Fashionable Fundraiser for Parkinson Research

The Neuro Challenge Foundation is proud to announce their First Annual Fundraiser and Fashion Show on March 5th, 2009 at 5:30 pm at The Met Fashion House and Day Spa on St. Armand’s Circle. All models will be Parkinson Disease patients or their caregivers.

The Neuro Challenge Foundation, led by Physician Advisor and Sarasota Neurologist Dean P. Sutherland, M.D., Ph.D., and Foundation President Doreen Sutherland, is dedicated to the fight against Parkinson Disease. The Foundation, operated entirely through volunteer time and charitable donations, maintains a full-service, state-of-the-art Parkinson Disease Center in Sarasota, Florida . At the Center, patients and families can receive free surgical and non-surgical treatments, counseling, health and fitness advice, home services and more. The Center offers a level of care that rivals major university medical centers. Patients seen at the Parkinson Disease Center have access to the latest information, medications, surgeries, diagnostic tests, rehabilitation services and alternative therapies. As a result, the reputation of the Center has grown by leaps and bounds, extending to the entire state of Florida and beyond.

Dave Anderson, a Sarasota resident who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 14 years ago, thinks the free care plans, counseling services and patient-centered approach to care promoted by Neuro Challenge make him feel better about his life and his future. While a Parkinson diagnosis can be both devastating and challenging, a hopeful perspective can help to ease the burden. “The good news is a little hope goes a long way,” says Anderson. Neuro Challenge is dedicated to providing that hope for the 5,000 people diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the Sarasota/Manatee area.
The First Annual Fundraiser and Fashion Show will be hosted by Cause4Fashion, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds in health, education, social welfare and children’s issues. Formerly Cure by Design, this group has raised millions of dollars for the American Cancer Society. On March 5th, Cause4Fashion will bring the show to Sarasota, in benefit for the Neuro Challenge Foundation. Tickets for the event are $25 and include cocktails and artistic fare from Chef Geoffrey Blythe of San Francisco. All proceeds will benefit the Foundation and their Parkinson Disease Center.

Kangaroo is honored to donate media relations and webmarketing for this important event.

Tribute & Book Signing with Carol Leonard

Florida Friends of Midwives was honored and thrilled to welcome midwife and activist Carol Leonard, co-founder of Midwives Alliance of North America, to Sarasota this weekend.

A tribute dinner was held at the Monterey Grill on Friday, February 6th. Providing fabulous music for the event were Radio-Free Carmela and the Transmitters, led by local doula, birth assistant, and childbirth educator Carmela Pedicini. Carol read excerpts from her nationally acclaimed novel Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart, A Midwife's Saga, while honoring the many midwives, doulas and childbirth educators in attendance.

Joining Carol Friday evening were her husband Tom (with whom she is building Bad Beaver Farm in Maine entirely out of salvaged materials), as well as her sister Wendy and mother Louise.Licensed Midwife Christina Holmes invited Carol to tour Birthways Family Birth Center the following morning, where she was very pleasantly surprised by a new baby, born there just hours before. Carol signed copies of Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart at Selby Library on Saturday, generously donating a portion of the proceeds to Florida Friends of Midwives. She read excerpts from the book, including the birth story of her son Milan, and the Halloween birth she attended in full stork costume. Attending the book signing all the way from Sweden was midwife Heidi Dahlborg, founder of Sarasota's Rosemary Birthing Home.
This event brought together most of our community's midwives, midwifery advocates, and midwives in training. Pictured here (from top left) are Tracy Topjun, CNM, Carol Leonard, NHCM, Heidi Dahlborg, LM, Harmony Miller, LM, Alina Vogelhut, LM, Becky Martin, original founder of Florida Friends of Midwives, Julie Martin, CPM, Cheryl Kindred, student midwife, Iris Dahlborg, and Mfon Ikpeinyang, student midwife. Unable to attend were Christina Holmes, LM, and Cathy Matthews, LM, who attended Friday's tribute dinner.

Book Signing: Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart

Florida Friends of Midwives is excited to welcome Carol Leonard to Sarasota in celebration of her nationally acclaimed novel Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart, A Midwife's Saga. Ms. Leonard will be honored with a tribute dinner on Friday, February 6th, in Sarasota, preceding a book signing at the Selby Public Library on Saturday, February 7th.

