Coastal Breeze News

The Island Country Club has had a rich tradition of supporting charities in the Marco Island and Naples area. The Foundation has its roots dating back to the Gene Sarazen Foundation. Gene was a member of the Island Country Club. After his death, the Island Country Club’s Foundation was formed in 2000. It was established that year as a tax-exempt charitable organization. Therefore, any contributions to the Foundation are tax deductible. Since its inception, the Foundation has given over $1,100,000 to local charities. The Charities, to name a few that have benefited from the Foundation’s support include: Marco Island Healthcare ... Read More »

BEYOND THE COAST Tarik Ayasun [email protected] 2012 has certainly been a very interesting, confusing and, in many ways, a terrible year. My only wish is that 2013 will not be a repeat performance. Friday, December the 14, 2012, was and will remain as the worst day of my life. It doesn’t matter how many times I try to get the events of the day out of my mind; I can’t. I dream about them, I think about them constantly and I lose it. I routinely cry when I think about the whole event more than once a day. Talking about it ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff The 25th Anniversary of Christmas Island Style brought us one of the best parades in Marco Island history. Santa could certainly sense the holiday spirit on the island! In true Marco style, the chairs and vehicles staked out their favorite viewing areas early in the day. By 6 PM, the streets were filled with holiday revelers. Whether it was the bands from Lely High School or Marco Island Charter Middle School, the Newcomer’s ladies, or the Italian American Club, Santa and Mrs. Claus, or the Shriners, the parade ran like clockwork. Dozens of businesses and organizations ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff   Marco Island’s Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 35th Anniversary and the beginning of the Christmas Season on December 2nd at Bistro Soleil in Old Marco. 184 celebrants, including most living past chamber presidents, enjoyed soft breezes on the terrace while sipping cocktails and nibbling on hors d’oeuvres. It resembled a school reunion as old friends had a chance to mingle outside of daily chores and occupations. Scott Campbell, CEO of Physicians Regional Healthcare System, led off the pre-dinner proceedings as the Jade Sponsor of the event. He spoke glowingly of Marco Island, the Chamber, ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff  The Meals of Hope exceeded each goal set by event chairman, local attorney Neil Snyder; better known to his committee members as “Captain Hope.” The Captain and his “Hope Warriors” challenged the Sunrise Rotary Club, Noontime Rotary Club and Kiwanis Club, as well as schools, churches and organizations on the island. Then, they watched magic happen! The Meals of Hope takes dry ingredients, along with a mixture of protein and vitamins and packages them together. “There are rice meals and a macaroni and cheese meal. Each meal will feed six people.” According to Steve Popper, ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff This Saturday, November 17, local charities are coming together with the goal of packaging 150,000 meals to feed local needy families. Volunteers of all ages are needed and welcomed for a short time commitment, 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the Marco Island Charter Middle School. This is an especially good volunteer activity for school-aged children. Each year, Meals of Hope seeks to outperform the previous year’s record, making the pace of the event fast and fun. The event is a collaboration of the Marco Island Sunrise Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club and Noontime Rotary Club. ... Read More »

Judging for next year’s Christmas Island Style Ornament (2013) will take place at the Marco Island Center for the Arts. The theme was a ” MANATEE”.  The Marco Island Charter Middle School students are very busy finishing up their drawings under the direction of teacher Shane Totten. Judging will take place Friday, November 16th at 12:00-12:30 PM. CIS will sponsor light refreshments for the judges. The 2013 judges include Dave Baer- Asst. Police Chief, Nancy Carrington- Marco Florist, Dianna Dohm-Mutual of Omaha Bank, Dawn Norgren- CIO Island Title, Gerry Rosenblum-President MIAAOR, Rosemary Wick- Board Member Marco Island Center for the Arts, Glenn Blong-Marco ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff  Vince Lombardi: “A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.”  Coaches have a profound impact on our lives. They make us strive to be better. They have the opportunity to teach lessons that are carried on throughout life. Lessons our children learn which have less to do with individual winners, ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff Are you interested in serving on the Marco Island Charter Middle School Board? The school is seeking a qualified candidate who would be willing to serve for the next three years as a volunteer on the Board. School Board members establish school policies and lend their expertise to securing the financial future of the school. Over the next three years, the Board is scheduled to launch a multi-million dollar Endowment Campaign to secure the financial future of the school; so, qualified candidates should be able and willing to further this objective. An application is available ... Read More »

By Kathleen Zehler There are numerous events that take place in our communities that support very worthy causes and it is in the giving of ourselves that makes these charitable events a success; thus forming the exceptional community that we live in. Meals of Hope exemplifies this truth as you see many organizations, individuals and local businesses coming together to give of their time, talents, and monetary means. The group’s mission is to bring communities together to feed needy children and families in Collier County. A project of the Marco Island Sunrise Rotary Club, the Kiwanis Club, and the Noontime ... Read More »

