new tampa - vol. 1, issue 5, july 2015

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New Tampa Lifestyles VOLUME 1 ISSUE 5 3For Advertising Info 813-731-3209 • NewTampaLifestyles.com

The Community Mourns theLoss of an Incredible Man!

An editorial by Alexis Selby

If I’ve learned one thingabout life, it’s that it just isn’t fair.Sometimes the best people in thisworld are taken away far toosoon. Such is the case with thetragic and sudden loss of Tamparesident and local business ownerAlex Cooks. One of the mostamazing, caring, kind-heartedpeople I have ever met, Alex hada heart like none other, with alove and generosity that knew nolimits!

A husband, a father, a son, agrandfather, a brother, a friend, amentor and a local hero, Alex hastouched the hearts of thousandsupon thousands of people overthe years. He had a smile thatcould light up a room and a viva-

cious personality and passion forlife that would instantly brightenyour day, no matter what kind ofmood you were in.

I had the honor of meetingAlex a few years back, when I wasfirst introduced to his restaurant,Alex’s Southern Style BBQ, as itwas one of the restaurants fea-tured in our Battle of the BBQcontest. A local favorite, Alex’sSouthern Style BBQ won thecontest hands down!

But, even more impressivethan his restaurant’s food, wasAlex’s devotion to the local com-munity. Loved by all who knewhim, Alex was a true role modeland had a passion for giving backto the community and helpingthose less fortunate. Through hischarity Xmas For Kids, for the

past 15 years Alex has donatedbikes to children throughout theTampa Bay area. Starting in 1999when Alex decided to purchase afew bikes to give out to localunder-privileged children onChristmas Day, over the years hischarity has grown remarkably andto date they have donated morethan 20,000 bikes, made possibleby generous donations collectedthroughout the year; 100% of allproceeds raised goes towards buy-ing the bikes.

The tremendous impact Alexhad on all those around him wastruly incredible. Alex loved hisfamily, friends, and communitywith all that he had in his heart,and I am honored to have metsuch an inspirational, extraordi-nary man. And although he no

longer accompanies us on earth,he will never be forgotten and hislegacy will forever live on with allthe amazing things he has doneand all the lives he has impacted.

In lieu of flowers, Alex’s fam-ily has asked for donations toAlex's beloved charity, Xmas ForKids. To donate, please visitwww.AlexsbbqTampa.com/xmas-kids.html.

Alex Cook’s legacy will forever liveon with all the amazing things he hasdone and all the lives he has impacted.

New Tampa Lifestyles4 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 5 For Advertising Info 813-731-3209 • NewTampaLifestyles.com


Trinity Family Physicians iscommitted to improving the livesof their patients, friends, family,colleagues, and everyone in theircommunity both locally and glob-ally. Their motto of “Let ourFamily Care for Yours” res-onates with their newest en-deavor, the Tampa Bay Making ADifference Award. Amir Shirmo-hammad, MD MPH andStephanie Eldridge, MD MPH ofTrinity Family Physicians ask foryour help in recognizing out-standing individuals who are mak-ing a difference in the Tampa BayArea.

“We want to thank our localsponsors, the New TampaLifestyles, and everyone who con-tinues to contribute monthly tomaking a difference in the TampaBay Area,” says Dr. Shirmoham-mad. “Trinity Family Physicianscontinues to recognize and do-nate to wonderful charities andcauses in our community. Wecontinue to be educators withlocal medical schools trying to in-spire the new generation of physi-cians so that they can continue tomake a difference each and everyday in their patients’ lives as wellas in their community. However,with budget cuts and a tougheconomy, and what we see everyday in the news, it is difficult tocontinue to stay inspired and we

hope that this award reminds allof us of how to feel good. Wehope that you feel good readingthis today and in the future.”

Nominate Someone WhoMakes A Difference!

If you know someone whodeserves to be recognized fortheir commitment to making adifference for others, please sub-mit their name for the Tampa BayMaking A Difference Award. In-clude a short note explaining whyyou believe they deserve to behonored and how they are mak-ing a difference in Tampa Bay.

