Rays foundation awards nonprofits

ST. PETERSBURG -- There was a time when the Rays and their public relations team were working overtime in an effort to repair the broken ties with the community. Even then, big announcements were met with a smattering of reporters at best.

On Tuesday, the Batters' Eye Restaurant was teeming with media, well-wishers and award recipients, a testament as much to American League champion Tampa Bay's success this season as to the Rays Baseball Foundation's ongoing relationship with the community.

The foundation awarded a total of $150,000 to three local nonprofit organizations through the club's All-Star Grant during Tuesday's event.

 

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Free Ray's Tickets!

Rays fans, want to go see the Rays play Orioles for free. Well today is your lucky day. Read below and go see the Rays play tonight for free!

 

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays will make available 20,000 free tickets to tomorrow night's regular-season finale against the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field. Game time is 7:10 p.m. ET. Tickets will be distributed at all gates beginning at 4:45 p.m.

Tickets will be distributed one per person on a first-come, first-served basis and will be given away upon entry to the ballpark. Tickets may not be picked up in advance. The complimentary tickets will be available in the Press Level, Baseline Box, Loge Box, Outfield, Upper Box and Upper Reserved sections.

Fans who have purchased tickets to tomorrow night's game in the aforementioned seating areas may exchange them at Guest Services for a Lower Box seat upon their arrival, based on availability.

 

Click here to go to the Ray's article for more info.

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Tampa Bay Band, WD-Han, Launches "Tunes for 10,000"

WD-Han (stands for "We Don't Have A Name") is announcing a new Social Media game: "Tunes for 10,000". As soon as they hit 10,000 people who like their Facebook page they are giving away access to a free download to an all new acoustic album!

View the YouTube video with all the details from WD-Han here:

For free music, like their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/wdhanmusic!

Don't forget to suggest this to all your friends!

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Middle School Students Donate $650 to Clearwater Marine Aquarium's Rescued Sea Turtles

Middle school students do their part in helping our aquatic life:

 

  Kids in “Friends for Florida” presented $650 toClearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) to help take care of its rescued sea turtles. The group, made up of middle school studentsfrom Pasco and Hillsborough Counties, was started by friends who wanted to raise awareness about environmental issues. To raise the money, the kids held garage sales, lemonade stands, recycled aluminum cans and collected money outside of a local Wal-Mart.

The donated money will go toward medical supplies for sea turtles at CMA. CMA Sea Turtle Manager Danielle O’Neil said, “We truly appreciate selfless individuals such as these who help us take care of our sea turtles. We couldn’t do what we do without amazing community support like this.” “Friends for Florida” was founded in 2007 by the Mark family of Lutz. They have also raised $2,050 for Save Our Seabirds, Tampa Bay Watch and Big Cat Rescue. The group has also taken part in various clean-up and recycling efforts.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a Florida non-profit organization, dedicated to marine life rescue, rehabilitationand release, and environmental education. CMA is home to dolphins, sea turtles, river otters, stingrays, nurse sharks and more.

For more information on the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, visit www.seewinter.com.

 

Click here to read more on what's going on in our great city of Tampa Bay.

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Big Brothers Big Sisters to Host Annual Rock ‘N Roll Party for Volunteers and Children

More than 350 “Bigs” & “Littles” to Enjoy a Rock Star Experience

 

Largo, FL (September 22, 2010)- Limousines, red carpet, volunteer paparazzi and star themed activities will all be a part of Big Brothers Big Sisters annual match appreciation event. The evening will honor volunteer mentors and others involved with the organization including volunteers of the year, children served through the program, and event sponsors. Attendees will be greeted by volunteer paparazzi as they exit limousines and parade down a red carpet. Once inside Mahaffey Theater the star experience will continue as guests will create their own Hollywood Star; dance to the hippest DJ; participate in other star themed activities; and enjoy food provided by Outback Steakhouse and Pepsi.

