This past weekend was further reinforcement about just how special a place our Florida Keys home really is. We all know and love the natural wonders that surround us — the beautiful waters, sunny blue skies, a living coral reef and some amazing flora and fauna. One additional aspect of Keys life that deserves our attention is how awesome the people in our community are.
Let’s start with last Friday night. My Take Stock in Children student, Dakota Mertyris, had a nice part in the musical “Newsies” — so we went to cheer him on. The Marathon Middle and High School Drama Club staged this production and put in nearly nine months of rehearsal to pull off an incredible show full of song and dance. More than 30 MMHS students were in the cast, along with more than 20 crew members, also mostly students. There were contributions from many community members, and all those months of preparation came to fruition as the lights went down in the auditorium.
The production was absolutely amazing. It’s hard to imagine all the work that went into getting the cast to sing all the songs, some of them with intricate harmonies — all while they were dancing, cartwheeling, and even tap dancing. Choreographer Cami Holdinga started dance lessons with the cast members last August, and the result was spellbinding. Even when the school district’s I.T. department shut down all school computers countywide during Friday night’s show, the actors and singers carried on, performing complicated song and dance numbers flawlessly without any musical accompaniment.
My only regret is that “Newsies” was only performed for two nights. I wish more people could have seen these students shine under the spotlight. It was a short run, but a magnificent one, indeed.
The next morning, the Rotary Club of Marathon hosted our traditional Easter Egg Hunt for the kiddos at Rotary Field of Dreams Park. Event chair Leigha Fox was finally able to empty her closet of the 4,000 eggs she’s held on to since the pandemic canceled the last two hunts. A group of Rotarians and local volunteers (thank you Brayden Brabenec, Bryson Seligson and Synthia Robles) assembled at 9 a.m. and took about an hour to stage the party and hide the eggs. It then took the kids about 10 minutes to pick the park clean.
The Easter Bunny was on hand to pose for photos and complete the kids’ holiday experience — thanks, Cara! It was a great sendoff event for Rotary Park, as it is going to be completely rebuilt! Bricks (for the new walkway at the park) are for sale to help offset costs, and volunteers will be needed during park construction days. To find out more about either, contact Paul Davis at the City of Marathon Parks & Recreation department.
The Easter Bunny’s work was not done, however, as he made another appearance at the Adult Easter Egg Hunt at Havana Jack’s (thanks, Joaquin). Presents in Paradise put on this fun event at Havana Jack’s, and so many people came out to buy Easter Eggs that all had some cool prizes hidden inside. Presents got a nice bunch of donations from some of our fantastic local business owners, and the staff at Havana Jack’s and Glunz Ocean Beach Resort took such good care of us — their support for Presents In Paradise has helped so many local families during the holiday season.
Thanks to all the local businesses that donated: Cash Flow Pawn & Jewelry, Flowers by J&J, Marathon Bagel, Shady Palm Art Gallery, Food for Thought, Sea Level Spa, Laura Hackney Designs, Kim Crouthamel/Starfish Designs, Curvy Conch, The Tackle Box, Oasis Nails, Midas Touch, Paradise Flavors, Bayshore Clothing and Ingrid Tyree. Thanks also to Shawn Carter for donating $200 back from his 50/50 jackpot, and all the staff at Havana Jack’s. Ty Thurman and his Waterfront Orchestra provided the perfect soundtrack to the event, and the full moon shining on the ocean turned out to be the perfect end to the perfect day.
Those two days last weekend were filled with events and examples of the people and things that make our islands a great place to call home. Marathon’s reputation as The Heart of the Keys really is true, and we as a community are freakin’ awesome!
– Catch John this Saturday, Sunday and Monday at Boondocks, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Key Colony Inn, Thursdays at Sparky’s Landing, and Fridays on Facebook Live. Music available wherever you get your streaming or downloads. www.johnbartus.com
