Town to celebrate 15 years on Friday
Freedom. Independence. Self-sufficiency.
Those are some words to link to the Town of Fort Myers Beach each day of the year for the past 15 years.
On Friday, Dec. 31, before fireworks will be set off to acknowledge the New Year, members of the Fort Myers Beach Civic Association will join forces with town officials in celebrating the town’s incorporation since 1995. Beach residents and visitors are encouraged to come to Time Square and celebrate the town’s 15th birthday from 1 to 3 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
The event, which is sponsored by the Town and the Fort Myers Beach Civic Association, will feature the dissemination of free cupcakes and souvenirs and live music by local musician Mary Winner.
According to Beach Civic member and event coordinator Kathleen Cameron, this will be the last consecutive year the town will celebrate its incorporation with a birthday bash. The two groups may combine efforts again when the town turns 20 or 25 years old.
“We’ve decided to do a better and bigger show this year,” said Cameron, who added there will be helium balloons and other celebratory fun at the event.
The annual birthday party recognizes the humble start of a municipality that ordained and established its charter so that Beach residents and business owners can “promote the general welfare and common good of the community by providing the framework for a municipal corporation to exercise municipal home rule powers under the Constitution and the laws of the State of Florida.”
Last year, Beach Civic Association members handed out 900 cupcakes. This year, they hope to distribute the same amount or more of free sweets to the hungry masses.
“That’s one of those unknowns,” said Cameron when asked how the cupcake donations have been thus far. “It’s a matter of how everyone comes through. Publix (Supermarket) always gives us a gift card. I go to the one on the Beach and ask how many can I get for it. They always come through.”
Those interested in helping out can call Cameron at 765-9003.
“Anyone who would like to bake for this event can call me or drop them off to the tented area at Times Square by 1 p.m. Friday,” she said. “We’ll welcome any and all cupcakes that come.”
Due to the celebration’s 15th and final year until further notice, the Fort Myers Beach Town Council authorized funds to help fray the costs of putting on such an event.
The WINDS Corporation has donated t-shirts that the local civic members will sell for a fundraising donation to benefit the Fort Myers Beach Little League. The shirt will feature the Town’s Civic Association logo on the front and wording that includes the town’s celebration of 15 years from 1995 to 2010 on the back.
The Beach little leaguers will also benefit from any money left over from the town’s funds and a raffle drive for a wheel barrel full of cheer.
“It has been a lot more work,” said Cameron, “but it’s a lot more special being the 15th year.”