 

Because of the urgent need for volunteer mentors, this event will double as a recruitment opportunity for the organization. There are currently more than 200 children on the waiting list for a “Big Brother” or “Big Sister.” Attendees are encouraged to bring a guest that might consider volunteering as a “Big.” Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pinellas County matches an adult volunteer (a “Big”) with a youth (a “Little”) based on common interests, convenient location, and goals. The tri-county agency serves on average 1,500 children a year throughout Pinellas, Hernando, and Citrus Counties.

 

“Positive relationships with caring adults can have a lasting impact on a child’s life,” said Susan Rolston, Chief Executive Officer. “We are overwhelmed by the dedication and support of our volunteers. We hope to provide an evening that both the volunteer and child will remember for a lifetime.”

 

Event sponsors include: The Gagnon Family Foundation, Outback Steakhouse, Progress Energy Center for the Arts-Mahaffey Theater, Ambassador Limousine and Sedan, Pepsi, and Best Buy.

 

Rock N Roll Party “A Star Experience”

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Photo & Video Opportunities Available

 

Who: All Press Invited to Attend

Date: September 24, 2010

Time: 6:00-9:00 PM

Location: Mahaffey Theater, Downtown St. Petersburg

 

About Big Brothers Big Sisters serving Pinellas, Hernando & Citrus Counties

Big Brothers Big Sisters helps vulnerable children beat the odds. The organization depends on donations to help recruit volunteers and reach more children. Funding is used to conduct background checks on volunteers to ensure child safety; and provide ongoing support for children, families and volunteers to build and sustain long-lasting relationships. Big Brothers Big Sisters is proven to improve children’s odds for succeeding in school, behaving nonviolently, avoiding drugs and alcohol, and breaking negative cycles. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pinellas County serves Pinellas, Hernando, and Citrus Counties. For more information, visit www.bbbspc.org.

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Daily Playoff Pitch: Giants the big winners; Tampa Bay has an advantage

Here is more news about our #1 baseball team - the Tampa Bay Rays:

 

Tampa Bay positioned itself for a big finish. Look who has the best record in baseball (hint: They don't play in the AL East). If it's Friday -- actually, just about any day -- there must be a change atop the NL West.

  Thursday's heroes

  Another shutout for the Giants, their second in three nights at Chicago, but Juan Uribe made that a minor factor in the 13-0 victory that helped San Francisco jump over San Diego into the NL West lead, the fifth time those two teams have swapped spots in the past seven days. Uribe hit two homers, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs in a nine-run second inning. San Francisco's 19-hit outburst began against Ryan Dempster, who had a 14-inning shutout streak entering the game. The seven hits off Dempster in 15 batters were as many as he had allowed in the 14-inning streak. In their past nine games, the Giants have scored two or fewer runs six times. They have 10, nine and 13 in the other three games.

Carl Crawford's two-run single, his second hit of the inning, capped a seven-run sixth against CC Sabathia and Joba Chamberlain as the Rays beat the Yankees 8-3 to split the four-game series in New York. Tampa Bay is back within a half-game of the Yankees, who won the first two games of the series. B.J. Upton's two-run double greeted Chamberlain after Sabathia left trailing 4-3 and the bases loaded. The victory also gives the Rays the season series against New York, 10-8, which would decide the AL East if the two teams tie.

 

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21st Annual Hyde Park Village Art Fair

There are a lot of up coming events as it gets into the fall season. Here is one that you may want to part take in:

One of the country's top art festivals, The 21st Annual Hyde Park Village Art Festival is coming to town! Located just outside Tampa, Hyde Park Village offers great shopping, fine dining and nightly entertainment. In October, the Village will welcome 150 exhibitors displaying a wide range of art's from life-size sculptures to photography to jewelry. Like all Howard Alan events, the 21st Annual Hyde Park Village Art Festival is a juried show, which means each participating artist is hand-selected from hundreds of applicants to ensure a first-class festival with only the highest quality, original artwork. All exhibiting artists are required to be at the festival the entire weekend. This gives you the unique opportunity to meet the creators of the art on display; commission a specific piece; ask questions about techniques; learn the sources of their inspirations; and purchase fine works of art at affordable prices. All of the work on display is available for purchase, and with prices ranging from $15 earrings to $50 prints to $20,000 sculptures, there is always something for everyone.

