In the oftentimes-relentless
Florida heat, The Sam
Murphy Park, located
at 355 Park Avenue in
downtown Boca Grande,
provides a welcome shady
respite. The Gasparilla
Island Conservation and
Improvement Association’s
Land Conservancy
purchased the two lots and
created the park in 2000.
In August, the GICIA
began discussing the best
way to celebrate its 50th
anniversary, which will take
place in March of 2021.
“Due to COVID, the
planning of a large
community celebration
had to be abandoned.
However, after careful
thought we decided upon
a two-pronged approach to
mark this special occasion
within our community,”
said GICIA Executive
Director Misty Nichols.
“First, through media,
membership mailings, and
thegicia.org we will use
the theme ‘Imagine Boca
Grande today if there had
been no GICIA’ to highlight
the organization’s many
accomplishments that have
aided in preserving island
life since 1971. Second, we
would initiate a centralized
project to serve as a visible
reminder of the GICIA’s
strong and ongoing
commitment to the Boca
Grande Community.”
January/February • 2021 • GASPARILLA MAGAZINE 45
/thegicia.org