Ribbon Cutting Round-up!

Microtel Inn & Suites, located at 4056 Tamiami Trail in Port Charlotte, celebrated its grand opening and ribbon cutting on May 7. Each of the hotel’s 86 guest rooms feature plush bedding with pillowtop mattresses and a 32-inch, flat-panel, LCD HD TV. Guests can also take advantage of the free continental breakfast each morning and boat power hook-ups in the parking lot. And on top of all that, it is the only eco-friendly hotel in southwest Florida and the first “green” Microtel.

Dr. Alvaro Bada celebrated the ribbon cutting of his new office in the Murdock Executive Center on April 11. Bada is a board-certified general surgeon specializing in minimally invasive procedures, such as hernia, appendix, breast, colon and rectal, endoscopic, gallbladder,
hemorrhoid and laparoscopic surgeries. His new office is located at 18308 Murdock Circle, Unit 101 in Port Charlotte.

National Bank of Southwest Florida, a locally owned and managed community bank, celebrated its grand opening and ribbon cutting on June 4. The board of directors and staff all share a common goal of bringing banking back to its roots, a comfortable relationship between the bank and their customers. The new bank is located at 2120 Kings Hwy. in Port Charlotte.

Helping Students!

Take Stock in Children is a statewide scholarship mentoring program in Charlotte County Public Schools. In this program, low-income students are selected in 8th grade to receive college tuition scholarships. A key element in the success of the program is an adult volunteer mentor, such as Beth Johnson (shown here
with her mentee Julie Goodwin), who meets weekly with a student at their school. According to Johnson, “Mentoring is an enjoyable and rewarding experience. The best part is watching my mentees grow up.” The Charlotte Local Education Foundation is seeking
additional mentors for the next school year. Call (941) 255-0808, ex. 3113 for information.

BOO-tastic!

The Charlotte County of the American Red Cross is gearing up for their 2nd annual BOO! Ball on October 25 at the Punta Gorda Isles Civic Association. Last year, 250 guests enjoyed a haunted mansion, dinner, drinks, dancing, auctions and a costume contest, all raising money for our local Red Cross chapter. This year’s committee is making this BOO! Ball even more festive than last year’s, so if you are thinking about becoming a sponsor or donating an auction item, this is an excellent opportunity for exposure at one of the premier charity
events of the year. Remember, Charlotte County receives no funding from the National Red Cross unless it’s deemed a national disaster, so every dollar raised during BOO! Ball makes a difference. Call (941) 629-4345 or visit www.HallowBoo.com to support your local Red Cross today!

Supporting a Good Cause!

Karen Mullen of Karen’s Creamery & Chocolate in Englewood held a doll raffle fundraiser for Dollars for Mammograms Inc., raffling off two dolls designed by doll artist Berdine Creedy of Gainesville. Dollars for Mammograms is a nonprofit public foundation established solely for the purpose of providing nocost
mammograms to local women who are uninsured or under insured and cannot afford the cost of a mammogram. Visit www. dollarsformammograms.org for more information.