Click here to get more info.

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Josh Freeman's decisionmaking impresses Tampa Bay Buccaneers

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer 
In Print: Tuesday, September 21, 2010

TAMPA — Josh Freeman deliberately bounced a worm killer at the feet of one receiver. A few other passes were aimed at his bench. Several times, he just tucked the ball under his arm, ran away from trouble and slid as if he were stealing second base.

The growth of the Bucs' young quarterback was more evident in the throws he didn't make in Sunday's 20-7 win at Carolina.

Freeman went 12-of-24 for 178 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. But it was his willingness to throw the ball away when plays broke down that had coaches buzzing Monday at One Buc Place.

"You're just amazed and so happy and proud of that kid and what he's been able to do and how far he's come on the plays he didn't make," coach Raheem Morris said. "The bad snap in the air and he throws it out of bounds. It's the screen that the Carolina Panthers did a great job of covering up and he throws it at (the receiver's) feet. He's able to get some balls off when a guy is grabbling at his receiver and he's able to get another play. He absolutely pulls a Derek Jeter and pulls a flop when he gets hit by the defender. I was upset. I thought he got hit harder, but he got hit and did a little bit of acting on it."

 

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WhitzEnd Kid Zone

Recently featured in the Tampa Tribune and Fox13, Whitzend kidZone is a Town & Country-based, teacher-owned, students-inspired, drug-free , alcohol-free , smoke-free , bully-free and label-free preteen and teen hangout exclusively for ages 10-16, a demographic too old for Chucky Cheese and too young for everything else.  Friday night is for ages 10-13 and Saturday night, 13-16.

As you enter the lighted alcove just past Nanny Jeans Children’s and Maternity Consignment shop, you can’t help but notice the handwritten white and blue words filling Whitzend’s two glass windows: coexist and be the change you want to see in the world. Enter the building and you are surrounded by bright white walls lined with current movie posters and colorful framed positive affirmations hung in a crooked fashion. Immediately, you sense there is something special about this place.
Though the 800sq ft space, donated by Nanny Jean, stayed empty through months of planning, Owner/Teacher Deb Kelley reached out online and was pleasantly surprised by the reception. Friends, family and parents of students, together with the Craigslist, Facebook and Freecycle community, have been unbelievably generous. Whitzend has over a dozen Angel Sponsors on its website who have donated everything from furniture to musical instruments, to the manpower and supplies needed to build the 8ft performance stage.  

Whitzend is a self-described anti-fancy, old-fashioned  living room-like hangout; a tree clubhouse without the tree. Whitzend has a seating area for kids to hang out, play board games and video gaming with an Xbox 360 and Wii, a computer area and Wi-Fi, a game area for foosball, mini arcade basketball, an 8 foot pool table which can be flipped to become an air hockey table, a photo area for green screen photo shoots, a stage with karaoke machine, keyboard, amp, microphones, electric and acoustic guitar (or the kids can bring their own musical instruments and play), and a monstrous oversized bean bag chair, an all 0.75 cent snack/soda vending machine, a hand-painted Twisted (Whitzend version of Twister) on the floor, and enough surround sound to shake the walls.

September 18th  kicks off the 7pm grand opening followed by every Friday and Saturday night from 7pm-11pm. Registration is required and costs only $20 for 4 hours of SUPERVISED activities or what equals to $5 an hour. Most caregivers (for the younger set) charge more than that, money given for mall trips average $20 or more, and movie tickets before large popcorn/soda start at $6.50-$9.50 (add $3 for 3-D) depending on the age. Once a child is stamped and signed in with parent’s identification, he does not leave the premise until signed out by parent/guardian with identification.
Whitzend is proud to showcase preteen and teen DJs, singers and bands with their information on dedicated page on the Whitzend website. On Saturday’s Opening Night, our first student DJ ZJA is a 13 year IB student from Hillsborough High who has been spinning since age 7.  