Trinity Family Physicians willchoose one individual every threemonths as the recipient of theTampa Bay Making A DifferenceAward. The first Tampa Bay Mak-ing A Difference Award winnerwill be announced in the Septem-ber issues of the New TampaLifestyles publication, with an-other winner announced in De-cember and again in March 2016,and so on. Please send your nom-inee’s information no later thanAugust 7th for the first TampaBay Making A Difference Awardthat will be announced in Sep-tember.

New Tampa Lifestyles isproud to take part as a sponsor inTrinity Family Physicians’ newestendeavor to give back to the

Trinity Family Physicians Announces theTampa Bay Making A Difference Award

community with the Tampa BayMaking A Difference Award. Inaddition to sharing the stories ofthe award recipients, Trinity Fam-ily Physicians and New TampaLifestyles will provide them with agift certificate to a local venue.Trinity Family Physicians is ac-cepting more sponsors for theTampa Bay Making A DifferenceAward. Sponsors will be recog-nized along with the award win-ners in the New Tampa Lifestylespublication.

Trinity Family Physicians andNew Tampa Lifestyles ask thatyou please share your thoughtsand comments on the facebookpage: facebook.com/trinityfami-lyphysicians.

Trinity Family Physicians islocated at 1817 Cypress BrookDrive, Suite 101 in Trinity, FL.Log on to trinityfamilyphysi-cians.com for additional informa-tion about Dr. Eldridge and Dr.Shirmohammad.

Nominations can be mailed to:

New Tampa Lifestyles at

220 South Safford Avenue,

Tarpon Springs, FL 34689.

Or, we prefer email at

[email protected].

Now send in those names!


Community CalendarNew Tampa AREA

New Tampa Players PresentsMary Poppins- The Broad-way Musical!!

Presented through specialarrangement with Music Theatre In-ternational (MTI), join New TampaPlayers, as they proudly present MaryPoppins – The Broadway Musical.Performances will be held at the Uni-versity Area Community Center, lo-cated between Bearss and Fletcher at14013 N. 22nd Street in Tampa

All ages are welcome!

Performance Dates: Friday, August 7 at 8 p.m.; Saturday,August 8 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.Sunday, August 9 at 2:00 p.m.Friday, August 14 at 8p.m.; SaturdayAugust 15 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.Sunday, August 16 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $20 per person, withstudents 14 and under getting in free;for seniors over 60, tickets are $17 andgroups of 10 or more, $15.

About New Tampa Players The New Tampa Players was

formed by a group of talented and ex-perienced people to establish a commu-nity theatre group in the New Tampaarea. The New Tampa Players’ focus isto provide its members the opportunityto participate in the exciting process ofbringing the best in dramatic and musi-cal productions to the stage.

With years of experience behindthem, The New Tampa Players offertheir audiences the words and emo-tions of the great plays, the songs andexuberance of the great musicals andthe opportunity to step through theTheatre Curtain to become a part ofthe creation process whether its in thespotlight or behind it.

For more information or topurchase tickets to Mary Poppins –The Broadway Musical please visittheir website atwww.NewTampaPlayers.org.

Christmas in July DonationDrive – Help Bring Comfortand Joy to Hospitalized Kids

Christmas in July is a month-long, community-wide fundraiser forSt. Joseph's Children's Hospital.Every year, St. Joseph's Children'sHospital Foundation aids corpora-

tions, local businesses, civic organiza-tions, and individuals in bringing somemid-year holiday cheer to the kids thatneed it most.

Share your Accomplishments On Friday, July 31, from 7am-

1pm, all of the community partners,sponsors, and donors will come to-gether to celebrate their month-longfundraising efforts. Local media Magic94.9 and Fox 13 will broadcast live aslocal businesses and individuals sharein the joy of giving; patients have aspecial visit from Santa, and volunteershelp collect toy and monetary dona-tions from community members.