Carol Leonard, a 'foremother of the modern midwifery movement,' is a New Hampshire Certified Midwife who has been practicing for the last three decades. She is co-founder of the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA) representing all midwives in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, serving one term as President. Her work to improve maternity care in Moscow, Russia, was featured on 20/20 and was written into Congressional Record. She has delivered approximately 1,200 babies safely into their own homes.

Often laugh-out-loud funny and irreverent, occasionally disturbing and deeply sorrowful, Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart is the saga of Ms. Leonard's journey as New Hampshire's first modern midwife. Her story intertwines three threads: her dedication to the mothers and babies she was groomed to attend; the growing renaissance, despite formidable opposition, of the profession of midwifery in New Hampshire and then in the United States; and finally, a powerful, tragic love story.

"Carol Leonard's memoir of becoming a midwife in New Hampshire during the mid-1970's overflows with her gifts as a storyteller as well as intuitive midwife," says Ina May Gaskin, author of Spiritual Midwifery. "Inspiring, often hilarious, always touching and full of beans, she takes us through her apprenticeship with an old country doctor, the politics of the U.S. midwifery movement and her own personal story of love, loss and deep dedication to women's health. She's my kind of midwife!"

In October 2008, Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart was awarded the prestigious annual Mothers Naturally Award of Excellence for "Midwives in Media" for Oustanding Book of 2008. The award was presented in the beautiful Traverse City Opera House in Traverse City, Michigan. The award states: "Mothers Naturally Awards commend outstanding achievement in childbirth activism, advocacy for normal birth, and empowerment of women in childbirth."

Ms. Leonard will be selling signed copies of Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart at Selby Library on Saturday, February 7th, from 12:00pm to 2:00pm. Proceeds will benefit Florida Friends of Midwives, a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting the Midwives Model of Care and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida. A tribute dinner will be held in Ms. Leonard's honor on Friday, February 6th, at 7:00 pm at The Monterey Grill in Sarasota. Live music will be provided by Radio-Free Carmela and the Transmitters.

ABOUT CAROL LEONARD:

• Was the first midwife certified to practice legally in NH in 1982
• Received the Bronze Medal for Bravery from the Australian government in 1984
• Was on the Today Show with Jane Pauley in 1985
• Was elected President of the Midwives Alliance of North America (the professional organization for midwives in the U.S., Canada and Mexico) in Wheeling, WV in 1986
• Purportedly, was the first American to deliver a Soviet/Russian baby in a Moscow rodom, filmed and featured on 20/20 with Barbara Walters in 1991
• The unpublished manuscript of Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart was installed in the Margaret Sanger Archives at Smith College in 1999
• As a lobbyist for the New Hampshire Midwives Ass'n, Leonard won a heated legislative battle mandating insurance coverage for home births in NH in 2007
• 10/2008, Leonard's self-published memoir Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart, A Midwife's Saga was awarded the Mothers Naturally Award of Excellence for Outstanding Book 2008

ABOUT LADY'S HANDS, LION'S HEART:

• Pulication date: July 2008
• Author: Carol Leonard, NHCM
• Title: Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart, A Midwife's Saga
• ISBN: 978-0-615-19550-6
• Price: $15.00
• 368 pages, trim 5.5 x 8.5
• A trade paperback, includes glossary
• Publishing House: Bad Beaver Publishing
• Midwifery, Women's Health, Autobiography

ABOUT FLORIDA FRIENDS OF MIDWIVES:

Midwives have a long and valued history in Florida. Originally founded in 1989, Florida Friends of Midwives has been resurrected with a new vision to respond to the emerging challenges faced by Florida's midwives. Florida Friends of Midwives (FFOM) is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting the Midwives Model of Care and supporting the practice of midwifery in Florida.

Florida Friends of Midwives was formed to support midwives who offer safe, cost-effective, evidence based care to Florida's Families. Our members are consumers and birth advocates with a common goal: to preserve the legal protection afforded to Florida's midwives and birth centers. We are committed to organizing the community to support midwives and to assure the continued availability of midwifery care in the State of Florida.

