Guest Commentary: Hookers donate funds from luau

Front row – Anna Van Kirk, Nancy Buthman (director Beacon of Hope), Sandy Kerr (co-chair), Linda Bohacek (co-chair), Carol Zaremba, Vicki Janda, Cindy Bickford (president of St. James City Civic Association), Linda Bessett, Lucinda Good and Chris Buntin; second row - Joanne Correia (co-chair), Tonia Watkins, Jeanne Glenn, Bev Hart, Darcy Conner, Christy Rau, Joyce Boyer and Joyce Bieber; and third row Lorie Tidwell and Teresa Shattuck. PHOTO PROVIDED

Matlacha Hookers 11th Annual Tasting Event ‘Island Luau’ generates $10,000 for the Beacon of Hope Senior Programs and $10,000 for repairs at St. James City Civic Center

The Matlacha Hookers is a 501c3 women's charitable non-profit organization. Our organization has had members from Matlacha and the Greater Pine Island area, as well as Cape Coral, North Fort Myers and Fort Myers for over 25 years.

We are proud and honored to announce that the Island Luau, held on Sunday, Feb. 26, at the St James City Civic Center, was sold out for the third year in a row. The response from the Pine Island Community is always amazing. We want to express a big thank you to all the volunteers who helped make this event run smoothly.

The two $10,000 checks were given to Nancy Buthman, director of The Beacon of Hope's Senior Programs, and Cindy Bickford, president of the St. James City Civic Association, on Monday, April 10, at the Matlacha Hookers General Meeting at the American Legion Post 136 in St James City. Both are 501c3 non-profit organizations dedicated to helping the needs of the Greater Pine Island Community.

We are so thankful for more than 120 Pine Island-area businesses and families that donated items to the silent auction and money to offset the costs of running the event.

Here is the list of the sponsors, businesses, and individuals included in alphabetical order:

$500 – Orchid Sponsors – Gavin's Ace Hardware, Four Winds Marina, Pineshine Farms

$250 – HIBISCUS Sponsors – Ted Bluey, Bokeelia Art Gallery, Tom and Joyce Boyer, Melville Brinson III, PA, Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce, Honc Industries, Pine Island Massage, Pine Island Pools, Reef Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, Spyrnal Associates, Inc. and Stearns Custom Builders.

$100 – Plumeria Sponsors – Ancuram LLC, Bluewater Realty of Pine Island, Bobbers Bait and Tackle, Bo and Linda Bohacek, Florida Complete Realty, Franklin Hamilton Gwen Galpin Realty, Hurricane Arcade, Jug Creek Marina and Fish House, Lumiere Cosmetic & Vein Center, Pelletier Rickert Physical Therapy and Pine Island Tax & Accounting Company.

Silent Auction Donors – Applebees, Genie Andrews, Bert's Pine Bay Gallery, Bikeworks, Blue Dog Bar and Grill, Linda Bohacek, Bokeelia Custom Apparel , Bones Coffee, Brooke's Restaurant & Lounge, Chris Buntin, Buon Appetito, Cafe Fort Myers, Camping World, Captain Cathy Eagle Boat Tours, Capt’n Con's Fish House, Amy Cason/Portrait Photography, Michael Cason/Florida Landscape Photography, Chris Peacock, Chuck's Auto Repair, Citrola's on College, CK Nails & Spa, Cutting Ties Salon, Fabri – Tech, Four Winds Marina, Freedom Boat Club, Friga Tyme Roofing and Marine, Genesee Parkway Neighbors, Get Perk’d Coffee, Great Clips, Island CBD Vape, Island Crab Company, Island Exchange Realty, Island Time Fashions, Iveta Horvath-Bell, Barbara Jameson, Jason's Deli, Gwen Kaushagen, Sandy Kerr, Kay's Jewelers, Keg and Cow, Key West Express, Kinetic Touch, Koucky Studios, Kramer Cutting Edge Sharpening Ser-vices, Gail Landis, Leoma Lovegrove, Live Love Laugh Salon/Christine, Live Love Laugh Salon/Jae Gudleman, Lumiere Cosmetic Vein Center, Phyllis Martin, Material Green, Matlacha Hookers Mer-chandise, Matlacha Menagerie, Matlacha Tropical Jewelry/Matlacha Hammock Company, Linda McQuinn, Merrick's Fish Tale Grill, Miceli's, Jennifer Nicole Salon, Phelan Family Brands, Vicki Piatt, Pine Island Bait and Tackle, Pine Island Massage, Pine Island Pizza, Pinera Bread, Premium Growers, Christy Rau, DJ Ruscik, Paul & Carolyn Ryzanych, Salon Alvarez, Kristin Schelwat, Kellie Simpson, St. James Automotive, Stuff- A- Bagel Deli and Bakery, Sweeney's SOS, Tarpon Lodge and Restaurant, Texas Tony's, The Cycle Company, The Frozen Flip Flop, Lorie Tidwell, Twisted Acres, Waterfront Restaurant, Wicked Dolphin, Wildfly Charters, and Yellow River Gardens in Wisconsin.

Other food donors for the Luau were Farmer Joe's, Publix Calusa Cay and Coral Shore, Sam's Club and Total Wine.

Huge thanks to CW Fudge for its seven years of support and delicious desserts that always make our tasting events so special. Mr. Tom's Spirits for their amazing punch, and to Brian at Fine Swine for smoking and pulling all our meat.

If you would like to participate in our recycle program, please consider donating your silent auction basket to us for next year's event. Simply drop it off at Flip Flops in St. James City.

Please mark your calendars for the 12th Annual Island Luau Event, which will be held on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, at the St. James City Civic Center.

For more information about the event or our organization, you can visit our website matlachahookers.org or Facebook. To learn more about the Beacon of HOPE, you can visit them at Beaconofhopepineisland.com or the St. James City Civic Association at sjccapi.org

Thank you to the more than 50 volunteers from our Matlacha Hookers who made this event a success.

–Matlacha Hookers

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