What are they raising funds for?Health care settings are often

stressful and frightening experiencesfor children and families. Providingrecreation, developmental play, andplay therapy gives kids strategies forcoping and bring a momentary escapefrom their illness. It is through gener-ous community support, and eventslike Christmas in July, that St. Joseph’sChildren’s Hospital is able to providethese services that dramatically alter achild’s hospital experience.


tions or additional information call(813) 936-2058.

7/21 Chamber Chatter Connec-tions “After Hours Mixer”, 5:30 -7:00 pm, hosted by Brookdale Car-rollwood. Meeting to be held atBrookdale Carrollwood, 13550 S Vil-lage Dr, Tampa, FL 33618. Open tothe professional public – no cost toattendees Join them for Appetizers,Wine, Beverages. FREE Networking,Meet New People, Fun, Door prizes.Entertainment and Tours of the com-munity will be available. RSVP toKristie Rowe 813-908-5300 [email protected]

7/23 Chamber NetworkingLuncheon - Relationship Buildingwith Business Neighbors, 11:30am,at IHOP (International House ofPancakes), 408 E Bearss Av, Tampa,33613 (For directions or additionalinformation call (813) 960-2679)Order from IHOP’s menu and payrestaurant. Senior Lunch menu willbe available to all attendees. Pricesbegin at $6.39 – Cost based on itemselected (does not include tax & gra-tuity). In addition to breakfast items,sandwiches, soups, salads, and dinnersavailable. Minimum payment of

$5.00 required if you do not orderfood plus you must pay for yourdrinks. RSVP by Tues., 7/21 to JennBeaumont at [email protected] call her at AIG-American Insur-ance Group at 334-8998. For direc-tions or additional information call(813) 985-1336.

7/28 Chamber Chatter Connec-tions “Coffee Connection”, 7:30 -9:00 am, hosted by C1 Bank andGuardian ad Litem - Voices for Chil-dren. Meeting to be held at C1Bank at C1 Bank,14799 N DaleMabry Hwy, Tampa 33618. Open tothe professional public – no cost toattendees. Fun, Good Food, GreatNetworking. Drawings “Rays vs Yan-kees” tickets and more. C1 is thebank of the Bucs so be prepared forsurprises. RSVP to Nicole [email protected] or call813-872-3302

Please RSVP if you plan to at-tend these chamber events. Formore information about the NorthTampa Chamber, visitwww.northtampachamber.com,call 813-961-2420, or send anemail to:[email protected]

How do I get involved?There are several options for

event involvement, including onlineteam fundraising, corporate sponsor-ship, hosting or attending events inthe community, or making a donationdirectly to St. Joseph's Children'sHospital.

For more information or to getinvolved please visit www.sjhfoun-dation.org/christmas-in-july or callthe Foundation at (813) 872-0979.

North Tampa Chamber ofCommerce Meeting Calendar- July 2015

7/09 General Meeting,11:00am at Brunchies Breakfast,Brunch, Lunch & Catering, 14366N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa 33618.Topic: “Children’s Board Hillsbor-ough County”. Speaker: Kelley Par-ris, Exec Dir with Children’s BoardHillsborough County. Children’sBoard offers over 50 programs thatprovide FREE assistance to children.Six Family Resource Centers locatedthroughout Hillsborough Countyoffer programs and services empha-sizing child development, self suffi-ciency, and health and safety at no

cost to participants. Join us to findout more. Doors open at 11:00amwith informal networking until11:30am. Order lunch from selectmenu; serving will begin at 11:30amand program will begin at 11:45am.For early bird registration, RSVP tothe Chamber office by 5:00pm,Tues., 7/07 at the discounted rate of$16 (whether you eat or not). Reser-vations will be accepted after thatdate on the attendee check-in list for$21 payable online or at the door.For directions or additional informa-tion call (813) 908-7023.

