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March 11, 2008 No. 21 Vol. 86
This Week’s Program: Tim Ramsberger, St. Petersburg Grand Prix
Timothy T.
Ramsberger, Vice President Andretti Green Promotions Honda Grand Prix of
St. Petersburg joins us again today to talk to us about the upcoming
Grand Prix race. The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is a three day
event featuring the IndyCar Series, Indy Pro Series and American Le Mans
Series, as well as concerts, interactive attractions and family
entertainment. Our speaker, Tim Ramsberger, is the unifying force behind
the event who ensures that thousands of spectators have a terrific day
at the races.
Born this month in
1962, Ramsberger, a St. Petersburg native, was educated at Florida State
University, receiving his BA in Business Administration in 1984 and his
Juris Doctorate from the FSU College of Law three years later.
Ramsberger worked as an attorney in private practice in Orlando, Tampa
and St. Petersburg, then changed his career path to the World Cup USA
1994 (FIFA World Cup, Orlando, Florida, to the Centennial Olympic Games
in 1996, to Disney Sports & Disney’s Wide World of Sports (Lake Buena
Vista, Florida) and Outback Sports in Tampa. In 2000, He received his
MBA from the Rollins College of Business. Tim went on to work for Dover
Motorsports/Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the Champ Car World Series and
is now Vice President of Andretti Green Promotions – Honda Grand Prix of
St. Petersburg.
Although he leads a
busy and exciting life, Tim still finds time for involvement in his
local community, serving on the Board of Directors of two worthy
nonprofits – All Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Pediatric Cancer
Foundation. He has his USCG Captain License and holds a Florida Real
Estate License. He lives on Treasure Island. A warm Kiwanis welcome,
Tim, from the race fans in Kiwanis!
Last Week’s Program Cynthia Lake, Children’s Dream Fund
Nick Gizzarelli,
Kiwanian-of-the-Day, is a long time friend of Cynthia’s, and his
company, Bruce Watters Jewelry, contributes substantially to the
Children’s Dream Fund’s annual live auction.
Cynthia explained
that CDF was formed in 1981 as a non-profit organization whose mission
is to make dreams come true for seriously ill children on the West Coast
of Florida.
The Children’s Dream
Fund meets most of its recipients at the hospitals it serves. Staff at
the CDF never refer to their clients as being ‘“terminally ill,” but as
having “life-threatening illnesses.” Some few have gone on to live after
going into remission, but the vast majority do not. 70% of the children
they serve have cancer.
The Dream Fund
typically helps realize the dreams of children 3-18, but has
occasionally stepped outside that range to help, in one case, a 2
year-old who has since died, and is currently helping a 21 year-old with
a poor prognosis. Since its inception, the Dream Fund has made dreams
come true for close to 2,000 children.
Cynthia remarked
that they had started this year with 48 children, their biggest year
ever, but regardless of the financial challenges this creates for the
small nonprofit, Cynthia says all the children will receive their wish
and none are ever put on a waiting list.
Cynthia said that
children’s “dreams” run the gamut from sports dreams to shopping sprees,
stays for the whole family at Give Kids The World, meetings with
celebrity chefs Paula Dean and Rachel Ray and other surprising requests.
This year, Children’s Dream Fund will grant 85-100 dreams with each
dream costing on average $4,000. Cynthia and her staff go to a lot of
funerals each year and invariably, they are thanked for making that
child’s dream come true.
Cynthia pointed out
that the Children’s Dream Fund is not part of a larger organization
outside the state. Donations made here stay here. She suggested that
potential donors check out all nonprofits they’re considering donating
to by looking them up on Guidestar.org or other reputable charity rating
websites. She concluded her presentation with a brief video that showed
the happy faces of children who have received their dreams. For more
information on the Children’s Dream Fund or to donate, go to
www.childrensdreamfund.org or call Cynthia at (727) 896-6390.
What’s Happening?
Official Visit From
Lt. Gov. Terry Carr
Lt. Gov. Carr joined
us last week and made several important announcements.
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Carr reminded us
to do what we can to promote membership to women in our community as
part of the 100 Women in 100 Days campaign.
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He also asked us
to promote membership through a Special Guest Day, which is being
coordinated by Bob Piplitz.
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On April 5th, we
are asked to support our local ballclub or any athletic event for
young people. If we don’t have one in mind, we can always support
Miracle Field.
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Lt. Gov. Carr
announced that $75 scholarships are available toward fees to attend
the Kiwanis International Convention-Florida District for anyone
willing to volunteer to greet and direct guests. August 24-26 is the
Kiwanis Florida District Convention and a train will run between
Orlando and Jacksonville .
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The next
Division Council meeting will take place no later than the second
week in April. At that meeting, the new Lt. Gov. Elect will be
elected and the Governor Elect will be recertified and her successor
elected.