On Sunday, October 3, Whitzend is excited to host the TRUTH from 3-5pm for a specialFREE event for kids. The TRUTH, an all youth movement promoted through grassroots advocacy and a youth-driven advertising campaign about choosing not to smoke, has been on tour all summer, recently at Vans Warped Tour in St. Pete. They will making a special stop with the TRUTH truck and its awesome DJ in Tampa to visit Whitzend and play games and give away TRUTH gear to our fabulous kids! Join us on for some good, clean fun! Look for the big orange truck!  

Other upcoming special events include an old-fashioned Halloween party on Friday, October 29 and a talent showcase, WhitzendIdolsGotTalent TBD, November.  As part of the registration fee, pending interest, Whitzend will offer classes in graphic design, green screen digital photography, yoga, fun food art, and other creative arts instruction.  
The mission statement of Whitzend reads “to provide a place where kids are encouraged to be themselves and have fun in a safe environment that promotes and inspires creativity in preteens/teens ages 10-16 through play, music, performance and socializing, free of bullying and labels.” 

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Be the change you want to see in this world.” We are the change. In here, you have friends you just haven’t met yet.

Learn more at www.whitzend.com or call 813.416.2068

High Hopes in High Heels

High Hopes in High Heels, a local nonprofit organization made up of professional woman who want to make a difference in their community, hosted a “Back to School Carnival” for Kids Charity of Tampa Bay as our 3rd community project for 2010. The event took place on August 7, 2010 at A Kid’s Place in Brandon, Fla.

The event was from 10 a.m – 1 p.m., and the children varied in age from 1-8 years old and all resided on the property. High Hopes in High Heels set up several game stations around the outside play area including: bucket toss, can knock down, a bubble station, jump rope station, football toss and duck wars. There were prizes given to every child when they played the different games and smiling faces were all around. The highlights of the day were the bounce house, popcorn machine, and snow cone machine donated by TNC Moonwalk Rentals. High Hopes in High Heels also brought slip-n-slides for the kids to enjoy on what turned out to be a very hot day and donated the slip-n-rides to Kid’s Charity, so the kids could enjoy for summers to come. The children had a screaming-good time in the bounce house and didn’t want to come out for lunch.

HHinHH provided lunch and dessert for the house parents, staff, volunteers, and children to enjoy after a morning of fun.

Earlier in the month High Hopes in High Heels hosted a spa fundraiser at Pia Esthetics in South Tampa in order to raise the funds necessary to organize this event and also received donations from TNC Moonwalk.

This was an incredible event and planning for the 2011 Carnival has already started to make next year even bigger and better. High Hopes in High Heels is looking forward to forming a lasting relationship with Kids Charity of Tampa Bay and being a part of their future success!

About High Hopes in High Heels:
High Hopes in High Heels (HHinHH) is a nonprofit organization that is composed of professional women who want to make a difference in the local community. They meet regularly to discuss the needs of various nonprofit organizations/causes and plan different fundraisers/community projects to help as much as we can.

Their mission is to educate and inspire women to make a difference in the lives of their neighbors by spotlighting local charity organizations, providing opportunities to make informed giving decisions and to foster personal and professional development through networking opportunities.

HHinHH meets for different networking events, social outings, and has started to have nonprofit organizations reach out to their group when they are in need of volunteers for special events. The members also participate in walks for various causes to raise awareness about health issues.

High Hopes in High Heels is composed of over fifty members to date and continues to grow! Please see the website www.highhopesinhighheels.org for additional information and be sure to check out their Facebook fan page and blog for event photos and additional information.