7/16 Chamber NetworkingLuncheon - Relationship BuildingWith Business Neighbors, 11:30am,Beef O’Brady’s, 8810 N. Himes(Himes & Busch), Tampa.33614Order from lunchtime or regularmenu and pay restaurant. Cost: startsat $4.99/pp based on selected item(does not include tax & gratuity).Minimum payment of $5.00 requiredif you do not order food plus youmust pay for your drinks. RSVP byTues., 7/14 to Kelly at [email protected] or callHorizon Bay at Lutz (Brookdale Sen-ior Living) 813-909-9679. For direc-


News BriefsNew Tampa AREA “Our hope is as fishers of men we

can use this bait as a platform for sav-ing lives and allowing each person togrow into a relationship with eachother and Jesus Christ,” says presidentDevonne Stokes. “As you may verywell know, sports can be a commondenominator for all levels of interest,bringing in the lords sheep and pierc-ing their hearts with his word. We en-courage you to help us continue to useand build on this bridge to win soulsfor Christ.”

For more information pleaseemail [email protected], or [email protected] or visitwww.TheAthleticAngels.com.

Equestrian Inc. LaunchesAnnual Hay Drive Campaign

Equestrian Inc. is happy to an-nounce their annual Hay Drive Cam-paign. With a goal to raise theseventy-five thousand they spent lastyear on the necessary hay to fee 20 lbs.a day of high quality hay to their off-the-track rescue Thoroughbreds,Equestrian Inc. needs your help! Feed-

ing their horses is their largest annualexpense. Although all of their horsesreside on their 15-acre farm in northTampa, the farm is unable to growvery much grass due to the more that30 horses grazing on it.

Dedicated to providing a rehabili-tative sanctuary for abandoned,abused, unwanted or slaughter-boundhorses, Equestrian Inc. Horse Rescueis a 501 C3 charitable organization.This amazing organization, has beenrescuing, rehabilitating and re-hominghorses for over 35 years. “Our missionis to bring people who love horses to-gether with the horses we love,” saysGlenda Smith the founder of Eques-trian Inc. Horse Rescue of Tampa Bay.

The organization gives back tothe community immeasurably throughthe Bright Futures program for highschool students and court ordered

The Athletic Angles Associa-tion Unites Gospel & Sports

The Athletic Angels Association,in partnership with the City of Tampais currently creating opportunities forthe community to unite with the com-mon goal of sharing the gospelthrough the medium of sports such asKickball, Flag Football, Basketball andothers!

Scripture tells us in (Matthew 4:19)And He said to them, “Follow Me, andI will make you fishers of men.”

“Our mission is to use the sportsplatform to bring the inner city com-munity and local churches, in theTampa Area, together for a positiveChristian fellowship,” says Commis-sioner Ainsley Blackmon. “We havestarted our 1st inaugural flag footballand basketball league and we arechanging lives one person at a time.”

Thursday night basketball leaguegames are played from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.at MLK Recreation Complex and

their flag football league games areplayed Saturday afternoons at LincolnGarden Park from 12 noon – 2 p.m.

The Athletic Angels Associationwas established to help all involvedgrow physically, socially and, most im-portantly, spiritually. This platformgives people of God a chance to fel-lowship with their fellow peers, relat-ing to one another, and moreimportantly, reaching out to theirfriends by sharing the fabulous Wordof Jesus Christ in a non-threatening,sports-related environment.


community service hours for bothadult and juvenile first time non-vio-lent offenders. It is a proven fact thatcaring for and interacting with horseshelps build self-esteem and helps peo-ple of all ages to develop a sense of re-sponsibility.

In addition to working with thecommunity, Equestrian Inc. is alsohelping their off-the-track Thorough-breds by rehabilitating and retrainingthem in hopes that they might go onto productive second careers asjumpers, dressage, event or trailhorses. Once they have completedtheir retraining, Equestrian Inc. adoptsthem out to loving, appreciative fami-lies. Just this year alone they have al-ready adopted out five off-the-trackThoroughbreds. As quickly as they left

they were replaced by new horseslooking for their chance at a secondcareer.

