BuzzWorthyitems of note
NORAA
Lisa Mansell of the Church of Scientology
hosted a Halloween dinner in the Victorian
room at the downtown Clearwater historic
Fort Harrison, where the evening concluded
with a radio-style reading of one of L. Ron
Hubbard’s murder mystery scripts.
Robert Grammig of Tampa, an
attorney with Holland & Knight, has been
elected as the 2017-18 chair of the board
of directors of the Florida Chamber of
Commerce.
Richard Gonzmart and the Gonzmart
Family Foundation announced that
the $100,000 raised by the 16th annual
Richard’s Run for Life to benefit the
University of South Florida’s Latino
Scholarship Program was matched
by Richard and his wife Melanie
for a combined gift of $200,000. The
scholarships go to academically gifted
minority students who are financially
challenged. Richard is a fourth generation
family member and president of the
Columbia Restaurant Group. He
learned the importance of giving back
from his parents, Cesar and Adela, who
helped support USF since its opening 58
years ago. Since 2002, Richard’s Run has
raised more than $1.15 million.
Stephanie Gularte, producing
artistic director of American Stage
Doug Bebell, the chef owner at Mystic
Fish in Palm Harbor, and his wife Colleen
are active supporters of a number of local
charities, such as the YMCA fundraiser The
Grape Escape.
66 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018
CONNIE WHITEHEAD
Cyndi Shain and Steve Newberne, owners of
Gigi’s Italian Restaurants in St. Petersburg,
Treasure Island and St. Pete Beach, celebrated
the restaurant’s 50th anniversary.
GRAM
DAWN LACROSS
Adam Weisner, head of client services for PurePoint Financial, Donna Vissing Pate, PurePoint
Financial Center Manager and vice president, and Alex Ream, PurePoint’s Tampa Bay market
executive director, presented checks to the Museum of Fine Arts and to Ronald McDonald
House Charities during the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the PurePoint Financial Center
in St. Petersburg.