Page 13 - Florida Sentinel 12-16-16 Online Edition

FLORIDA SENTINEL FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2016
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Elected Officials Share Their Christmas Wishes
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
The elected officials of the State of Florida, Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa have thought about the items they want on their Christmas list.
After the tumultuous elections that have blanketed this country this past year, one of the items on the wish list for the elected offi- cials is peace.
County Commissioner Les- ley (Les) Miller, District 3, said:
“My wish for Christmas is that this County, State, and Country heal from the very divisive elec- tions we just had. We cannot bring peace, harmony, goodwill, health, and understanding being so divisive.”
City Councilman Frank Reddick, District 5, said:
“My wish for Christmas is to have a joyful and spiritual Christ- mas with family and friends. And, I wish the same for the con-
COUNTY COMMISSIONER LESLEY (LES) MILLER ...District 3
stituents in District 5.”
State Representative Dis- trict 61, Atty. Sean Shaw:
“I have so much to be thankful for, so my wishes are more for my community and the wonderful people who reside here.
“For all the children in our community, my wish is that they have a fun holiday break. A lot is
CITY COUNCILMAN FRANK REDDICK ...District 5
expected of children and students nowadays, and they should be able to enjoy all the excitement that comes with this time of year.
“Also, to the parents, I wish for relaxation and the ability to enjoy every minute spent with their chil- dren, family and friends. I person- ally know how important it is to spend time with our loved ones
STATE REPRESENTATIVE SEAN SHAW ...District 61
while we can.
“For our public safety employ-
ees, I wish for a safe and enjoyable holiday season. While many of us are able to relax and spend time with loved ones, these heroes are putting their lives in harm’s way to keep us safe, so I wish for comfort and support for them and their families.”
Even After Suffering Heart Attack:
Hospital Employee Celebrates 27 Years Of ‘Giving’
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
The 2016 has been very event- ful for Delwyn Collins. He suf- fered a major heart attack, learned that he was featured in a book, and he was chosen as the first “Lightning Community Hero,” for the 2016-2017 season.
However, he continued to make preparations for his Annual Foster Angels Program. The gifts were distributed to the represen- tatives from the Foster Angels of Hillsborough County on Tuesday, December 13th, at 12:30 p.m. The presentation took place in the gar- den at Tampa General Hospital.
Collins began working at Tampa General Hospital as a dish washer in 1989, the same year the Foster Angel Program launched. That same year, he began using his own money to purchase gifts for the children in foster care.
His desire to give became in- fectious as other employees joined
Ms. Jody Grutza, Delwyn Collins, and Ms. Adrienne Drew were on hand for the 2016 Christmas Angels Program. (Photography by BRUNSON)
Lawrence, retired reporter, an- chor, and producer for FOX 13 News had included Collins in her book. She had covered the program during her employment. The book is entitled, “Some- times ... A Storyteller’s Jour- nal.”
Collins suffered a major heart attack in early August. He called 9-1-1 during the night and was told he was lucky to be able to make the call, a spokesperson for the hospital said.
In October, Collins was cho- sen as the first Lightning Commu- nity Hero of the 2016-2017 season. The Lightning Foundation made a $50,000 donation to the Tampa General Hospital Founda- tion and Collins will use some of that money to buys gifts each year.
No matter what took place in his personal life, Collins’s first priority was obtaining gifts for the children in foster care in Hillsbor- ough County.
him. And the hospital became the largest donor of gifts to the pro- gram.
Legally blind, Collins said, “My mother was a single mom with four kids. She worked two jobs and she made sure we always had a good Christmas.”
Following his mother’s lead, Collins has also saved his money year-round and worked two jobs in the past to purchase the gifts for the children.
Life became anything but usual for Collins, beginning in July when he learned Ms. Deanna