Maintaining horses is very expen-sive, and these wonderful animals de-serve a dignified retirement with achance at a new and productive life.Your tax deductible gift will help en-sure that Equestrian Inc. not onlycontinues to provide for the care ofthese marvelous athletes, but also willhelp free up finds that can go towardsother necessities.

For more information or to makea tax deductible donation please visitwww.EquestrianInc.org, [email protected] orcall (813) 407-6805. You can also fol-low them on Facebook at www.Face-book.com/EquestrianIncTampa.


The month of July is a greattime to consider sharing your Amer-ica with an exchange student fromanother country. “Hosting an ex-change student not only is an oppor-tunity to share what you most love

about the U.S., it helps you to seethe U.S. through fresh eyes,” saysTampa resident, Ms. Lee. She inviteslocal families open their heart andhome by hosting an exchange stu-dent sponsored by PAX – Program of

Academic Exchange (PAX). PAX students, from 70 Euro-

pean, South American, Asian, orAfrican countries, are eager to experi-ence American activities—backyardbarbecues, birthday celebrations, and

holidays—and to share their countryand culture with their host families.They arrive to the U.S. for the up-coming school year in August. Theyare 15-18 years old, have studiedEnglish for three years, and are moti-

This Month of July Decide to Share Your AmericaWith an Exchange Student

Hosting an exchange student not only is an opportunity to share what you most love about the U.S., it also helps you to see the U.S. through fresh eyes! Students are eager to experience American activities and to share their country and culture with their host families.


vated to learn more about the U.S.by attending high school and livingwith a host family. They are coveredby comprehensive medical insuranceand have their own spending money.

Volunteer host families providePAX students with a warm and sup-portive home environment, a seat atthe family dinner table, a bed, a quietplace to study, and encouragement toengage in everyday American life. Alltypes of families—single parents,

young couples, retirees, and parentswith kids of any age, especially withteenagers—are welcome to host.

“I've been working for PAX-Program of Academic Exchange for5 1/2 yrs now,” says Ms. Lee. “Dur-ing that time, I have placed 31 stu-dents from 13 different countrieswith awesome host families through-out the Tampa Bay area. It is themost inspiring work I've ever done.Connecting these inspiring students

with awesome host families is so ex-citing. When the students get to hosttheir host family in their country,that is the best of the exchange pro-gram in action! I have a host familyvisiting their Chinese Daughter inChina right now; so sweet, especiallysince their adopted daughter is fromChina! I'm excited to go to Thailandsome day soon & other countries tosee my exchange kids, too!”

Founded in 1990, PAX is a not-for-profit educational organizationand one of a select few U.S. Depart-

ment of State designated ExchangeVisitor Programs chosen to partici-pate in its prestigious U.S. govern-ment-sponsored FLEX and YESprograms. Each year, more than1,100 teenagers visit the U.S. as PAXexchange students to be Ambassa-dors of their country and help us tocreate peace in the world throughunderstanding.

For more information on howto host an exchange student pleasecall Karen Lee at (727) 329-8060.


Ann Carlson is Your Local Real Estate Expert! By Alexis Selby

Whether you are selling, buyingor investing, when it comes to real es-tate having a Realtor® you can trustis extremely important. You also needsomeone who will work tirelessly onyour behalf to ensure your hardearned money or investment will notgo to waste.

With a drive and passion for realestate and a desire to be the very bestagent for her clients, that Realtor® isAnn Carlson! Recognized as the oneof the top producers for KellerWilliams for the past five years in arow, Ann is dedicated to helping herclients with honesty, integrity and pas-sion, and has a tremendous amount ofexperience and knowledge in the mar-ket. As a New Tampa resident, Ann isvery familiar with the surroundingneighborhoods and is able to expertlypair her clients with the perfect hometo suit their needs.

Looking to change up her life abit, Ann got into real estate in 2006,seeing it as a great way to still be ableto take care of her daughter Kelli,

while maintaining a career that couldprovide for her. Her expertise in realestate is not just localized to NewTampa either; she also has a greatamount of experience working withclients throughout Tampa Bay, includ-ing Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pascocounties.

