🌱 Donors Gift Children With Autism + Teen Biking For Late Friend

Morning, Dunedin! Let's get you started this Saturday with everything you need to know going on in Dunedin today.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny. High: 73 Low: 64.

Shoutout to our premier local sponsor:

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Here are the top 3 stories in Dunedin today:

1. Several generous donors have raised enough to sponsor swim lessons for three Dunedin children with autism. Since children with autism are often attracted to water, they are more likely to drown, making swimming lessons an essential part of their childhood. Lessons will be held at the Highlander Pool this spring and summer. Donations were made by Stacey Hoaglund, Patricia Crist, and Autism of Florida. (Press Release Desk)
2. Pinellas County teenager, Sofia Rzymski, is raising money for a bike-a-thon in honor of her late friend. Ali Spears was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and ultimately succumbed to her illness in March of 2019. Rzymski and Spears grew close in Girl Scouts, with Rzymski even helping her friend sell cookies when she was in the hospital. In honor of what would have been Spears' sweet sixteen, Rzymski will bike sixteen miles on her friend's birthday, February 12. The ride will begin in Tarpon Springs and end in Clearwater Beach, with a halfway point at Kafe Racer in Dunedin. All money raised during the"Sofia Rides for Ali” event will be given to the Ali Spears Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping fund research to find a cure for pediatric cancer. (WFLA)
3. Beginning February 1, the Osprey Trail Boardwalk at Hammock Park be under construction. The boardwalk will be undergoing a much-needed refurbishment including replacing any deteriorated wood and handrails on the boardwalk. The trail will be closed for the duration of the project, which is expected to take approximately three weeks. (Press Release Desk)

Today in Dunedin:

• Dunedin Downtown Market (9:00 AM)
• Grand Re-Opening of Jade Soap Shop (11:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Rotary Club of Dunedin Member and Literacy Committee Chair, Pat Bauer, presented signed books from the Rotary Club's 2021 program speakers to San Jose Elementary School. Taken by Sherrie Williams, the school's Library Media & Technology Specialist, the two discovered that they'd met before. Williams was a student of Bauer's when she taught in the School of Library and Information Science at USF. (Facebook)
• The City of Dunedin shared a photo comparison of what some of the shops in the downtown area looked like in 1998 compared to today. While that may not seem too long ago, that's over 20 years of shopping at the colorfully designed restaurants, antique stores, florists, and more in our small town. (Facebook)

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Events:

• Central Ave's Saturday Marketplace (January 15)
• St Pete Beer, Bacon & BBQ (January 15)
• SUSHI FOOD TRUCK at Beach Island Brewery (January 16)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (January 20)
• Uplifting the Community through Art and The Way to Happiness (January 23)
• Extreme Communication ~ Connecting to the other side (January 23)
• Taxes In Retirement Seminar (January 24)
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• Community Yard Sale (Details)
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You're all caught up for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!