr. in the Park Square neighborhood of FishHawk Ranch, in collaboration with Pish Posh, is pleased to announce that they will be hosting a market on the second Saturday of every month commencing on Saturday, September 12, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Approximately 20 vendors featuring local artists and makers are expected.
Cracker Barrel In Riverview Opens
Exciting news for those that have been eagerly anticipating the opening of the Riverview Cracker Barrel: the wait is finally over. The grand opening was held on August 31 when the doors opened at 7 a.m. to welcome guests into the restaurant. This is the 60th location to open in Florida and Cracker Barrel is very pleased to have hired 120 full and part-time employees from the local community.
The Cracker Barrel is located at 9370 Theater Dr. in Gibsonton. Additional information can be found by visiting its website at www.crackerbarrel.com.
ECHO Brandon Looking For Volunteers
ECHO was founded in 1987 with the mission to assist residents of Hillsborough County in crisis with emergency food and clothing, offering life stabilizing programs and resources. It was created so churches and others could send people in need to one central location.
ECHO has been extremely successful in fulfilling its mission, but during this time of increased need due to COVID-19, it has found itself experiencing a reduction in volunteers as many of its older volunteers choose to isolate for their own protection. If you would like to assist ECHO by volunteering, please visit www.echofl.org or call 685-0935 to register.
SouthShore Chamber Of Commerce Opens New Office
The SouthShore Chamber of Commerce is excited to have recently moved into its new office at 201 W. Shell Point Rd. in Ruskin. The chamber was formed in 2011 when the Apollo Beach and Ruskin Chambers of Commerce were merged.
The mission of the SouthShore Chamber of Commerce is to commit to growth through proper planning, new membership acquisition and serving existing members through value-added projects.
Visit its website at www.southshorechamberofcommerce.org to find out more.
Second Book In Local Author’s Fantasy Series Published
Just in time for your end of summer reading pleasure or back-to-school lists, Riverview resident T. L. Stride has published Spirit Path. It is the second installment of his young adult fantasy series, Shaman Tales – The Chronicles of Little Hawk. The new book picks up the tale where the first book, Shaman Tales – The Chronicles of Little Hawk: So Much At Stake, left off.
In celebration of the release of Spirit Path, you can read book one, So Much At Stake, for free through the end of October at https://tlstride.wixsite.com/tlstride-stories. The books are also available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Car Show To Benefit Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The first annual Belmont Car Show and Market will take place on Saturday, October 3 at 10050 Paseo Al Mar Blvd. in Wimauma from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Do you want to show your car off? Categories include fan favorite, classic and best in show; preregistration is only $10. Along with the car show, there will be a market with local vendors and entertainment for the family.
If you are interested in having a booth or entering your vehicle into the show, call 954-300-8657 or email belmontmarketandcarshow@gmail.com. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Registration Is Open For The Annual Hillsborough River And Coastal Cleanup
At this time of year, Keeping Tampa Bay Beautiful would traditionally be looking forward to having huge numbers of volunteers gather for the annual Hillsborough River and Coastal Cleanup. Like a lot of other organized events, it will be doing things a little differently this year.
Instead of designating one day for the cleanup, it is devoting the entire month of September to encouraging you to do self-led cleanups either individually or in small groups. Keeping Tampa Bay Beautiful will be providing supplies to all, which will include supplies needed to perform cleanups, masks or buffs as well as Chick-fil-A gift cards as a thank you to its volunteers.
To register for the event, go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAfvEdY1ejWSm9YEZ_ZZQG3pahagRYp2u4–5q9LQ-zpWZwQ/viewform.
Local Author’s Biography On The Bestseller List
Jacky Costello’s story is not unlike many immigrant success stories of hard work and determination to take advantage of opportunities in America she did not have before. It is also the story of a cancer survivor and how her faith, her husband, her friends and a stray dog from Greece all gave her the support she needed to persevere.
How Far I Have Risen – Coming Clean About God, Cancer And My American Dream was published in March and rose to number two in new releases in Christian biographies in the U.S.
Today, seven years after arriving, Costello is the owner of Custom Cleanups, a house cleaning service in Lithia. To make good on her promise to “pay it forward,” she partnered with Cleaning for a Reason, a nonprofit organization that provides free house cleaning for cancer patients.
“My greatest hope is that by sharing my story, I will inspire others to know that no matter what you face in life, you can overcome it and achieve all your dreams, even if you don’t quite know what those dreams are yet,” Costello explained.
How Far I Have Risen – Coming Clean About God, Cancer And My American Dream by Jacky Costello is available on Amazon and at bookstores nationwide. A portion of the proceeds from every book sold will be donated to Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, where Costello received her follow up care.
Brandon Junior Woman’s Club Fall Bingo
The Brandon Junior Woman’s Club is celebrating fall and raising money with a virtual bingo game on Sunday, September 13 from 4-5:30 p.m. The cost is $10 for three games of bingo and winners can choose between a selection of handbags and tote bags, including items from Kate Spade New York, Coach, Dooney & Bourke, Michael Kors and Brahmin. Anyone ages 18 or older in the continental U.S. can participate and rewards will be shipped to the winners.
Tickets are available from the BJWC clubhouse at 129 N. Moon Ave. in Brandon on Saturday, September 5 and 12 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. or at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bjwc-fall-festival-virtual-bingo-tickets-117867445703.