Over the years Ann has acquired avast knowledge of the real estate in-dustry and is constantly researchingthe market, following it closely inorder to be one of the first to knowany changes that might be occurring,as to bring her clients the most up-to-date information and listings. Annconstantly attends seminars, for notonly real estate but also a broad spec-trum of topics, which she feels willhelp her better serve her clients.

As a buying agent Ann will striveto get you the home or property ofyour dreams and will work with yourbudget and do all she can to ensureyou are getting the best bang for yourbuck! “I love what I do,” says Ann.“When it comes to real estate, my solefocus is giving 100% to each and everyclient; I really mean that. When I am

working with a client I give them myundivided attention. I absolutely loveworking with people.”

As the real estate market starts topick up again the options you have asa seller begin to flourish, and with thehelp of Ann as your listing agent youcan rest assured knowing that yourhouse or property will receive its fullworth in a selling transaction.

Ann says, “I am very goal ori-ented. I lead generate every day andwork hard to find buyers for my list-ings. I am really good at marketingtheir property and I am a GlobalProperty Specialist, which means Imarket their homes to over 100 coun-tries in each country’s native language.I also have my own personal websitewhere I list their properties in order toget their home the most exposure pos-sible.”

Ann understands that attention todetail is very important when listing ahome, and does an exceptional job ofmaking your home show-ready. Beforelisting a property, Ann advises herclients on how to properly stage theirhouse so they can make it the most

appealing to buyers. Pictures and curb appeal are an-

other important aspect of selling yourhome, as half the battle is getting peo-ple to step inside the door. Takingprofessional pictures that really show-case your homes beauty, Ann does anexceptional job of driving buyers toher client’s property.

Client Mary Ulbrich says, “Annhas been a listing agent for two of ourreal estate transactions. One was aNew Tampa townhome that soldwithin days at above asking price, andmore recently our Hunters Greenhome. She has been a very profes-


sional, experienced and knowledgeableagent that has made our experiencepleasurable and stress-free. We wouldrecommend her highly to anyonelooking to buy or sell in the NewTampa area!”

As passionate as she is about realestate, it is her passion for helpingpeople that really sets her apart. Sincegetting her license nearly a decadeago, Ann has really prided herself onhelping her clients. Whether she is as-sisting buyers in the finding the righthouse for their needs, advising in-vestors on making the right invest-ments or helping her sellers get the

most for their house – Ann is there forher clients every step of the way!

Ann is so gracious for the loveand support of not only the commu-nity, but also the amazing people thathave stood by her side through thickand thin and helped her to achieve asuccessful career.

Ann says, “I am so thankful tothis entire community for believing inme and trusting in me and am espe-cially grateful to Bob and MargueritteGreenhalgh, Sean and Judy Ca-vanaugh, Rob and Michelle Philbin,and Natasha Edwards. They are myfamily. I couldn’t have done it without

them. Without their encouragementand support none of this would bepossible! I would also like to thank mymom and dad, who have been a hugesupport system for me, as well as mydaughter Kelli. Kelli is my sole motiva-tion for everything I do and the rea-son why I got into real estate.”

Ann’s knowledge and expertise ofthe area, coupled with her awarenessof the real estate market and dedica-tion to her clients, assures you thatyour money will not go to waste. Asthe real estate market continues toprosper, wouldn’t it be nice to knowthat you have a friend you can trust –

one who will help you make the mostof your hard earned money or invest-ment and who will help you under-stand the options that are right foryou. Whether you are selling yourhome or looking for a place to callhome, Ann Carlson is the Realtor®for the job!

Call Ann today so she can helpyou achieve your real estate dreams!Ann can be reached by cell at (813)716-5724, or by email [email protected]. For more in-formation or to check out her list-ings please visitAnnSellsTampaHomes.com.

way to display gratitude to those whoserve our country, the GratefulAmerican Coin program quicklywent through those first 2,000 coins.By selling the coins to others whowanted to say “thank you” to ourmilitary, the Grateful American Coinprogram was able to donate proceedsfrom each sale to organizations thatprovide support services to the se-verely injured men and women of theU.S. Armed Forces.