By Danielle Dodder “Thanks to Relay for Life, all of the services we offer here on Marco are free.” Wendy Rivera is the administrative assistant for the Marco chapter of the American Cancer Society. Rivera is proud that the Marco Relay teams raised $216,139.06 last year, ranking them sixth in the state, and she wants to emphasize that those funds stay close to home to help locals in need. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and alongside the pink bra logos we see splashed around town are key resources to help those now struggling with the disease. “Lots of times ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom • [email protected] Does your wife, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, girlfriend or secret crush deserve to be spoiled? As a woman, they probably do. So treat the lovely lady in your life to the ultimate in pampering, Marco Island-style. By purchasing a “Queen for the Day” raffle ticket, sponsored by Mutual of Omaha Bank, your special sweetheart has the chance to win $2,500 worth of lady-like products. All for a good cause, too. “One-hundred percent of the proceeds will go to the Marco Island Charter Middle School,” explains Heidi Moss, emphasizing that fundraising is a full-time job for the ... Read More »

BEYOND THE COAST  Tarik Ayasun  [email protected] After two issues where I did not have my column, I am back. There are so many things to write about, one needs to be choosy, not by choice but by circumstance. One of the most important events of the past two weeks was the Syrian Government’s shooting down of a Turkish F-4 reconnaissance jet. Syria claimed that the jet was violating their territory and Turkey claimed it was not. Nevertheless, the plane was shot down and two young Turkish pilots were killed. Their bodies were retrieved by an American company (Nautilus) and their nationally ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff Marco Island Charter Middle School to put on the musical play ‘Cinderella’. The production featured a cast of over 100, including Starz and Starz II students, as well as the entire 6th grade chorus. Karen Raymond, teacher and production manager, created an updated adaptation of the play adding three new songs and picking a great cast. Rehearsals took place after school or on weekends. The behind the scenes effort that goes into each production is phenomenal and each performance at the school is a tribute to the patience and creativity of Mrs. Raymond. Coastal Breeze ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff Marco Island Fire Rescue Department’s Division Chief Don Jones continues community education outreach teaching CPR and First Aid to this group of 7th and 8th graders at Marco Island Charter Middle School. Cheryl Toth, Physical Education teacher at the school and an American Heart Association (AHA) Instructor, has arranged for Don to come to the school each year for last 12 years. The goal is to certify the younger students in CPR and first aid and to re-certify the older students. “This is the 12th year in a row the Fire Department has worked with ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff  Mo Anderson’s Birthday in recognition of her leadership in guiding the culture of our company. Mo is the Vice Chairman of the Board for Keller Williams Realty International. RED Day (Renew,Energize and Donate) is an initiative-dedicated to celebrating Keller Williams Realty’s yearround commitment to improving our local communities. Each year, on the second Thursday of May, tens of thousands of associates from across the United States and Canada participate in a wide range of projects, devoting their time to renewing and energizing aspects of the neighborhoods in which they serve. RED Day initiatives run the ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff  This year’s sports program under the guidance of Roger Raymond, Athletic Director, brought Marco Island Charter Middle School four prestigious Gulf Coast Conference Championships. In a ceremony on Thursday, the schools’ athletes were recognized for their participation. Each head coach recognized one player for as an Outstanding Member of the team. Each Outstanding Team member is highlighted in bold. CO-ED GOLF  Head Coach: Joe Jarrett. Bayan Dadressan, Jonathon Irigoyen (Outstanding Teammate Award), Brian Kocak, Conner McClain, Christopher Nyhuus, Hunter O’Neill, Zach Rodriguez, Cody Webb. CO-ED TENNIS  Head Coach: Jerra Minning. Angela Alcala, Stephanie Alvarez, Jordan ... Read More »

BEYOND THE COAST  Tarik Ayasun  [email protected] There is a railroad box car perched upon a trailer in the parking lot of the Marco Island Charter Middle School. It belongs to the Holocaust Museum & Education Center of Southwest Florida. The day it was brought to the campus, I walked around it, looked under it, walked up the stairs to the door and touched the wooden siding. However, I was unable to bring myself to go inside it. What this railroad car represents is a most horrible time in human history. As I kept looking at the railroad car, images of young ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff  On Saturday, May 5th, the Marco Island born charity, Upon a Star Foundation, will host its sixth annual Talk Derby to Me. This event has quickly become a local favorite. Last year an estimated 300 attended the party. The Marco Island Brewery is host to the event. General Admission starts at 4:30 PM with a special VIP reception at 3:30 PM. “The group at Upon a Star does a great job helping families here on the Island and in Naples. They sure know how to get people to an event! We are happy to help,” ... Read More »

By Natalie Strom  [email protected]  The Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida recently brought its authentic World War II era boxcar to Marco Island Charter Middle School. The traveling boxcar is believed to have been used to transport civilians to Nazi concentration camps. Sixth, seventh and eighth grade students had a chance to tour the boxcar and hear stories from Holocaust survivors, as the boxcar was on display at the school from April 17th through April 27th. The boxcar, originally built in 1919, was acquired by The Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida in May of 2007. Disassembled in Germany, piece by piece, ... Read More »