Picking up trash and in Praise of Tele-marketers

I have been toying with this idea for quite some time. The notion has been stuck in my head but mostly my heart, the thought of BECAUSE I CAN… not sure really why it keeps coming up but for at least 7 years it has been brought to my attention that I need to do something with this. I know there is so much talk about what we can not do but really there is always so much more we CAN do.

One of my earliest memories of the term, Because I can came up when a favorite Pastor of mine, Ronald Ball then with Woodlawn church would tease me about my working out. He would jokingly say, “I just do not understand why you want to run when no one is chasing you?” I think I would just say, Because I can. A few years ago a dear amazing friend Gabe had cancer and each time I would run while he could not I would think as I took those Grateful steps…. I will run for Gabe, Because I can.

I even shared with my friend Angie years ago that I felt I was being called to do something with these 3 words, Because I can. I have tried to run from it but it keeps meeting me at every corner and even though I am not quite sure what I am supposed to do I will just go ahead and do what I can… Because I can.

I was walking on the beach the other day, one of my most glorious,most reverent and thankful of things to do. While walking and jogging and humming to my happy tunes I sadly noticed all the Spring Break trash piled up along my pretty beach. My first thought was to be aggravated that people would do such a thing and garner a self-righteous stance. I quickly turned about and thought that instead of being angry or aggravated why not say a sweet prayer for the givers of the trash. Why not ask God to bless them and keep them safe while they are here and make their life a nice one. I also hoped that they may think next time but until they do I will gratefully say a prayer and pick up the trash…. Because I can.

As I was merrily cleaning the beach, I remember that Charlie Lahan for years could be seen up and down Laguna Beach picking up trash to make our beaches beautiful for the next round of folks. I also started thinking of those tele-marketers that will be calling the house soon and how for whatever reason I always have a soft spot for them. I always tell them that I am not in need of their product but I bet someone else may be and that I pray they have great success. I imagine that they have my name and they call me for training to raise their self-esteem. I will continue to be kind to them so in some small way I may make a difference in their day…. Because I can.

Still not sure where I am going with this but I suspect if I do what I can with what I have from where I am it will be revealed to me. I know that I have many people who I have watched do the Next right thing in life and all the people they have left better off by their journey. I know that I want to make a difference so perhaps Because I can can be the mantra of myself and others as we celebrate all of us even those that leave behind trash and tele marketers.

Infuse: Visual and Performing Arts for Autism

Raising awareness and funds for for the Autism Education Center through an art exhibit and DJ show. The event will showcase several local artists including student artists from the school, who are donating all or some of the sales to the school. There will also be a raffle for prizes, each entrant will receive one ticket and additional tickets will be for sale. The event is free, but there is a suggested donation of $3. (Donations will go directly to the Autism Education Center.)

DJ performances will include DJ Wes Rolan, DJay Markie Mark, DJ Yoya, and Dee Jay Link with more possible performances to be announced. Local Artists Trent Soto, Helen Ezell, Ryan Acevedo, Travis Dutton, The staff at Image Evolution, Vladamir Borissov, Camille Butchikas and many more including students from the AEC.

Infuse will be held January 28th from 7:00pm-10:00pm, with a thank-you after party from 10:00pm-4:00am at the C level Bar and Grill.

Enjoy the arts and help the Autism Education Center!

Mardi Gras in PCB with the Krewe of Massalina

Want to celebrate Mardi Gras without the crowds of New Orleans? The Krewe of Massalina is making sure that you celebrate Mardi Gras right, right here in Panama City! More than 50 vendors will be set up, as well as two stages of N’Orleans style music to fill the air.

Schedule of Events

Friday, February 3rd, Block Party 6pm-10pm in McKenzie Park
Saturday, February 4th, Mardi Gras Festival 12pm-10pm in McKenzie Park
Saturday, February 4th, Mardi Gras Parade 3pm on Harrison Avenue

Giveaways

The Toad Lick Festival will be giving away several tickets to the biggest music festival in Dothan, AL.
Over $10,000 in “The Great Downtown Giveaway”
Assorted gift certificates will also be thrown out during the Mardi Gras Parade

Will you join the Krewe of Massalina to celebrate this year’s Mardi Gras?

