PLANT CITY VETERANS RECEIVE NEW GUTTER SYSTEM
Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay and The Brothers That Just Do Gutters are teaming up for a new initiative called “Gutters for Good,” and Plant City’s own Sean McLaughlin is their first recipient. Sean is a veteran and Army National Guard staff sergeant juggling two jobs while raising his family, all while dealing with significant home damage caused by recent hurricanes. On January 29, he received a free professional-grade seamless gutter system to help protect his home and prevent further damage.
The installation day saw the gutter work in progress, local program organizers, and veteran gutter installers working on the project. It’s a perfect example of neighbors helping neighbors, with the community coming together to support one of its own. “I’m incredibly grateful for this new gutter system. It’s going to make such a huge difference in protecting our home, especially with all the rain and storms we’ve experienced. Knowing that my family will have a safer and drier home gives me peace of mind, and I can’t thank Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay and The Brothers That Just Do Gutters enough for their kindness and support,” said McLaughlin.
FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL
HORTICULTURE SHOW
The Plant City Garden Club will once again be hosting the Horticulture Exhibit at the Florida Strawberry Festival from February 27 through March 9. The club’s exhibit is the longest-running exhibit in the history of the festival. The Club will be accepting entries on Tuesday, February 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Please note this is the only time plants will be accepted, and entries must be made by amateur growers only. There is no entry fee, and participants may enter up to five plants. All residents of Hillsborough County are encouraged to participate in the adult and youth divisions. The location for the drop-off and the exhibit is the Neighborhood Village Building located on the south side of the Administration Building, 303 Berryfest Place. Enter through Gate 4. To expedite the entry process this year, plant entry forms can be downloaded from the following website: https://flstrawberryfestival.com. Go to the Info Tab, Contests, Neighborhood Village Contests, 2025 Plant City Garden Club Rules and Registration. Please note the list of rules and regulations. The registration form can also be found at https://plantcitygardenclub.com. Go to the Events Tab located at the bottom of the web page, February calendar, February 27, and click on the green plant registration box. The exhibit will be judged, and cash prizes will be awarded. Questions can be emailed to Cecilia Gayle at la.design.tampa@gmail.com.
COMMUNITY ACTION BOARD
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE NOW
The Community Action Board of Hillsborough County represents the lower-income population of East Hillsborough County. The scholarship program offers incredible opportunities! Two ($2500/yr) and four ($5000/yr) year scholarships are available to both tech and four-year universities. Students can also re-apply each year for funding. Generally, 40-50 of these scholarships are given out, so spread the word if you know students who have overcome hardships to graduate high school!
PLANT CITY YOUTHS COMPETE IN
ELKS HOOP SHOOT
Plant City Elks Lodge #1727 had four participants, and Placid Elks Lodge #2661 had one shooting free throws in the State Regional Hoop Shoot at the Florida Elks Youth Camp in Umatilla. While all the youths were winners for getting to this level of the competition, Liam Demontmollin sank 22 of 25 shots in the 12-13 Boys category to earn first place and move on to the state finals on February 15—which will also be held in Umatilla. The other young people from Plant City did well too: for 10-11 Boys, Beckett Valentin hit 21 free throws to get second place; in 10-11 Girls, Charlotte Kenney made 14 to come in second place; for 8-9 Boys, Kyus Gaddis hit 20 free throws for third place. In the 8-9 Girls competition, Cora Anderson from Lake Placid came in second.