You've seen the social media posts and the article telling you all about our Spread the Light Project, right? If not, here is a quick run down of what this project entailed:

Macaroni KID Fort Myers - Fort Myers Beach partnered with several sponsors in our community, to put together and deliver 150 gift bags to families in need, that have been directly (or indirectly) affected by Hurricane Ian.

From December 5th - December 11th, my family, Jenn R. with the School District of Lee County, Lorraine and Casey with Gulf Shore Cooling, and several other kind volunteers, delivered these bags to the registered recipients. The recipients included each and every student from Fort Myers Beach Elementary, as well as the students in the New Horizons of SWFL - Wesley Chapel Program.

Below are some of the recipients and delivery photos for your enjoyment! We love to see smiles on other people's faces -- especially from the kiddos! If your child/family received a Spread the Light gift bag, we'd love for you to tag us in it!

Zayden & Chance - Gift Bag Recipients

Casey & Lorraine - Gulf Shore Cooling Sponsors and Delivery Volunteers

Jenn Robinson - Lee County School District Sponsor & Delivery Volunteer

Dr. Kohler - Fort Myers Beach Elementary Principal

Hazel - Delivery Volunteer

Be sure to follow our partners/sponsors on social media, now that you know they are directly involved with helping our community   . We hope to be able to do many more projects like this, bigger and better, in the near future.

LEAD SPONSOR:

It’s in the tropics somewhere between the Port of Indecision and Southwest of Disorder, but no parallels of latitude or longitude mark the spot exactly. You don’t have to be a navigator to get there. Palm trees provide the camouflage. Ocean breezes bring the seaplanes and sailboats, tourists and travelers. Passports are not required. Island music rules. No waiting in line for anything. There is a beach and a thatched roof bar perched on the edge of a turquoise sea where you can always find a bar stool.

1160 Estero Boulevard, Fort Myers Beach

COMMUNITY SPONSORS:

Luna's Little Cheese Emporium is a food truck owned by a special family that moved to SWFL about a year ago, from Massachusetts, to make their dream come true. Luna's serves a variety of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dogs, quesadillas, nachos and more!

Mobile Location  |  774-535-2417  

Southwest Waste is Florida’s premier recycling and collection company, offering full service waste hauling, disposal, recycling, and site work services. With four waste disposal locations, Southwest Waste Services is a leader in construction and demolition debris recycling - with services designed to fit your needs. Call us today to see how we can serve you!

2442 Rockfill Road, Fort Myers  |  239-939-5050

Gulf Shore Cooling, Inc may be known for being the leader in Fort Myers heating and cooling services, but we offer many more residential and commercial services to help better serve our customers. We offer indoor air quality solutions and products, so if you’re interested in improving the air you breathe, we can help. Plus, we offer duct cleaning, repairs, and installations, and even insulation services for our residential customers. 

6428 Commerce Park Drive, Fort Myers  |  239-321-6152 

The School District of Lee County is the 9th largest school district in Florida. We proudly educate over 90,000 students in grades K-12. Schools in Lee County play a key role in community life. With 12,000+ full- and part-time employees, the School District is one of the county's largest employers, and with the District's construction program, building new schools and renovating and expanding existing facilities, the District has been the area's largest developer.

2550 Colonial Blvd, Fort Myers  |  239-334-1102

GIFT SPONSORS:

Buff City Soap provided wonderful samples in each bag: kids' soap, adults' soap, and a single use laundry soap. Buff City hand makes their products daily with plant-based products. When you open their front door, you are immediately provided wonderful scents from within the store!

Mama's Blessings provided the decal on each of the Spread the Light gift bags. Mandy is the Owner of Mama’s Blessings located in Cape Coral, FL. She specializes in Custom Shirts, Tumblers, Signs, Scrabble Tiles and so much more! Check out your Pinterest Boards, or something you like on Etsy, and send it to Mandy to recreate it for you! Support a Local Business and get High Quality Work.

SWFL Reads was started by a local mama and her family, post-hurricane Ian. They saw the need to replace books that families lost during the storm, and they immediately began organizing the donation of hundreds of books! Their donations of books filled each of our Spread the Light gifts.

Full S.T.E.A.M Ahead provided STEM toys, stamps, and playdoh for our Spread the Light gift bags. They also provided valuable coupons for students to attend their educational STEM mini-camps during school's out days! Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead is operated by a husband and wife duo from the Collier County educational system, and it is home to a STEAM related after-school program and mini camps! Wrapped in their curriculum, they teach their "maker traits:" perseverance, fearless problem solving, idea generation, and self-guided learning.

We Rock the Spectrum (WRTS) provided coupons for one free visit to their indoor gym, for kids of all abilities! Ashley and Colt Green are the owner-operators of WRTS Fort Myers, and they ensure every child is able to enjoy themselves. They provide a safe, nurturing, and fun environment to foster learning, exploration and safe sensory experiences. They've got multiple sensory-friendly centers and kids' gym equipment for all to use. WRST hosts many fun activities and events, including birthday parties!

Whispering Oaks Farm provided lovely art work from their farm school students, to brighten up your walls! They also provided natural beeswax lip balm samples to try out. Ashley and Jake are the owners of Whispering Oaks Farm, a working farm located in Buckingham. They host many educational events, classes, and camps ... and they also have an RV AirBNB rental on their land! They raise ADGA Registered Nigerian Dwarf Goats, Babydoll Sheep, Jersey Cows, Kunekune pigs, Pedigree American Rabbits, Pedigree English Angora Rabbits, as well as a variety of Chickens, Ducks and Turkeys.

Brew Box Coffee Co provided coupons to use at their kid-friendly, mobile espresso bar. Their menu consists of lattes, macchiatos, and a very popular cold foam cold brew, just to name a few. For the big kid in all of us, they offer vanilla & cotton candy frappes! We have a new specials all the time, such as: dulce de leche lattes, seasonal frappes, and of course hot cocoa varieties! Brew Box Coffee Co uses organic coffee beans, all-natural flavors, and can also make your flavored lattes VEGAN with alternative milks. 

Sidecar Treats is a family-owned and operated ice cream shop located near downtown Cape Coral. They offer a variety of delicious ice cream treats, including cones, soft serve, boozy milkshakes, wine slushes, and more! The shop is so colorful, vibrant and welcoming for all.