Wrap Up Part 2 

Wrap up Part I

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If you didn’t get a chance to attend our Cinco de Mayo Weekend Health Expo, you missed all our amazing vendors, medical services, and the scrumptious dishes from Taco’Clock food truck. This Health Expo was a tremendous opportunity to obtain FREE medical treatment such as mammograms and cervical and breast cancer screening offered through a grant from the Florida Department of Health, as well as the USF MoBull van which offered cervical cancer screening and other exams through a grant from SWFCCC. Additionally, Cancer Tamer Foundation partnered with the Sarasota Prostate Initiative to provide men with prostate cancer screening. And our local Pine Brooks Pharmacy offered various vaccinations such as Covid 19, Pneumonia, Shingles and Tetanus. 
Yet medical treatment wasn’t all Cancer Tamer’s Cinco de Mayo Weekend Health Expo had to offer; we also had over thirty vendors offering various goods and services. There were breathtaking artists pictures available and twelve artists who participated in our Breast Cancer Mermaid™ Art Project were present and selling some of their other paintings. 
We had entertainment available for event goers such as Theo Rooding who composes his own guitar music; Yoga demos from our local Brooksville Yoga Company, and Tai Chi demos provided by Wanda Van Harlinger from the Veterans Administration Occupational Therapy Department of James A. Haley Hospital. Wanda brought along a few volunteers to help her demonstrate Tai Chi, one of which was Reginia who submitted a painting for the Breast Cancer Mermaid™ Art Project with others from the VA Group. It was wonderful to look up from our PINK TENT and see so many event goers following along with our Yoga and Tai Chi instructors.   

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Members of Citrus Writers of Florida were on hand to regale us with readings from their various books. If you don’t know Citrus Writers, they are an organization of Writers Helping Writers as their motto states who provide education about the nuances of becoming a published author. Look them up on Facebook. Citrus Writers of Florida accepts published and non-published members.

This jam-packed day also included our first Breast Cancer Mermaid™ Art Project Exhibition where we revealed the forty-four (44) paintings and multi-media art projects submitted. We also revealed the Top Three Winners and the Honorary Mentions providing special gifts from our sponsros: Iona Parris, the Seashell Queen, POM Float Therapy, and Mertailor’s Mermaid Aquatic Encounter. Discover all the paintings in our Part III of the Wrap-up.

A big shout out to MerLady Jazz, aka artist Jasmine Cora who debuted her first Coloring Book. Jasmine was our Live Mermaid, offering photographic opportunities to help raise funds for Cancer Tamer Foundation. She is a professional mermaid and swims at Mertailor’s Memaid Aquatic Encounters in LeCanto.
One company that rarely gets mentioned at events yet is extremely important is Doodie Calls. They provided our additional latrines and hand-washing stations.

A Special Thanks to the City of Brooksville for their support during this event. They helped provide garbage disposal and road closures.
And finally, a big shout out to Becky and Emma Garrett who were responsible for the cleanliness of the park throughout the day. Emma was also my assistant, helping run errands and helped things ran smoothly.

One final note I’d like to make about this day is the collaboration between Dr. Charley Ferrer of Cancer Tamer and Diane Greenwell of Hernando Beach Front Porch Art Walk. Though it’s rare for two events occurring on the same day to collaborate with each other, I’m proud to share that Diane Greenwell and Dr. Charley Ferrer did just that, putting the needs of our community first. Both Dr. Charley and Diane encouraged their event participants to attend the other event occurring at the same time. Diane also hosted a Fundraiser for Cancer Tamer during Hernando Beach Front Porch Art Walk. These two ladies exemplified what dedication to our community actually looks like.

We want to again THANK all our sponsors who made the Cinco de Mayo Weekend Health Expo possible: Mertailor Mermaid Aquarium Encounter; Iona Parris, The Seashell Queen; Amur Health Advisors; Dale Watson from Tobacco Free Florida; Palm Medical Center; POM Float Therapy; Doddie Calls; Passionate Woman who assists women entrepreneurs; Chef Marc Clermont with Chef for Seniors; City of Brooksville, and Peddler’s Post. As well as our medical partners: Florida Department of Health; One Blood—Blood Dations; 3D Mobile Mammography; Sarasota Prostate Initiative; Pine Brooks Pharmacy; Southwest Florida Cancer Control Collaborative; and USF MoBull Health Unit.

Be sure to review Wrap-up Part III to discover the artwork from the Breast Cancer Mermaid™ Art Project and the Top Three Winners and Honorary Mentions.

Wrap-up Part 1 -- Overview of Cinco de Mayo Weekend Health Expo
Wrap-up Part III -- Breast Cancer Mermaid Art Project & Exhibition