Dance for Life: Fundraising for Relay for Life

Cancer touches so many lives in the world today, few people don’t know someone who has been diagnosed. Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Panama City is doing their part to raise money in the fight against the disease! On January 28th the Fred Astaire Dance Studio, local celebrities, and professional dancers from Dancing with the Stars will be showcased on the stage of the Martin Theatre in a benefit for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

Dance for Life has become an annual fundraiser for the Fred Astaire Dance Studio’s Relay for Life team. This year Derrell Day (Talk Radio 101.1), Many (Island 106), Sara Violette (97X and 101.1), and Short Bus (97X) will battle on the dance floor to see who is the best!

All proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life. Tickets are available at The Martin Theatre (850.763.8080) and the Fred Astaire Dance Studio (850.873.62.69).

Spring Breaker’s Scavenger Hunt To Do Good

Spring Break is around the corner and the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau is giving spring breaker’s a chance to spend their week doing good! Visitor’s who register online before February 3rd, 2012 will have the opportunity to spend the week participating in a scavenger hunt around PCB. Teams will collect special Panama City Beach mementos at specific stops along the hunt.How is that doing good you ask? The winner will have a $10,000 donation made to a charity of their choice or for their organization.

Teams that are selected to participate in the scavenger hunt will participate in a weekly competition, where the winner of all four top teams being compared at the end. The top team will win $10,000 and two runners-up will win $2,500 each.

Good luck to teams hoping to participate!

Family Safety Initiative To Launch

This coming Thursday (January 5th) Secretary David Wilkins, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and President and CEO of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence Tiffany Carr will be available to discuss the coming of a new initiative in the Northwest region of Florida. Aimed at the creation of a comprehensive approach to reducing domestic violence and child abuse in Bay, Gulf, and Cahoun counties- the Northwest Florida Regional Domestic Violence and Child Welfare Initiative will be launching soon!

Thursday January 5th from 9:30-10:am at the Wyndham Bay Point Resort these three will meet the media to discuss the future of the initiative and from 10:00am-2:30pm there will be a community day at the same location.

2011 Tourism Predictions- Staffing Spree

This is the third article in a series that explores 2011 Tourism Predictions for Panama City Beach.

“If you market it, you must be prepared to staff it”

This is a *statement liberated from Socrates’s, um- well, his lesser known cousin, ahem, **Heraclitus.

However, let’s not quarrel over the origins of the statement, and opt to simply take into consideration it’s message.

We’ve been marketing, promoting, negotiating and canoodling with every possible venue, avenue, social site and persons, to spread the good word.

The word being that Spring Break & the Summer Season of 2011, is bigger and now-with-more-sparkles, then this past year of troubled times. The campaign has been proving it’s success through various ways of tracking, and along with the success of inviting the masses into our community, we’ve properly followed through by reaching out to the employable community to help handle the welcomed influx.

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2011 Tourism Predictions – Resorts

This is the second article in a series that explores 2011 Tourism Predictions for Panama City Beach.

We’ve checked in with the airport, and now it’s time to turn our questioning minds to the resorts.

In an effort to snag an idea of early predictions for the 2011 season, we touched base for a little Q & A session, with Paul Wohlford, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for the Resort Collection of Panama City Beach.

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New Airport Set to Triple Numbers 2011

This is the first article in a series that explores 2011 Tourism Predictions for Panama City Beach.

Spring is right around the corner, and along with the knowledge of the coming season, we’re finding that our town is divided into three parts. The Optimists, The Pessimists and The Realists.

At times, it looks as though the Realists Team and the Optimists Team are on the same page, leaving the Pessimists to bemoan, well – everything.

For the most part, the Panama City Beach community is fanning those beginning sparks of excitement, while remaining optimistically cautious, over the vast potential of the 2011 tourism season.

Instead of sitting around speculating any longer, we decided to check in with some of PCB’s seasoned pro’s, those business savvy locals, who’ve been through this whole tourism thing a time or two.

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The BP Effect – Polka Dots Still Selling Toys

The BP Effect series is brought to you by attorneys Reich & Binstock and Seeger Weiss LLP, which are helping businesses in Panama City Beach recover losses sustained directly and indirectly from the Deep Water Horizon oil spill. They can help your business too,
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As all things must do, we too, have reached the end in The BP Effect Series. Some may shed tears, others may leap with gratitude, me – I had the over-whelming pleasure of stumbling into one of the coolest stores I’ve seen in years, all because of this final interview we conducted with the owners of Polka Dots Retro Toys & Gifts in Pier Park.

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