🌱 Tampa Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Festival + Sea Urchin Dieoff

Morning, everybody! It's me, Carlos Hernandez, your host of the Tampa Patch newsletter. Here's all the community news you need to know right now. Today you'll read about...

• The Riley's Way Foundation has honored two Tampa students with a grant to make a difference in the world.
• USF is opening the Judy Genshaft Honors College today after Genshaft and her husband donated over $20 million to the university for the building.
• The City of Tampa Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Festival is this Saturday.

But first, today's weather: Mostly cloudy. High: 92 Low: 73.

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Here are the top stories in Tampa today:

1. Two Tampa students have won a grant from the Riley's Way Foundation of up to $3,000 for projects in recognition of their "kindness, empathy, and inclusivity." Forty projects were selected by the foundation for the grant from 2o states that participated. The two winning projects locally focus on community service and book accessibility. (Tampa Patch)
2. The City of Tampa Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Festival is coming on Saturday, May 13 to downtown Tampa at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Guests can enjoy food, cultural performances, live music, various Asian food dishes, and more. The event is being held in honor of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month. (WFLA)
3. University of South Florida is opening the Judy Genshaft Honors College today, May 12 after Genshatft donated $20 million to the university for the building. Judy Genshaft is a former president of the university and an alumnus. Her husband joined her to make the donation. (Florida Politics)
4. A University of South Florida researcher and scientist said she has discovered the reason sea urchins died off last year in the waters near Florida and the Caribbean. Sea urchins are vital to the marine ecosystem. She claims a microorganism called a ciliate caused a disease that killed off the sea urchins. Now the researcher is searching for solutions to the problem. (Bay News 9)
5. Heron Residences at Water Street Tampa was honored during the 2023 ABC Excellence in Construction Awards Ceremony held at the downtown Tampa Hilton. Coastal Construction’s subcontractor, Baker Concrete, also won the Subcontractor Project of the Year for the Thousand & One, which is also in Water Street. (Tampa Patch)

Today in Tampa:

• Art Exhibition + Live Music at Aspirations Winery. (6 p.m.)
• The Jumper Maybach Art Experience at Michael Murphy Gallery. (7 p.m.)
• 7th Annual Tampa International Fringe Festival. (7 p.m.)
• Wonderball Featuring Steve Aoki at Sailor Circus. (8 p.m.)
• Francine Wolf: Please Don't Tell My Kids! - A Solo Show at the Tampa Fringe Festival. (8:45 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers shared: "Be a part of history as Bucs legend Rondé Barber is immortalized in the Hall of Fame. Packages boast premium seating, autographs & a gold jacket gala 🎟 Get your tickets today ➡️ bccn.rs/3nNf1u5." (Tampa Bay Buccaneers via Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Lightning shared: "We have signed goaltender Matt Tomkins to a two-year, two-way contract. 📝" (Tampa Bay Lightning via Facebook)
• Tampa International Airport shared: "It's National Travel and Tourism Week, so we lit up red to celebrate the millions of passengers who fly through TPA each year to visit the Tampa Bay area." (Tampa International Airport via Facebook)
• City of Tampa shared: "🚧 FDOT CLOSURE 🚧 Heading to Tampa International Airport soon? The ramp on SR 589 (Veterans Expressway) from George J. Bean Parkway will be closed starting 10 p.m. Sunday (5/14) through the end of October." (City of Tampa via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Nik Macik Headlines Sunshine City Comedy Club (May 12)
• Francine Wolf: Please Don't Tell My Kids! - A Solo Show at the Tampa Fringe Festival (May 12)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (May 13)
• Tampa Train Day (May 13)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (May 15)
• Social Security Webinar (May 16)
• LEADS Mardi Gras Masquerade Brunch Fundraiser (May 20)
• Add your event

Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you soon.

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Tampa Patch newsletter? Contact me at SouthTampa@Patch.com