Today, the Grateful AmericanCoin has recognized over 51,000soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines andveterans. Additionally, it has donatedmore than $113,000 to partner or-ganizations, including The SpecialOps Warrior Foundation and Pawsfor Patriots.

Even more powerful than thenumbers are the personal stories be-hind each of the 51,000 coins. Whilewaiting to board a recent flight, Ben-son “coined” an Army helicopter

pilot to thank him for his service.After receiving the coin, he went tothe Grateful American Coin website,where he realized he had received hiscoin from the organization’s founder.When the plane landed, Benson waswalking out when she heard some-one say, “it’s you, it’s you!” Sheturned around to find the Army pilotwaiting on the jetway for her to ex-press his heartfelt appreciation.


A Grateful American: How Passion andProfessionalism Inspired Gifts of GratitudeSome of Deb Benson’s most

cherished childhood memories arefrom visits to her grandfather’s farmin Temple Terrace, where she wouldfish in his lake. Since then, the land-scape has changed dramatically, butBenson still visits that farm — almostevery weekday. As a manager in theFlorida sales operations departmentat Verizon Wireless, Benson’s officebuilding stands where that farm oncewas, and she can see the old fishinglake from her desk. Benson has ledand inspired many people in her 26-year career with Verizon Wireless,working within nearly every depart-ment, including customer service,marketing, operations and sales. But,it was only eight years ago that Ben-son assumed a personal leadershiprole that would touch tens of thou-sands of lives outside her company.

Around the Fourth of July holi-day in 2007, Benson was searchingfor an engaging way to teach her

sons about the expression of grati-tude. As she researched ways to showappreciation for the selfless men andwomen who defend our country, shehad an idea to have special coinsmade that they could present to sol-diers and thank them for their serv-ice. Benson found that uniquemilitary coins are often collected byservice members, or even earnedthrough achievements or to enhancemorale.

So Benson and her family de-signed a coin of their own. As Ben-son set out to place a small order fora few of their new coins, she discov-ered that to qualify for a price break,she would need to purchase 2,000.Inspired by a legacy of family patriot-ism and her professional passion toconnect with others, Benson decidedto expand the idea rather than scrapit, and that was the beginning of theGrateful American Coin program.

Focused on providing a tangible


“It’s inspiring to show sinceregratitude to the people fighting forour freedom every day,” said Benson.“Their personal stories are the mostbeautiful gift, which I never ex-pected.”

Grateful American Coins havebeen framed by recipients, laid at anunmarked grave in Normandy andburied in the caskets of servicemen,but one of the most impactful mo-ments for Benson was learning abouta 13-year-old who received a speciallydesigned coin for the families of thefallen after his father passed away.Dealing with the death of a parentcan be very hard, and this young manwas no exception. It was difficult forhim to talk about it, so he used thecoin to drive the conversation. When

he went to bed at night, he wouldleave his coin out on the nightstandas a signal to his mom that he wantedto talk about his loss.

This is just one of many encour-aging and emotional stories shared onGrateful American Coin’s websiteand Facebook page. The coin wasthought up as a way for Benson toshow her sons whom the true heroesare in today’s world. And if they’veever stopped to think about the51,000 experiences those coins havegenerated, they’ve probably realizedthat their mom is one, too.

If you’d like to donate, pur-chase coins, or read the stories ofthose who have given or receivedcoins, please visitwww.GratefulAmericanCoin.org.


By Katie Thomas

Central Florida’s decorative con-crete curbing specialists, Pacific Curb-ing, is a local family owned andoperated business that specializes ingiving your home the best in curb ap-peal. We live where people vacation;Florida is a visual paradise, which iswhy creating your own front yard andbackyard oasis can be such a wonderfulgift to yourself. Pacific Curbing bringsthe curb appeal to your house withcurbing that will complement yourhome, and showcase your lush andbeautiful landscaping. Pacific Curbingoffers concrete curbing and landscapeedging in a wide variety of colors, colormixtures, stamped borders and custombrick/stone curbing options that willshape your yard into the paradise youhave always wanted.

