Giving back to the community
By DANA DITTMAR
CEO, SCC Chamber
For the past six years, Mother’s Day has not been a big blip on my radar. That’s when my mom passed away. And since I never had kids, I’ve only acknowledged the day in terms of her. I just take all those special ad circulars and toss them right into the recycle bin. No need to find the perfect piece of jewelry or purchase that giant box of Godiva chocolates (oh, wait, sometimes I still do that).
A few years ago, the wonderful group of women I belong to, the Aqua Viva Divas, took on the idea of celebrating Mother’s Day for the ladies who are at the Mary & Martha House.
For those of you who may be new to the area, that is our local battered women’s shelter. When those ladies arrive, it’s often after escaping unbelievable violence with just what they can cram into a sack and their kids in tow.
Who is thinking of them on Mother’s Day? We are. We put together goody bags of jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances and fun things. This year Patty, with Papaya Tree Imports, donated matching tops and harem pants. Thanks to the generous donations of the Divas and lots of folks who hang out at the Kings Point South Clubhouse, we were able to raise enough cash for the ladies to each get a $50 gift card to Walmart. Chances are they will spend it on their kids instead of themselves, but that’s okay.
Thanks to one Diva in particular, they will each get a vase of beautiful flowers on their special day.
We’ll all be at the chamber stuffing the cute tote bags (that came with matching hats) and then we’ll celebrate our good deed with our monthly Diva night of potluck and adult beverages. It just doesn’t get any better than that.
Because we’re all about giving back to the community, the Divas will reconvene on Saturday, May 20, for a mini Relay for Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. The Retired Officers Corporation will be sponsoring the event at Freedom Plaza from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. An official Relay for Life usually is held at a local high school football field and lasts all night. But here in Sun City Center, we do our own thing.
There will be a car show featuring the Roamin’ Oldies, a karaoke contest, and a special service to honor survivors and those we have lost to cancer. Club Car of Sun City will have several new golf carts for demo rides, and there will be prizes for the best decorated golf cart.
That Saturday is also Armed Forces Day, so won’t you rally your troops against cancer? There will be a special lap around the circle to recognize and honor veterans, so wear your ball cap or shirt to honor your branch of service.
Giving back to the community is what the Divas are all about. It just plain feels good. And these two events are ones we do every year. Happy Mother’s Day to all, and we hope to see you at the relay.