Member News

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board declared April as Water Conservation Month, highlighting the work District staff do promoting the conservation of South Florida’s most precious resource, water.

Every gallon conserved is a gallon not pulled from underground aquifers which allows us to have enough water supply for the future and hold back saltwater intrusion from sea-level rise. Conserving water is important to ensure that families, businesses and the environment continue to thrive.

South Florida’s population is forecasted to exceed 10 million people and its daily demand for water is forecasted to surpass 4 billion gallons per day by 2040, making the need for water planning and robust water conservation programs more important than ever.

Landscape irrigation accounts for more than half of the water used in a typical household. To promote more efficient irrigation, the District previously passed a year-round Landscape Irrigation Measures Rule that limits the days and hours allowed for landscape irrigation. District officials have been working with local governments to pass local irrigation ordinances to conserve water, with 80 having adopted the ordinance and 17 having an adoption of the ordinance in progress. Following all local ordinances governing outdoor landscape irrigation is one of the most significant contributions residents can make to conserve water.

The District also supports water-saving programs and helps fund cost-sharing grants for water conservation projects. This year SFWMD is funding $2.5 million worth of such grants that will help conserve an estimated 1.1 billion gallons per year.

The average water usage per person per day in South Florida has decreased drastically in the past 16 years, from nearly 170 gallons per person per day in 2005 to approximately 130 gallons per person per day in 2021. This is in part a result of water conservation programs and measures implemented throughout the district.

Learn more about SFWMD and watch its Governing Board meetings.

The South Florida Water Management District is a regional governmental agency that manages the water resources in the southern part of the state. It is the oldest and largest of the state’s five water management districts. Our mission is to safeguard and restore South Florida’s water resources and ecosystems, protect our communities from flooding, and meet the region’s water needs while connecting with the public and stakeholders.

South Florida Water Management District · 3301 Gun Club Road · West Palm Beach, FL · 33406

LARC’s Born This Way Event Raises $250,000
Wine Dinner Benefits Lori Carroll-Collins Scholarship Fund

FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 14, 2022) –LARC (Lee Association of Remarkable Citizens) 2nd annual fundraiser benefiting The Lori Carroll-Collins Scholarship Fund raised $250,000. The event was held on March 19, 2022 at Misty Morning Barn in Fort Myers.

The evening included a five-course dinner created by celebrated local chefs Mike and Karen Gavala of G3 Catering. Guests enjoyed wine pairings from sixth-generation winemaker Clay Mauritson, founder and owner of Mauritson Wines in Healdsburg, California.

News anchor Kellie Burns of NBC-2 and Southwest Florida writer, actor and director, Stephanie Davis emceed the event. Scott Robertson was the auctioneer. Local businesswoman and entrepreneur Diana Willis chaired the event. Marc Collins, Lori’s husband, was the honorary chair. Sponsors included Richard and Vicki Pitbladdo, Dwayne Bergmann Interiors, Gulf Star Marina, Marc Collins, Diana Willis of Trinity Commercial Group, Siesta Pebble, Lee Health, and L J Zielke.

“The success of our 2nd annual Lori Carroll-Collins Scholarship event is a tremendous opportunity to impact more lives where their abilities will shine more than their disabilities,” said Willis. “The community at large is a wonderful benefactor in utilizing the talent among LARC’s growing participants. This is a tremendous impact all around.”

Honorary chairs for the 2023 event are Richard and Vicki Pitbladdo. 2023 event chairs are Tim and Sandy Youngquist, Jim Wells and Pamela Cronin.

Her family established the Lori Carroll-Collins Scholarship Fund in memory of Carroll-Collins. A resident of Fort Myers for 35 years, Lori cared deeply for her community and people in need and led her life by example when it came to generosity and philanthropy. The fund helps bridge financial gaps and allows individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to access innovative services offered by LARC.

“We are so grateful for the support of our attendees, sponsors, event committee, chefs and winemaker,” said Angela Katz, LARC Executive Director. “Lori’s scholarship fund is offering hope to those seeking to maximize their independence and employment success and may have no other means to get the support they need. Lori’s fund has already provided scholarships for programs including Supported Employment, Adult Day Training and System Navigation. Every recipient is a success story.”

Donations can be made to the scholarship fund online at www.larcleecounty.org. For more information, visit www.larcleecounty.org, call Angela Katz at (239) 334-6285 x 210, or email [email protected].