Buccaneers Are 1-0 For The First Time Since 2005

http://www.pjtampabay.com

Behind a defense that was nearly impenetrable in the second half and the first career receiving touchdowns by Mike Williams and Micheal Spurlock, the Buccaneers rallied for a 17-14 season-opening win over Cleveland.

Raheem Morris says he has two goals for his defense, and neither center around the NFL’s defensive yardage ranking.  Those two goals: Score and get the ball back.

No, Ronde Barber didn’t quite get in the end zone for his 14th career touchdown on his 38th career interception in the second quarter, but he did indeed get the ball back.  And that’s something the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did time and again in the second half to produce a 17-14 comeback win over the Cleveland Browns at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.

Tampa Bay’s defense did not allow a single first down by the Browns for a game-time span of 24 minutes and six seconds in the second half, allowing QB Josh Freeman to produce the only points after the intermission on a 33-yard touchdown pass to WR Micheal Spurlock.  Cleveland’s eight drives of the second half ended like this: fumble, three-and-out, three-and-out, three-and-out, three-and-out, interception, turnover on downs, end of game.

Read full article and see great clips on the Buccaneers official website: Rise Up! Defense Comes Alive in Win Over Browns

 

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Pinellas students make long-distance call to space station

ST. PETERSBURG — Fifteen Pinellas County students made a really, really long distance call Thursday morning — to the space station.

The students, chosen from elementary, middle and high schools, asked astronauts questions for 20 minutes starting at about 11:40 a.m.

"Oh my gosh, it was mind-blowing, it really was,'' said Donisha Pate, 15, a 10th grader at St. Petersburg Collegiate High. "Not everyone gets this opportunity, this chance to be able to talk to someone in outer space.''

Donisha, who asked the astronauts about robotics, said it changed her outlook on astronauts because she realizes now how much research and exploration they are doing. "They're making history, which is mind-blowing,'' she said.

Charissa Lenis asked whether the astronauts could see the Gulf oil spill, and was told that they could before it was capped.

The students spent part of the morning at the Pinellas Science Center practicing the questions they plan to ask flight engineers Doug Wheelock, Tracy Caldwell Dyson and Shannon Walker from the International Space Station more than 200 miles above the earth.

The first question was asked by Sephie Cooper, a ninth grader at Shorecrest Prep who wants to the astronauts what they think is the most important accomplishments of the space shuttle program.

Cody Kronz, a seventh grader at Meadowlawn Middle, wants to ask whether an explosion can happen in space even though there's no oxygen. He said he thought of the question while watching the Military Channel and watching a lot of things blow up.

Earlier Thursday there were several science demonstrations for the students and talks by former space shuttle astronaut Bob Springer.

The event was free and open to the public, but those who couldn't make it to the Science Center could watchstreaming video on NASA's website.

Up to 400 students, educators and others are expected to witness the cosmic chat in the auditorium at the Science Center, 7701 22nd Ave. N in St. Petersburg.

Curtis Krueger, St. Petersburg Times Staff Writer

The World Putting League

The World Putting League is the FIRST organized, competitive, and social putting league in the world, in which golfers and non-golfers alike can have fun, meet new people, and WIN weekly and session PRIZES!!!
 
Our members absolutely love playing, competing, and viewing their weekly scores online!
 
Golfers can improve their putting, which then, improves their golf score…all while having FUN at the same time!
 
This is a WONDERFUL activity for golfers, non-golfers, companies (company outings/team building), significant others, families, friends, etc. It's healthy and is a GREAT TIME!!
 
There are FREE weekly skins games and FABULOUS weekly PRIZES including: pro shop gift certificates, Golfsmith Cash Cards, WPL Travel Vouchers to amazing vacation properties, restaurant gift certificates, and so much more!
 
Each session we award an overall championship trophy, and give one vacation package to EACH of the top three overall winners to either The Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean or Reynold's Plantation in Georgia!

All of this and more for only $10.00 for each WPL league play event!
 
For more information on The World Putting League, visit: www.WorldPuttingLeague.com !