Davis Islands Parents!

It’s time for Santa to harness up the reindeer and take to the beautiful streets of Davis Islands on his seventh annual toy drive. Santa will be traveling the Islands collecting new, unwrapped gifts (for babies through teens) to be distributed through many local charitable organizations.

This year’s Davis Islands Toy Drive will be held on Sunday December 7th, 2008.

This is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate to children awareness of those less fortunate, and that the joy of giving can be equal to the joy of receiving! It’s also a great way to meet and greet your neighbors- have a party!

This year, check out our web-site, www.davisislandstoydrive.com. Davis Islands resident Marc Mandt built the site, and we are so grateful, because this is where you will find the map of Santa’s route, as well as lots of information regarding the recipients, how to get a Santa Stop, and much more. There is also a wonderful slideshow of last year’s event- you may see yourself or your children in it!

On Davis Islands, you will soon see signs to show where the “Santa Stops” are. If you would like to volunteer to have your home or street be a Santa Stop, please click on the “Become a Santa Stop” link at the top of the website.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and tell your friends as well. On the day of the Toy Drive, you’ll be able to follow Santa’s progress on Twitter. Our Twitter name is DIToyDrive and you can find it at http://twitter.com/ditoydrive

Santa’s Davis Islands Crew

From the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Davis Islands:

Bring your best friend to the first Paws for the Cure January 17 at Sea Plane Basin Park. The event gives the Davis Islands Community the opportunity to:

• Help adorable and adoptable animals find new homes.
• Raise money for The American Cancer Society.
• And give your canine a chance to show their best stuff.

The day will include a dog show and most importantly, a Pet Cancer Survivor relay lap. You will also have the opportunity to meet with pet rescue groups and pet care professionals. Including local veterinarians, Wag Pet Boutique, Pet Photographers, Pet Artists, Trainers, dog walkers and more!

Face it… cancer affects everyone… including your pets. Many people have pets that have fought the battle against cancer and won. Sadly we’ve known others who have lost the fight. In honor of all of our pet angels, the American Cancer Society is hosting Paws for the Cure. This event will be a precursor to our annual Relay For Life of Davis Islands, which will honor and remember all of our two legged friends that have fought the battle.

Visit the Relay For Life tent and find out how you can be a part of this years event. The Davis Islands event needs sponsors, teams, volunteers and most of all Survivors. You can visit our website to find out more details, dates and times of meetings. Relayforlife.org/davisislandsfl

Event opens 11 a.m.
Canine Cancer Survivor lap 12:00
Dog Show Begins 12:15
Early Registration $15 at Wag Pet Boutique
$20 Event Registration at booth 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
All Dog Show Registration monies go to:
The ACS Relay For Life of Davis Islands

Escape from the hustle and bustle of the season and bask in the refined music and reflective sounds presented by Florida Pro Musica. For the sixth year running, this professional ensemble returns with its extraordinarily popular concert performance of Gregorian Chant downtown at Sacred Heart Church, only a few minutes drive from Davis Islands, on Sunday, December 14, at 4 pm.  Presented in a shorter concert style, rather than a church service, the program offers listeners a chance to experience the beauty of a sung mass as it might have sounded in the 11th or 12th centuries.

The program is the Mass for the 3rd Sunday of Advent. Selected lessons are read in English, and the printed program offers an English translation of the chants. The chants are sung from the loft at the rear of the church, and the music floats down to the listeners below, through the magnificent marble and stone interior of Sacred Heart Church.  Larry Kent, Music Director of Florida Pro Musica, has been a resident of Davis Islands with his family for 12 years. He is proud to bring this tradition once again to the downtown area.

Admission to this event is free, as a gift to the Tampa Bay community.  For more information, as well as directions to Sacred Heart, visit <a href=”http://www.FloridaProMusica.com”>www.FloridaProMusica.com</a> or call 813-293-4594.   Florida Pro Musica is also celebrating its ten year anniversary, and has exciting plans in the works for spring 2009 concerts.

From Climb Tampa:

Join us for one of the most unique events in Tampa Bay. On March 21, 2009, hundreds of people will huff and puff their way climbing the 42 flights in the Bank of America Plaza in downtown Tampa. This is more than your same old 5K this event is a vertical race to climb 42 floors/914 steps. Whether climbing for a winning time or simply to cross the finish line in honor or in memory of someone with lung disease, this event is a great way to challenge yourself physically. We guarantee that all finishers will have a newfound respect for healthy lungs!

All proceeds benefit the American Lung Association for lung cancer research, education, and prevention programs. Many do not realize that lung cancer is still the number one cancer killer in both men and women.

Support RMHC while enjoying your favorite McDonald’s foods. On November 20, McDonald’s will donate $1 for every Beef or Chicken Extra Value Meal© and Chicken McNuggets sold.

In addition, from November 10-20 customers can donate $1 towards RMHC by purchasing a helping “Hand” that will be displayed in-store during the event.

Take the night off from cooking and support RMHC this November.

Our annual two-day golf tournament at the prestigious Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club in Tarpon Springs raises operational funds for our local Ronald McDonald Houses while offering some of the best golf on the west coast, not to mention a lot of fun! To download our 2008 Golf Brochure containing Registration and sponsorship information, please visit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay website at www.rmhctampabay.com.

The employees at International Plaza’s Banana Republic have been making meals and doing pantry drives for the Davis Islands Ronald McDonald House, but wanted to do something on a larger scale. They decided to hold a yard sale as a fundraiser, and just needed the right location. The Davis Islands Ronald McDonald House has a beautiful large yard, perfect for their yard sale, now scheduled for Saturday, November 8 from 9am – noon.

Store employees and house volunteers will clean out their closets and bring their treasures to the sale, and along with leftover items from the House and a few surprises. A good crowd is expected with some great deals for everyone. The public is invited to join us and find some bargains while raising funds for the Ronald McDonald House program.

For more information, contact Tampa RMH House Manager Betsy Wilkinson at (813) 254-2398, ext. 316 or email bwrmh[at]tampabay.rr.com.