About LARC

Established in 1954, LARC Inc.’s mission is to empower and support individuals with disabilities and their families to reach their full potential. LARC is a 501(c)3 that provides programs and services for approximately 300 local men and women annually. The nonprofit offers youth programs, vocational training, community residential services, and a vast array of other state-of-the-art community inclusion services on a full-time, year-round basis. LARC’s main campus is located at 2570 Hanson Street, Fort Myers. LARC also operates two Residential Group Homes located in Cape Coral and North Fort Myers.

Our Mother’s Home purchases new location near downtown Fort Myers

Local nonprofit moving closer to available resources for

teen mothers and their children

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Apr. 14, 2022) — Our Mother’s Home (OMH), a local nonprofit serving to help teen mothers and their children transition from foster care to stable, productive lives by breaking the cycle of generational poverty, recently purchased a home at 2666 Swamp Cabbage Court, near downtown Fort Myers. The new home will allow OMH to foster more teens and brings the young mothers and their children closer to needed community resources and services.

“We are so excited and so proud to have successfully purchased a new home that will better serve our mission to help these young mothers and their babies achieve independence,” said Our Mother’s Home Executive Director Alicia Miller. “It will be much easier to manage appointments and travel arrangements to get the help they need to thrive and succeed while also providing a safe and comfortable environment as they work to become independent adults.”

OMH is currently located in San Carlos Park. Purchased in March, the new location is significantly closer to schools, medical providers and other resources frequently visited by the teen mothers and their children.

OMH currently fosters six or seven mothers on average, who typically age out of foster care on their eighteenth birthday. The new home will allow OMH to house up to ten mothers, using the second floor for 18- to 21-year-olds so they can continue using resources and services as they transition to independent adulthood. However, the new building has not been used in five years and requires extensive renovations to be suitable as a residence for the young mothers and their children.

On March 11, OMH held its 6th Annual Women on the Rise event at the Collaboratory in Fort Myers, where attendees were offered the opportunity to sponsor rooms in the new home. Nearly 100 people attended the uplifting celebration educating and empowering women to live their best life. The event raised more than $20,000 toward needed repairs and remodeling. Additional opportunities are still available.

OMH plans to sell its San Carlos Park location and use any profits from the sale to help pay for the new home while completing a transition to the new location by early 2023.

Since its launch, more than 400 mothers and children have benefited from Our Mother’s Home Mentored Living Program, successfully preserving families, transitioning young mothers to self-sufficiency, and saving the lives of children by avoiding their re-entry into foster care. This unique home is the only one of its kind in Southwest Florida. For more information or to donate, please call 239-267-4663, or visit ourmothershome.org/.

Our Mother’s Home

Our Mother’s Home (OMH) was founded in 2000 by Helen Coppage, a foster parent who saw the need for a dedicated residential program to allow teenage mothers and their babies to remain together as mother and child. The organization provides a safe environment and transition for teen mothers (ages 11-21) and their children from foster care and human trafficking to stable, happy, and productive lives by providing a nurturing home, education, parenting support, along with physical, mental and spiritual care. Since its launch, more than 400 mothers and children have benefited from Our Mother’s Home Mentored Living Program, successfully preserving families, transitioning young mothers to self-sufficiency, and saving the lives of children by avoiding their re-entry into foster care. This unique home is the only one of its kind in Southwest Florida. For more information, call 239-267-4663 or visit ourmothershome.org.

Scott Fischer Charities proudly presents a check for $30,000 to Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest at Villas Elementary from funds raised during the 25^th Annual Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational. 

Scott Fischer Charities presents $30,000 to

Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida to feed children

Funds were raised at the 25th Annual Paul Sands

Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Apr. 14, 2022) — Scott Fischer Charities is proud to present Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida with a check for $30,000 to feed children every weekend during the school year when kids often go without food. The money was raised through the generosity of sponsors and golfers at the 25th Annual Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational organized each year by Scott Fischer and Lisa Farrell-Sands. Fischer and Farrell-Sands presented the check to Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida’s Executive Director Cecilia St. Arnold at Villas Elementary School in Fort Myers with several students and administrators in attendance.

