Sam Donaldson was so excited I thought he had just found a classified White House brief.
The ABC correspondent spoke with vim and vigor when he greeted the 850 attendees of Saturday night's Magnolia Ball, the oh-so-classy fundraiser for Moffitt Cancer Center's Magnolia Lodge.
As the new chair of Moffitt's Board of Advisers, Donaldson spoke warmly about the center's contributions, in person and in video narration. Donaldson's voice has a regal quality, but the admission that he, too, is a cancer survivor was what really made you want to listen.
So what will Donaldson do as chair of the advisers? He will recruit 15 to 20 high-level people to help Moffitt get the word out and raise awareness.
Donaldson said Saturday he's been to many cancer centers but had never seen such passion and commitment among staff and supporters. Something tells me Moffitt has the right man.
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NO, YOU'RE NOT CRAZY. Yes, you did see people pushing beds down Madison Avenue in downtown Tampa. Yes, it was like the Monkees used to do ... sort of.
The Tampa Bay Bed Battle was part of the Tampa Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau's Hospitality Olympics, which were staged Monday at Lykes GasLight Square Park. Various hospitality groups participated in the wacky events, and Commissioner Tom Scott kicked things off with a verve that was equal parts preacher and boxing promoter.
Although it was a lot of fun, I'm told competition is quite fierce. Aramark at the Tampa Convention Center captured the traveling trophy.
The Olympics are part of the bureau's National Tourism week. If you didn't know, there are a week's worth of events to remind us we're nothing without our visitors.
A networking happy hour will be held at GameWorks from 5:30 to 7:30 tonight, and Gov. Jeb Bush is expected to speak at the National Tourism Week luncheon at A La Carte Pavilion. On Thursday, we'll get an update on tourism dollars with the release of the annual impact study.
Most important, there is something for us penny-pinching folks who are completely over the fact that gas is $2 a gallon. For a series of special deals, check out www.visitTampaBay.com including discounts to Adventure Island and the Florida Aquarium.
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THE LATEST NEWS ACCOUNTS have suggested Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is mellowing, but the 73-year-old Tampa resident has always been generous, even when he was firing managers and challenging Reggie Jackson.
The streak continued Monday with an $8,500 donation to Brandon's Brooker Elementary. The school will use the money for two covered play courts. Steinbrenner was reportedly impressed with the commitment of principal Jason Pepe, who will let the top five fundraising students shave his head Thursday.
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THE ROOTS OF MY JOURNALISM CAREER came when I had to keep a weekly journal for an English class. While others crafted poems or short stories, I often filled my journal with sports stories I would write after watching a ball game on Sunday afternoon. The seeds were planted, but the dreams needed nurturing.
I would have done anything to find out more about what life as a beat writer was all about, but the opportunities were far on the horizon.
If you're a rising junior or senior, the Bucs are now offering you a chance I never had: a place in a program called "Work With The Buccaneers."
Ten teen winners will be selected to attend media sessions at training camp and before practice during the regular season, getting an up-close look at how real-life print and broadcast journalists chronicle the ups and downs of the team, and how the PR staff works with the media. Winners also will get a game-day tour of the press box and two tickets.
Details can be found at www.buccaneers.com If you're interested, get your application in before the May 28 deadline. Trust me when I tell you an NFL locker room is nothing like the locker room at school, save for the smell.
