Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

My band, the JGLB will be playing two charity gigs this weekend. Proceeds from Sunday’s party at Hungry Harry’s benefit The Spring, and on Saturday, we are doing the Worlds Largest Hurricane Expo & Party (see info below) to benefit hurricane relief efforts of Krewes Kare and Angel Flight Southeast. I encourage you to come out and party with us this weekend, and make sure you come up and say hello.

Krewes Kare Tampa Bay presents:
The Stars Are In Alignment for The 3rd Annual “World’s Largest Hurricane Expo & Party” To benefit the hurricane relief efforts of Krewes Kare and Angel Flight Southeast.

“The stars must have been in perfect alignment,” says Krewes Kare President, Yvonne
Painton. “Everything came together at the right time. We received final approval of our 501(c)3
status from the I.R.S., our new website was launched (http://kreweskare.org/), and we’ve got a new, larger indoor and outdoor location for ‘The World’s Largest Hurricane Expo & Party.’ And, it’s all happened within the past month, thanks to the efforts of our members.”

This year’s event will be held on Saturday, May 3rd from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Zendah Grotto, which is behind the Tampa campus of the Hillsborough Community College, at 4402 West Ohio Avenue, and will feature live music from three bands, dancing, carnival-style games, a Hurricane preparedness expo, and a family fun area. All you can eat food and drinks provided by our sponsors as well as auctions, raffles and other giveaways. This year’s event promises to be the biggest and best, yet.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door, and are 100-percent tax deductible. To purchase tickets or make a donation go to the website at www.kreweskare.org or call Yvonne Painton at 813.839.1302.

Krewes Kare, Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization founded in 2005 to provide early response hurricane relief to affected areas inaccessible to the larger relief agencies. We are a partnership of Angel Flight Southeast and volunteers from the 50 plus parade krewes in the Tampa Bay area.

Be there or miss out!

I’ve been a season ticket holder of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since they played in the Big Sombrero. I have been attending Bucs games for over 25 years. That vested interest, and because I am a fan of the team, I sometimes second guess the plays they call, question the roster moves they make, and even wonder what they see in the coaches they hire.

But there is no question that I want the team to do well. As the NFL representative for the Tampa Bay area, I want them to be recognized as winners. I root for them just as I do the Rays, the Lightning, and the USF Bulls.

However irrational, winning sports teams seem to increase community pride. It makes perfect sense for us to identify with an entity that bears our community’s name. But they don’t always play well, and that is irritating. And when they are horrible, it’s absolutely infuriating.

But I don’t ever hate them. I only want them to do the best job they can do, so they represent our community well, and I can have some pride in the local hometown team.