“We were so humbled by the continued generosity of Slaw Dog Invitational sponsors and golfers at our 25^th annual event,” said Fischer, founder of Scott Fischer Charities and owner of Scott Fischer Enterprises. “Together, we raised more than we ever have in the event’s history, which allows us to make an even greater community impact.”

Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida currently provides 201,400 meals to 5,900 children at 27 schools across Southwest Florida on weekends for an entire school year so they can return to class every Monday morning with a full stomach and an eager mind.

“With more and more families facing food insecurity, generous donations from the tournament help provide tens of thousands of meals to local children in need,” said St. Arnold. “No child should have to go hungry.”

This cause is near and dear to Fischer’s heart. As a founding member of the Board of Directors for Blessings in a Backpack Southwest Florida, Fischer hopes to continue to raise money to feed more and more children each year.

Fischer and Farrell-Sands have carried on the invitational tournament in memory of Paul Sands and his legacy impact on the community. What started on a whim as two close friends reflected on the upcoming holidays after a round of golf, has grown into one of the most highly anticipated annual charity golf tournaments. The first Slaw Dog Invitational raised $5,000, and by 2021, $106,000 was raised in its 25th year.

Generous donations have helped to consecutively surpass the event’s annual fundraising goals. David and Charlyn Veracka, representing the entire Rockstar Harley-Davidson family, upped the game by donating $50,000, in 2020, and committed to matching up to the first $50,000 raised in 2021 hoping to help the event set another record.

The 25th Annual Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational was held on Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at the Cypress Lake Country Club.

Scott Fischer Charities

Scott Fischer Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization founded by Scott Fischer in 2007 out of his passion for his community. The organization has raised and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to support causes and organizations such as Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Any Soldier, REIS Scholarship Fund, Junior Achievement, United Way, PACE Center for Girls, as well as countless other groups supporting veterans, children and the disabled.

About the Annual Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational

The Paul Sands Memorial Slaw Dog Invitational is an annual tournament held every December at the beautiful Cypress Lake Country Club in Fort Myers to benefit youth charities in Southwest Florida. Paul Sands, a prominent community figure and successful commercial real estate broker with a love for slaw dogs, initiated the tournament with a desire to help local youth around the holidays. Today, his dear friends Scott Fischer and Lisa Farrell-Sands continue the event in his memory. It has since grown to be one of the most impactful and highly anticipated tournaments in the area, raising nearly $400,000 since its inception in 1996. For more information about the Slaw Dog Invitational, visit https://www.sfe-us.com/slaw-dog-invitational/.

Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida

Blessings in a Backpack serves 5,900 students through 27 school-based programs located throughout Lee and Collier Counties. In these schools, test scores, reading skills, positive behavior, general health, and school attendance have improved dramatically due in part to students receiving the nourishment they need throughout the week and the weekends.

A $115 donation will feed a child for one full school year. For more information, visit https://swfl.blessingsinabackpack.org/. To make a tax-deductible donation, mail checks to P.O. Box 61402 Fort Myers, FL 33906.

AZZ JAM
Thursday, April 21 7pm
Music & Arts Community Center
13411 Shire Lane, Fort Myers

Join the members of the Jazz Collective and enjoy an “open mic night jam” and hear great jazz standards! For audience members, this is going to be one wild, amazing, entertaining show! Who knows who you might see on the stage or what great tunes you might hear?

For jazz musicians (instrumentalists or vocalists) this is YOUR CHANCE to join the Gulf Coast Jazz Collective and perform with three of the greatest jazz talents in all of Florida! This is a great chance to introduce yourself to jazz lovers in Southwest Florida, as well as fellow jazz musicians!

If you want to TAKE PART and be onstage for this JAZZ JAM, you must register! We won’t be taking walk-ins. Depending on how many performers/vocalists we have, you may perform a few times in the night. We’ll keep cycling people through the band and have a great time!

Looking forward to seeing you there! It’s gonna be a swingin’ good time!

Tickets are only $10… and we may sell out, so buy your tickets now!

Our Jazz Series is sponsored in part through the generosity of Victor & Jackie Solomon & Robert Opatrny & Susan Sutherland

Gulf Coast Symphony, PO Box 60878, Fort Myers, FL 33906, United States

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is leading a new, innovative project to remove invasive aquatic plants and evaluate nutrients removed to improve water quality in Lake Okeechobee in south Florida. This effort is part of the FWC’s strategy to use a variety of tools and explore new techniques to best manage for quality fish and wildlife habitat in Florida.

