Gotha’s Ready, Set, Dance earn top awards and more news …

compiled by Lauren Salinero


Dr. Phillips

While serving aboard a nuclear-powered carrier, Dr. Phillips resident and U.S. Naval Petty Officer 2nd Class Tiffany Shouder, aviation electrician’s mate, conducts periodic maintenance.

Dr. Phillips resident Tiffany Shouder is serving in the U.S. Navy as an aviation electrician’s mate 2nd class. Petty Officer Shouder conducts periodic maintenance aboard the USS John C. Stennis, on which she is currently stationed.


Bob (left) and Mary Kenny Thwaites (center) of Dr. Phillips meet Jeff Gordon at the Rolex 24 in Daytona Beach.

Bob and Mary Kenny Thwaites attended a private reception for the launch of the Cadillac Racing team at the Rolex 24 in Daytona Beach. The couple also celebrated Jeff Gordon’s win for the Cadillac team and were able to meet the NASCAR legend.


Gotha

The competition and performance teams of Gotha’s Ready, Set, Dance earn top awards in Cathy Roe’s Ultimate Dance Competition.

Dancers from Ready, Set, Dance in Gotha competed in Cathy Roe’s Ultimate Dance Competition. The competition and performance teams performed Beneath the Waves, which won Ultimate Elite and Overall High Score Production. Many of the girls also won individual and high score awards.


Stoneybrook West

Justin (left) and Hudson Allen of Stoneybrook West get an up-close look at a monster truck show.

When the trucks of Monster Jam came to town, Stoneybrook West resident Justin Allen and his son, Hudson, took advantage of the show’s pit passes. They were able to see the trucks up close and interacted with the drivers. The family-friendly event comes to Orlando each year, bringing monster trucks and plenty of thrills with it.


Turtle Creek

Turtle Creek resident Michael Kulich joins the Orange County Nuisance Abatement Board.

Michael Kulich of Turtle Creek was appointed to the Nuisance Abatement Board by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners. The board has the jurisdiction to hear and decide on complaints alleging that a place or premises constitutes a public nuisance within Orange County.


Windermere

Mark Brewer, president and CEO of Central Florida Foundation, speaks at a learning social for 100 Women Strong.

Windermere residents Avani Desai and Leslie Hartog, co-chairs of 100 Women Strong, helped co-host a learning social at The Vineyard Wine Bar and Healthy Bistro. Members and friends enjoyed an evening of networking and learning. Mark Brewer, president and CEO of Central Florida Foundation, shared trends in women’s philanthropy, as well as women and children’s issues in the community. 100 Women Strong is a women’s giving circle and an initiative of Central Florida Foundation. Since 2006, the group collectively has invested more than $450,000 to improve the lives of local women and children. The current focus of the organization is on early childhood development and a pilot program to implement the Circle of Security model in Pine Hills day care centers. For more information, visit cffound.org/100_women_strong.


(L. to r.) Windermere Reserve Officer Lori Sipek, Windermere Council Member Bob McKinley, school crossing guard Ken Cohen, Windermere Mayor Gary Bruhn, school crossing guard Becky Sipek, Windermere Deputy Chief of Police Jennifer Treadwell, school crossing guard Ruth Marcus, Windermere Elementary School Principal Diana Greer, and school crossing guard Patty Sanders gather as Windermere officials recognize the town’s crossing guards.

For Crossing Guard Appreciation Month, Windermere representatives took the time to recognize the men and women who work to provide safety for the community’s children. Each of the town’s crossing guards received flowers, a gift certificate, and special drawings and letters from students at Windermere Elementary School. The town extends big thank-yous to Windermere crossing guards Ken Cohen, Ruth Marcus, Patty Sanders and Becky Sipek.


Winderwood

Tony Sudler (left), chief development officer of Nemours Fund for Children’s Health, congratulates Carol and Craig Kirkland of Winderwood on their receipt of an Inspiration Award from Nemours Children’s Hospital.

Winderwood residents Craig and Carol Kirkland received an Inspiration Award from Nemours Children’s Hospital, an award that recognizes donors whose generosity is reminiscent of Nemours’ founder Alfred duPont. The Kirklands performed pet therapy with their silken windhound, TiAmo. Carol and Ti’ Amo visited with Nemours patients for seven years, until Ti’ Amo’s sudden death in 2016. In Ti’ Amo’s memory, the couple sponsored a pet therapy wall on the fourth floor of the hospital that displays photos of all the pet therapy dogs that volunteer at the hospital. They also co-sponsored a coloring book with caricatures of all the Nemours pet therapy dogs. Carol continues to visit patients with her silken windhound, Lilli.


Winter Garden

Winter Garden resident and firefighter/EMT Ryan Allen was honored at an Orange County Fire Rescue recruit class graduation for receiving the 2015 Award of Valor from Firehouse magazine. This is his fifth award for an incident that occurred in November 2015. Ryan also earned the highest honor, the Medal of Valor, from Orange County Fire Rescue; the Medal of Valor from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office; firefighter of the year from the American Legion; and the State EMS Award from the Florida Department of Health.


Et Al

Rotary Youth Exchange members (l. to r.) Iva Jelic of Croatia, Edison Coltro of Brazil, Valentina Fogacci of Italy, Mate Sipos of Hungary, Benjamin Escobar of Chile, Earn Teerananond of Thailand, Gabija Navickaite of Lithuania, and Seth Crouch of America help members of the Rotary Clubs of Lake Buena Vista and Dr. Phillips assemble meal packages for the Stop Hunger Now program.

Members of the Rotary Clubs of Lake Buena Vista and Dr. Phillips, along with select employees of Hyatt Regency Orlando and their families and friends, met at the Hyatt to create special food packages for the Stop Hunger Now program. Each package is capable of feeding six adults, and the group put together more than 10,000 meal packages. Members of the Rotary Youth Exchange were special visitors and also helped with the meals. Rotary Youth Exchange is a program of Rotary International that sends students to foreign countries while bringing international students to experience the American lifestyle.


Emille C. of Southwest Orlando earns a spot on the 2017 Disney Parks Moms Panel.

Southwest resident Emille C. was selected among thousands of applicants to join the 2017 Disney Parks Moms Panel as a Walt Disney World Resort specialist. Emille is a Spanish-speaking mom of two who leads worship at her local church, sings and speaks for a prison ministry. She is one of 12 new members added to this year’s panel. Now in its 10th consecutive year, the award-winning online forum, disneyparksmomspanel.disney.go.com, offers personalized answers to every Disney trip-planning inquiry as shared directly from everyday moms and dads with robust firsthand experience.


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