Events

Please join us in honoring our 2026 Lois Odence Planters Nursing Scholarship recipients on Thursday, September 24th at the Belleair Country Club. 11:00 AM Registration & Networking 11:30 AM Program & Lunch 1:00 PM Event Concludes Limited seating available. Planters began in the spring of 1992 by a group of women interested in becoming more involved in Morton Plant Hospital and its Foundation. As more women joined the core group of founders, a Spring Tea was planned and a mission was created: “To establish an educational, social and fund-raising network for those within the Morton Plant Foundation Family and to create and support community outreach, Foundation programs and events.” In 2001, The Lois Odence Endowment was established with gifts made in memory of Mrs. Odence, a Planters founder, with an emphasis on nursing. Each year, scholarships are awarded to nursing students at the hospitals of Morton Plant Mease Health Care to help defray expenses beyond their nursing school needs – such as childcare and transportation. To better support our extraordinary nurses, the Lois Odence Nursing Scholarship Fund has now expanded to fund both nursing scholarships and the acquisition of technology to better provide our nurses with the tools necessary to enhance their caregiving and learning. This expanded fund is now called the Lois Odence Nursing Education and Technology Fund.

Two years after the 2024 hurricanes, many Florida families are still rebuilding, while communities across Tampa Bay continue preparing for future storms. On Thursday, September 24, 2026, Hurricane Help Florida and StormResQ will host the inaugural Remember. Rebuild. Prepare. event at the Bob Buckhorn River Center. The event will bring residents together with trusted disaster-recovery organizations, local contractors and community resources while raising awareness and support for families still living in damaged homes. The event is free and open to the public from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Hurricane Help Florida will distribute 500 resident hurricane-preparedness kits and 250 pet-preparedness kits while supplies last. Guests may also make a $45 donation to attend from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m., which includes lunch from SaltBlock Hospitality and helps support continued rebuilding efforts. We are honored to welcome John Bennett, Chief of Staff for the City of Tampa, along with nonprofit partners, volunteers, community leaders and local businesses committed to strengthening Greater Tampa Bay’s disaster preparedness and long-term recovery.

Please join the Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation for an elegant evening filled with light and shimmer in a celebration of hope and healing we’ll join together to honor Lucio Gordan, MD, President & Managing Physician, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, and in celebration of the Foundation’s 15th Anniversary. Under the leadership of Event Co-Chairs Jaqueline R. Ambrose, General Counsel Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, and David Wenk, MD, Assistant Managing Physician, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute we’ll join together for dinner, cocktails, live and silent auctions. Presented by Bristol Myers Squibb.

Join us for a Day of Fishing and Fun This year’s tournament will be held on Friday, October 16 from 7am. Afterward, anglers and their guests can join us for the Captain’s Party at noon where we’ll hand out prizes for snook, redfish, and trout. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Bring your friends, family, colleagues, or business clients – kids are welcome, too! Your Impact Wondering what your support means to the thousands of children and families we serve every year? Hear it straight from them.

Celebrating 15 years as Tampa Bay’s premier philanthropic festival, the Tampa Pig Jig returns to Julian B. Lane Park on Saturday, October 17, bringing a powerhouse lineup headlined by Diamond-certified Country superstar Thomas Rhett. This year’s festival will also feature GRAMMY®-nominated trio Midland, acclaimed singer-songwriter Kameron Marlowe, beloved Florida natives Sister Hazel, and up-and-coming country voice Cassidy Daniels. Presented by RIPA, Valley Bank, and The Baldwin Group, this award-winning event brings together world-class live music, great food, games, and family-friendly fun — all in support of families facing serious medical challenges.

TDP was founded in 2014 by Kelly Freeman, a dysautonomia patient, along with her husband Nate Freeman and longtime community leader Karen Crown. What began as a grassroots initiative with a handful of committed volunteers has grown today to become the global leader in dysautonomia education. TDP has a laser-focused mission because we believe that when providers and patients have the right knowledge, outcomes change dramatically. Their vision was simple but profound: no patient should have to wait years for answers, and no provider should lack the tools to help them. Our work has already proven this. In Tampa Bay and across the United States, TDP’s resources and programs have helped reduced the average time to diagnosis from six years to just several months. That same knowledge is now reaching patients and providers around the globe. That founding conviction continues to drive every program, resource, and relationship we build.

he Tampa Bay History Center Annual Gala is dedicated to celebrating our region’s heritage and ensuring its preservation for future generations. This year’s Gala is especially exciting as we honor our Chairs, Andrea Gonzmart Williams and Beau Williams, whose family name is closely tied to Tampa’s civic, cultural and hospitality history. Their connection to Tampa will help shape an evening that reflects both community legacy and local history. This year’s theme, “Golden Hour: Sunset in Sevilla,” reflects our new, earlier 5:30 p.m. start time, honors our Chairs’ family heritage, and celebrates Tampa’s deep historical connection to Spain. A signature event of the fall season, the gala is known as one of Tampa’s most lively black-tie evenings. With an open-house format and no assigned seats, agenda, speeches, or auctions, the Gala allows sponsors and guests to socialize all evening. Luxurious dinner buffets and full bars are accompanied by live music and stunning Riverwalk views, bringing together Tampa’s founding families and newcomers alike, along with business leaders, philanthropists, and museum enthusiasts.