In partnership with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District, the work began March 8 and will cover 35 acres on the lake.
Mechanical harvesters will be used to collect invasive floating plants, such as water hyacinths, and the plants will then be processed into a slurry or semi-liquid mixture. The slurry of plants will be pumped to nearby hayfields to enhance soil. The FWC will evaluate whether the project will benefit both the water quality of the lake as well as agricultural lands receiving the slurry mix.

“This project highlights the FWC’s commitment to seeking innovative and effective solutions to manage invasive aquatic plants in Florida,” said Melissa Tucker, Director of the FWC’s Division of Habitat and Species Conservation. “While it is too soon to tell if we will be able to use this technique on a larger scale, we are excited about the possibility of having a new tool in the toolbox.”

Reducing invasive plants and their associated nutrients in Lake Okeechobee has long-term benefits to the lake and the fish and wildlife that live there. Managing invasive aquatic plants is also important for recreational opportunities for the public and to maintain accessible navigation. Unmanaged invasive plants have a variety of negative impacts that can include reducing biodiversity and ecosystem health, impeding navigation, reducing water quality, and causing flooding issues.

While this project includes unique transporting methods to dispose of invasive plants and aims to utilize resources efficiently it may not be effective in all locations and situations. The FWC uses a variety of techniques, including biological controls, mechanical removal and herbicide treatments to manage invasive aquatic plants in Florida. An integrative pest management approach using a combination of techniques often achieves the greatest results in managing invasive plants.

For general waterbody information, fishing forecasts, virtual tours, plant control operation schedules and annual workplans, boat ramp information, and more, visit the “What’s Happening on My Lake” website at MyFWC.com/Lake.
To learn more about the FWC’s Aquatic Plant Management Program, visit MyFWC.com/AquaticPlants.

You’re Invited – LUNAFEST Film Festival

Onsite or Online
Friday, May 12 · 6 p.m. or 8:30 p.m.

Join us in our theatre or online for a festival that celebrates women in the film industry, featuring 8 short films by and about women.

LUNAFEST celebrates a powerful and diverse set of women filmmakers. The festival has empowered and shared the work of more than 170 women filmmakers, giving them the opportunity to tell their stories and opening the door for filmmakers who might not otherwise be given the chance to show their art.

Stream the film from the comfort of your own couch or head on over to the Alliance for an intimate event at the Foulds Theatre. The event will feature gourmet snacks, refreshments, local businesses and nonprofits from our community and more.

Want to connect with the creative community during LUNAFEST?

We’d love to introduce your business to our membership, audiences and friends!
Join us as a vendor or choose one of our sponsorship packages for bundled benefits.

Storytelling Series: Stories of April Fools and Tall Tales

Saturday, April 16 • What’s a tall tale? Come and find out the truth. Our tellers get up on stage and tell stories as tall as the sky and as wide as the ocean. That’s a pretty big story! Storytellers of the Round Table and The Elephant Showcase Storytellers bring you stories in the oral tradition. Captivating, spellbinding, and entertaining and featuring featuring Dr. Joel Ying, Mary Lou Williams, Lisa Leonhardt and Pamela Minton.

13 the Musical Presented by Alliance Youth Theatre

Performances April 29 – May 1 •Geek. Poser. Jock. Beauty Queen. Wannabe. These are the labels that can last a lifetime. With an unforgettable rock score from Tony Award-winning composer, Jason Robert Brown, (Parade, The Last Five Years, Bridges of Madison County) 13 is a musical about fitting in – and standing out!

Summer Arts Camp for Grades 1 – 7

Sessions June – August 2022 • A camp session consists of two immersive weeks of the best summer arts camp in southwest Florida. Fill your child’s summer with an exhilarating array of activities like art, theatre, photography and movement! Don’t miss out on the unique opportunity to experience, explore and engage with both visual and performing arts.

Choose your own art•venture with weekly session themes exploring the elements of wind, earth, fire and water through both visual and performing arts as well as science experiments.

Paper Marbling Workshop

Saturday, May 14 • Marbling is a unique process in which paint is carefully dropped onto a liquid bath. The drops are then teased into designs and printed on paper. In this two day class students will explore all facets of this magical process. From geometric to fantasy patterns, you’ll have a portfolio of beautiful papers for any art project. Better yet, all materials are provided!