Cruisin’ With Weyman
Weyman announced
that the next Social Committee event will be the popular yacht cruise
down the intercoastal planned for April17 (raindate is April 19). Only 9
spots are left on this 98’ yacht, so act quickly to enjoy food by
Harvey’s and the comraderie of 53 other fun people. Get your $45 check
in now to reserve your spot.
InterClub Opportunity With Kiwanis International CEO Rob Parker
While it’s not a
regular InterClub opportunity, Harvey and Markus encouraged us to make a
special effort to attend the March 27 dinner at the Lakeland Kiwanis
Club from 6 pm-8 pm. CEO Rob Parker will set out the mission and goals
for the year.
Louis Murphy Gives Thanks
Our fellow Kiwanian
Louis Murphy thanked the members of our Club for their many calls,
letters, sympathy cards and the like received in response to the death
of his wife, Filomena. He gave a lovely and moving tribute to his late
wife which touched everyone present.
Upcoming Community Service Events
Cyndi Mulligan and
Dr. Ron O’Neal have great community service projects in the works. Look
for more information soon on opportunities for you to help out with the
Easter Eggastravaganza at Sallie House on March 22nd, the Honda Grand
Prix on April 6th, and Bluesfest April 11-13. for more information or to
participate in the Easter Egg event, please call Cyndi Mulligan
(481-3009) or Ron O'Neal (422-2511). For more information on or to help
out at the Grand Prix, please call Ron O’Neal (phone number above). If
Blues Fest sounds more like your groove, call Bob Pitplitz at 824-7402.
Guardian ad Litems Needed
State of Florida
Guardian ad Litem Program Director Donna Rasmussen sent us a notice
about the need for additional Guardian ad Litems. Over 900 children in
Pinellas County need a volunteer Guardian ad Litem to be their voice in
court and the social welfare system. For more information, a complete
training schedule (the next training session is coming up on April 1)
and an application go to www.guardianadlitem6.org or call 464-6528.
The Lithuanian Open
Did you golf
yesterday with Big Al and other Lithuanians and Kiwanians? We look
forward to a report today on how much was raised for needy Lithuanian
children and who drank the most Lithuanian beer. I sveikata!
4th Annual Jim Fischer Birthday Bash
Mark your calendar
on June 14th to attend our annual Jim Fischer Birthday Bash, a
fundraiser that raises college scholarship money for high performing
grade-schoolers and middle-schoolers from low-income families. Please
save the date and plan to attend.
Promote Your Business For A Good(y) Cause
Bob
Byelick is looking for goody bag items for the golfers who’ll compete in
the Jim Fischer Golf Tournament on April 14th. If you have company
promotional items, donate a hundred of them to this good cause.
An
Irish Toast As We Near St. Paddy’s Day
Here's to our wives
and girlfriends: May they never meet!
TODAY’S QUIZ:
1. What young
driver with a famous last name will team up with Bryan Herta and
Christian Fittipaldi
in America's greatest sports car race?
2. Sigmund
Freud said “This is one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of
no use whatsoever.”
To whom did he refer?
3. What is an
octothorpe?
4. Who won
England’s War of the Roses?
LAST WEEK’S QUIZ:
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It was Maya
Angelou who said “Human beings are more alike than unalike, and what
is true anywhere is true everywhere, yet I encourage travel to as
many destinations as possible for the sake of education as well as
pleasure. Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: "I'm with
you kid. Let's go." Can you name her?
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The global
Special Olympics movement got its start on 20 July 1968, when the
First International Special Olympics Games were held at Soldier
Field, Chicago, Illinois, USA. But the concept of Special Olympics
was born much earlier, when Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a day
camp for people with intellectual disabilities at her home in 1962.
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It was in the
1920s (August 6, 1923) that Henry Sullivan became the first American
to swim the English Channel.
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Fifty-five years
after the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, Congress and President
Clinton cleared the ship's captain, Charles Butler McVay III, of any
wrongdoing in the Navy's worst wartime disaster. Of 1197 men on
board, only 317 survived the shark-filled waters of the Phillipine
Sea after the ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
(The Grand
Prix Prayer, grandprixforums.net, with apologies…)
The Grand Prix is my
shepherd; I shall not want.
It maketh me burnout on black pavements;
It leadeth me beside busy freeways;
It restoreth my soul;
It leads me in the path of quickness for its name,s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of rice, I shall fear no turbo,
for Torque art with me; Thy rod and thy piston they comfort me. Thou
preparest a Track for me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast
anointed my bearings with oil; My car overpowers.
Surely traction and victory shall follow me all the days of my life, And
I shall dwell in the house of the V6 Forever. Vrrooom.
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