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Local
TIMOTHY HANCOCK
... Event Organizer
MARCUS ANDERSON
Gasparilla Parade Float A ‘First’ With Jazz Performers
2018 Pro Bowl In Orlando Has Had Week-Long Celebration Of Football
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Saturday, a crowd of 300,000 people are expected to witness a group of ma- rauding pirates as they in- vade Tampa. Those in attendance will observe the invasion in full effect, com- plete with pirates, floats, and lots of noise.
This year, one of those floats will make its inaugural appearance, representing the first Black business and the first jazz float —- complete with celebrities.
Timothy Hancock,
owner of Jazz Tyme Produc- tions, Inc., said arguably, the Buffalo Soldiers float holds the title of “first Black.” How- ever, he doesn’t have to share the title of “first jazz” float — - complete with celebrities.
The list of celebrities that will be aboard the float in- clude: Quinton Aaron, who starred in Blindside with Sandra Bullock, Full Force Brothers, and Co- median Rod-Z, will be on the float.
Playing live Smooth Jazz on the float will be National Recording Jazz Artists Mar- cus Anderson and Dee Lucas, on the saxophone, and Nate Mitchell, keys and keytar. They will be joined by local greats saxo- phonist Kyle Schroeder, Joe Daymond, on keys,
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Darryl Wilborn has been coaching girls and boys basketball for many years. During that time, he has as- sisted many athletes, espe- cially those who have received partial scholarships get into college. He is the cur- rent girls’ basketball coach at Middleton High School.
Having played the sport at Robinson High School and North Florida Junior College, Coach Darryl, as he is known by the athletes, knows it takes more for college than tuition.
After 4 years in the U. S. Air Force and 33 years as an employee of the U. S. Postal Service (he’s officially retiring January 31, 2018) he is look- ing forward to devoting more time to the athletes he coaches and many others.
He and a group of local people have come together to host an adult paid event, “Showtime In Tampa.” The
COACH DARRYL WILBORN
event will showcase the talent of rappers, singers, dance groups, comedians, spoken word and many other areas of entertainment.
“We want people to come out, perform, and let the au- dience be the judge. This is the first of events we plan to host the first Saturday of each month. After 6 months, we plan to bring back the previous winners to compete for a grand prize. But our goal is to raise funds to help the athletes when they need help,” he said.
The hosts of the event are
hoping that it catches on in the community and when it’s time for the students to go away to college in the fall, they’ll be able to assist. Coach Darryl had 2 stu- dents to go away to college on full scholarships in the fall – one is at Georgia Southern College and the other is at Texas Southern.
“While dealing with girls and boys as athletes, I’ve found that it’s much easier to get the girls to complete their paperwork for financial assis- tance, take the necessary tests, and even to apply to colleges. That’s one of the things we plan to work on with the boys. We want them to get an education and they’re interested in playing ball.”
Showtime in Tampa will be held on Saturday, Febru- ary 3, 2018, 7-11 p. m. at the Masonic Hall, 2401 N. Al- bany.
For more information, contact Coach Darryl at (813) 562-6089.
QUINTON AARON
KYLE SCHROEDER
FULL FORCE BROTHERS
Jeff Williams, bass, Justino Lee Walker, lead and rhythm guitar, and Tim- othy Hancock, on drums.
Hancock said the cli- mate has changed in man- agement with the Gasparilla Parade and there is more in- clusion for everyone. “I wanted to open the door for Blacks t0 be a part of Gaspa- rilla. And I wanted to bring jazz back to the forefront with live music, which is an art that I want to keep alive.”
Operating under the um- brella of Operation Hope, a not-for-profit organization, Hancock has also planned an evening of jazz after the parade. It is being sponsored by The West Wing and Jazz Tyme Productions. He said the event is a fundraiser for Operation Hope.
The event will take place from 7 p.m. to midnight at 2701 E. Fowler Avenue.
The same guests who will appear on the float will also attend the event. The jazz party is being hosted by Full Force and Rod-Z. There will also be a few special sur- prise guests at the event.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Hancock moved to Tampa in 1981. He launched Jazz Tyme Productions 6 years ago. “I started the pro- duction company to give local artists a platform to play. We build our own stage to dis- play their talent.”
Talent Show To Help College Athletes With Special Needs
COMEDIAN ROD-Z
For First Time, Kids 14 and Under to Receive Postgame Field Access
The 2018 NFL Pro Bowl returned to Orlando’s Camping World Stadium.
The NFL has had a week- long celebration to unite and inspire the entire football community.
Leading up to the game, the NFL has been hosting a series of Pro Bowl Week events, including free interac- tive fan experiences, youth and high school football com- petitions, and a series of com- munity events with nonprofit organizations and military personnel to positively impact thousands of local residents, children, and their families.
One of the new additions this year is the Pro Bowl Kids Stadium Takeover. For the first time, after the Pro Bowl postgame ceremony, all kids
ages 14 and under with pa- rents at Camping World Sta- dium will be invited to run around the very same field as some of the NFL’s biggest stars.
On Pro Bowl Sunday, par- ticipants can check in at a Pro Bowl Kids Stadium Takeover check-in table.
More information is avail- able at ProBowl.com.
Additional Pro Bowl Week activities include: the NFL Flag Championships; Play Football High School Day; Pro Bowl Skills Showdown; free access to AFC & NFC Team Practices; NFL Pro Bowl Experience, a free, foot- ball-themed fan festival; and NFL Play 60 events.
The NFL will also work with the ‘You Can Play Pro- ject’ on an event for NFL Le- gends, local LGBT youth and allies, and with ‘Raliance’ and ‘Break the Cycle’ on a summit for local young leaders, with
the goal of empowering and equipping youth with strate- gies to combat gender-based violence.
As part of the “Thank You, Coach!” initiative, Pro Bowl players invited a high school coach, who most impacted their life and NFL career, and a guest to celebrate Pro Bowl Week in Orlando.
With the Pro Bowl Give- back Program, players will compete for more than brag- ging rights – each member of the winning team may apply for a $10,000 NFL Founda- tion grant to be donated to the high school or youth football program of their choice.
The week-long celebration will culminate with the Pro Bowl game, featuring 88 of the NFL’s best players, on Sunday, January 28 at Camp- ing World Stadium that will air on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN, and ABC at a new start time of 3:00 PM ET.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 13-A