Reflections: Member Exhibit

Exhibits July 1 – 31 • We invite our current members to submit one work following the theme “Reflections” to be displayed in the main gallery during this month-long group exhibition. As an artist and an Alliance member, this is your annual opportunity to exhibit your work in our main gallery! No online submission process, no jury notification – simply the opportunity to celebrate the artists that make our community so unique.

Submit Your Art and Exhibit at the Alliance

Want to exhibit at the Alliance? We’re always looking for artists and would love to see what you’re up to. Please submit up to three images for your work and include a brief description. We will contact you directly upon availability of space.

Alliance for the Arts • ArtInLee.org
239-939-2787 • 10091 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers

Membership • Donate • Classes • Exhibits • Theatre

Janet & Bruce Bunch · The Claiborne & Ned Foulds Foundation
Leigh Frizzell Hayes · Mary Lou & Richard Helms
Meisenberg Family Trust · Jon & Megan Romine · Arthur Zupko

And incredible people like you!

Alliance for the Arts | 10091 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33919

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION
Friday, April 22
Music & Arts Community Center
13411 Shire Lane, Fort Myers

The Gulf Coast Chamber Orchestra has partnered with Southwest Florida Reset Center to bring our community a magical evening of activities, music and art to celebrate Earth Day!

Beethoven’s magical Symphony No. 6 “The Pastorale” is the featured work on this concert that is a celebration of our planet. Beethoven was a lover of nature who spent a great deal of his time on walks in the country. He frequently left Vienna to work in rural locations. The program also includes Anna Clyne’s Restless Oceans; Christopher Theofanidis’ Dreamtime Ancestors, and Felix Mendelssohn’s Fingal’s Cave Overture.

Prior to the concert, from 5pm to 7:30pm enjoy the following:

• Millennial Brewing Company Beer Truck
• Wine and Cheese reception to meet the SWFL RESET Board
• Evan Carville Jazz Combo
• Mother Earth Pop Up Shop and Photo Exhibit by Lisette Morales-McCabe
• The Art of Paul Arsenault
• Conversation with Joseph Bonasia about the Right to Clean Water Constitutional Amendment
• Poetic Films with Lori Ersolmaz (shown post-concert)

The Gulf Coast Chamber Orchestra concert begins at 7:30pm

Gulf Coast Symphony, PO Box 60878, Fort Myers, FL 33906, United States

Join us at Amavida for our MOTHER’S DAY LUNCHEON

Monday, May 2, 11:00am – 1:00pm

Come and enjoy a complimentary luncheon buffet and tour our luxury, resort style retirement community.

Amavida Resort Retirement Community
7820 Fanning Court, Fort Myers
Please RSVP to 239-237-0501 by 4/25/22

Updated Meeting Notice
Join the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) for upcoming public meetings and events. For a list of all upcoming meetings, check out our Meeting Calendar. Meeting agendas are available at least seven days in advance.

Meeting format varies for each meeting, and some meetings may be in-person only, virtual only, or a hybrid of both formats.
Take note of upcoming SFWMD public meetings

What: Governing Board Meeting
When: April 14, 2022 at 9:00 a.m.
Meeting Information
This meeting will be immediately followed by the SFWMD Leasing Corp. Meeting.

What: SFWMD Future Extreme Rainfall Projections Workshop
When: April 27, 2022 at 9:00 a.m.
Meeting Information

What: Big Cypress Basin Board Meeting
When: April 28, 2022 at 1:30 p.m.
Meeting Information

What: Quarterly Meeting of the Everglades Technical Oversight Committee
When: May 3, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
Meeting Information

Many SFWMD meetings are conducted via Zoom, a free online meeting tool. You can learn more about attending a Zoom meeting and even run a test on your computer, tablet or smart phone. Please note, you must have the latest version of Zoom to attend SFWMD meetings conducted on Zoom.
The South Florida Water Management District is a regional governmental agency that manages the water resources in the southern part of the state. It is the oldest and largest of the state’s five water management districts. Our mission is to safeguard and restore South Florida’s water resources and ecosystems, protect our communities from flooding, and meet the region’s water needs while connecting with the public and stakeholders.

South Florida Water Management District · 3301 Gun Club Road · West Palm Beach, FL · 33406