Concrete Curbing: Artistic andFunctional

Pacific Curbing serves the CentralFlorida area from Pasco, Pinellas andHillsborough Counties over to theOrlando area. As a leading company in

decorative concrete curbing, PacificCurbing offers professionally installed,permanent, attractive concrete borderedging for any landscape.

Concrete curbing serves as a weedand grass barrier by outliningflowerbeds, sidewalks, around trees,and more. Pacific Curbing offers con-crete curbing in many diverse shapes,colors, stamp patterns and textures inorder to give you the choice to com-pletely customize your home’s yard ina way that offers both artistic appealand functional design.

The benefits of concrete curbingfrom Pacific Curbing are endless. Con-crete curbing materials are a perma-nent solution; the material does notrust like steel, will not decompose likewood, break like plastic, or movearound like bricks and pavers. Con-crete curbing is completely non-mobileonce laid-in around your landscapingand will give your flowerbeds andwalkways a polished finish.

Pacific Curbing’s fully trained in-stallation crew can add patterns andcolors to form a perfect match to anylandscape. Concrete is a very versatile

material, giving Pacific Curbing theability to customize every job, takinginto consideration the homeowner’stastes and the layout of the property.Choose from beautiful curbing pat-terns and stamps or textured rollersthat give a natural and artistic look toyour concrete curbing. Curbing pat-terns and stamps make an impressionin the concrete and offer a more 3D,symmetrical style. Rollers are great fora style that imitates natural rock orstone.

Pacific Curbing Rolls Out the Lat-est Style in the Industry

Pacific Curbing guarantees the in-stallations for every job and employs anexperienced staff, many of whom havemore than 10 years of experience. Thecompany’s installers are a fully trainedcrew that focuses on doing the perfectjob, while keeping a clean work envi-ronment.

Pacific Curbing’s decorativestamped concrete curbing is the cut-ting edge of landscape design and thecompany is constantly coming up withnew designs that stand out from com-

petitors and give customers moredurable, unique designs that are highquality.

Pacific Curbing has explored thelatest technologies in the industry andis currently the only company that isimplementing new products such asBelgium Block and Slate Stone Mats inthe Tampa Bay area. In 2013, PacificCurbing released Square Belgium

Choose Pacific Curbing for Your Home’s Best Curb Appeal


Block Mat Stamps. Pacific Curbing’snew product has been well received bycustomers. Belgium Block has provento be an amazing success for both cus-tomers and the company. This is theright product for customers who arelooking for something thicker, tallerand stronger than regular concretecurb edging. Belgium Block comes insquare molds that are 6x5x6 inches or6x4x6 inches. The technology utilizedby Pacific Curbing allows the curbingto form realistic “stone” borders,

which provides a richer, more naturallook for your landscaping. PacificCurbing is the only curbing companythat has this innovative Belgium BlockStamp!

Another recent product PacificCurbing has rolled out is the newSlatestone Mats, which offer a radicallynew shape in mat stamp curbing. Justreleased this year, Slatestone Matscreate a very realistic stone pattern inangular shapes that have deep impres-sions and a wide variety of textures for

an appealing, natural look. Slatestonecan even be double stamped to pro-duce up to six different stone patterns.

Pacific Curbing is creating curbappeal throughout Tampa Bay. Theirproduct is pleasing to the eye, cre-atively designed and completely func-tional in landscape settings. Whetheryou choose the newest technologiessuch as Belgium Block and Slatestone

Mat or decide to go with stamps orrollers, Pacific Curbing has a pattern,style and design to give your home theperfect finishing touch.

For your free curbing estimateand design consultation, log on towww.Pacific-Curbing.com, [email protected], or callPacific Curbing directly at (813)770-4424.

Pacific Curbing puts the finishing touch on your landscaping withconcrete curbing that is completely customized to your home.

new tampa - vol. 1, issue 5, july 2015

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