Local volunteers shine among Eckerd 100

Tampa columnist HOOPER E-mail: Click here Archive

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 3, 2001

I had to chuckle when word came from the Eckerd Corp. it was honoring 100 women volunteers during a three-day symposium that starts today at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg.

Each recipient received an all-expense paid trip to St. Pete, and that's great if you're a volunteer from Maine or Kansas. For the five Tampa Bay women among the 100, however, the reward doesn't seem as great. What did they get, $3 in gas money?

Still, it is a worthy effort by Eckerd, and the women are certainly deserving of the recognition and the $1,000 grants they will give to the nonprofit organizations of their choice.

Heading the list, because we share a mutual friend, is Riverview's Kristin Taylor, the founder of THORN (Thankfully Helping Others' Real Needs) Ministries. I've long been aware of Taylor's selfless efforts in feeding Tampa's homeless and providing medical supplies for the disabled in Samoa.

Her work is all the more amazing when you consider she has four children of her own, eight adopted kids and one grandchild all living under her roof.

And did I mention she is a successful Christian recording music star?

An informal survey of area video rental stores indicated that since Sept. 11, most people are escaping with comedies and avoiding the violent movies, especially those involving terrorism.

There had been some talk that people actually wanted to see some terrorists get their butts kicked by Bruce Willis and Steven Segal, but there is no proof to back up that assertion.

One side note: several stores indicated a film about Nostradamus has been wildly popular since Sept. 11.

Here's another volunteer being honored: Tampa's Gloria Mills, an advocate for disabled services through the Tampa Lighthouse for the Blind, received Gov. Jeb Bush's Points of Light Award this week.

Lightning players Kevin Weekes, Matthew Barnaby and Gordie Dwyer were dealing blackjack, and City Council member Bob Buckhorn, former Tampa Tribune sports editor Tom McEwen, Suzy Holley of the Tampa Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Jim Hackman of Pepin Distributing were among the notables in attendance.

The players were in the Ice Palace's XO Club Tuesday evening operating a charity casino night for Tampa General Hospital. Nice gesture, but I hope that doesn't mean the Lightning's season is going to turn into a bad gamble.

Speaking of Tampa General, I was hoping CEO Ron Hytoff could tell me about the care he received when he had a procedure performed on his vocal cords at his own hospital, but he could not talk. I thought he was not allowed to speak to the media, but no, he just can't talk. Doctor's orders.

Perhaps we can get Hytoff's review next week, as well as the intimidating experience for the employees who were getting an extremely personal evaluation from the boss.

I think about Kristin Taylor more than she will ever know. Whenever I'm seemingly standing on the precipice of being overwhelmed by the demands of being a father of two (soon to be three), she reminds me my task is relatively simple compared to the challenges she has accepted.

I'm sure if you know one of the other Tampa Bay representatives of the Eckerd 100, you feel the same way:

Tampa's Karen Clay is an advocate for kids with disabilities who has helped educate parents about their children's rights in school.

Clearwater's Heather Wilson-Despain has spent the past five years educating the Clearwater community about cancer while defying the odds in her own six-year battle against the disease.

Bay Pines' Lorraine Kelly has volunteered for All Children's Hospital the past 17 years, and for 10 of those years she has been a key player for United Way, coordinating their Day of Caring.

St. Petersburg's Angel Schumaker sparked Mothers Against Drunk Driving's efforts to provide crisis intervention and victim support after losing her daughter in a drunken driving accident.

- Ernest Hooper can be reached at (813) 226-3406 or Hooper@sptimes.com. His column appears on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

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