Michael A. Gilkey, Jr. Lectures at USF Sarasota

Michael A. Gilkey, Jr., landscape architect with Michael A. Gilkey, Inc., was honored to have been invited to participate in the Academy for Lifelong Learning's lecture series entitled Architecture, The Framework of our Lives. Michael's presentation was called Landscape Design: The taming of garden spaces with ecological considerations. Moderating the discussion was Harold Bubil, Real Estate editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Michael taught a class of about seventy people a brief history of landscape architecture in America, conceptual principles of design, principles of sustainability, and an overview of his recent work. A beautiful slide presentation accompanied the lecture, compiled by Jason Riley, project designer at Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. Project photography for the slideshow was taken by Gana Gilkey. Additional information and photography was collected from the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Tebrugge to be Honored at World Peace Day Event

Longtime Public Defender Adam Tebrugge will be honored for his 23 years of service to the poor in Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties when the Southwest Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice celebrates World Day of Peace Thursday, January 1st.

The celebration will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road in Sarasota. The celebration is free and open to the public. It starts at 11 a.m.

ABOUT ADAM TEBRUGGE

Adam Tebrugge was born in Tampa, Florida in 1961. He came to Sarasota where he attended New College, majored in Religion and Political Science, and spent a semester in the press office of Governor Bob Graham. After graduating with high honors from the Florida State University College of Law, Adam returned to Sarasota in 1984 to join the Public Defender's office. He spent the next 23 years there until resigning to run for election in 2008. During his time at the office, Adam became well known for his preparation and passion in the courtroom as he defended a succession of high profile cases. In 2008 he received the Jim Slater award for professionalism in the practice of criminal law.

A life long opponent of capital punishment, Adam defended more than a dozen death penalty cases in the Sarasota-Bradenton area. In the 1990's, he joined the Death Penalty Steering Committee of the Florida Public Defender's Association. The main focus of this group was to ensure that attorneys were properly trained to defend capital cases throughout the State of Florida. For more than a decade, Adam gave the primary lecture on death penalty law and procedure to hundreds of attorneys attending the annual "Life Over Death" seminar.

In 2002, Adam began publicly speaking out against the death penalty. He was invited to attend a variety of churches, schools, professional and civic groups to discuss the cost and unfair application of capital punishment. In 2008, Adam campaigned for Public Defender by stressing the historic mission of the office and its role in protecting the constitutional rights of all citizens. Additionally, Adam serves on the board of directors of the Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness and is active with a variety of other organizations. He has now opened his own law practice, and remains available to speak on issues of criminal justice reform and abolition of the death penalty.

Thank You from Kangaroo Promotions

Kangaroo Promotions would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the clients that have kicked off our company in high style. As our first calendar year comes to a close, we reflect on the people and projects that have allowed us to celebrate their work, their creativity, and our community. We look forward to adding your name to this distinguished list in 2009!

KANGAROO PROMOTIONS PORTFOLIO :: 2008
Florida Friends of Midwives
event planning / fundrasing ('The Business of Being Born' screening)

Michael A. Gilkey, Inc.
web design coordination, marketing, award application, media relations

Marcy Chapman
event planning (art exhibit), consumer relations, web marketing

Sarah Hinds
public art application grant writing, e-commerce marketing package

Fish Branch Tree Farm
web marketing

The Birth Survey
web marketing (nationwide launch)

Bella Casa of Sarasota
web design coordination

Bevinco of Sarasota
web marketing

Concrete Countertops, Etc.
business development, graphic design coordination, web marketing

Adam Tebrugge
campaign web marketing

Sharp Painting
graphic design coordination, investor relations, website coordination

THANK YOU TO OUR ASSOCIATED DESIGNERS
Biscuit Studios :: Lucky Design Studio
Strawberry Moon Photography

Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. in Sunday Herald

Excerpt from the article:

"Because Gilkey was able to save the eight large oaks on the property, the garden rooms look established and as though they have evolved over time.

This past fall, Gilkey won a state award for the Casey Key landscaping project in the category of Residential New Construction. Judges for the Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) praised Gilkey for successfully designing hardscape and landscape in unison to embrace the architecture, the site and the client's tropical desires.

The homeowners couldn't have said it better themselves. 'What I like best about this property is coming home to it,' said the husband."

Kangaroo was happy to provide media relations for the article.

Bella Casa of Sarasota Launches New Website

Kangaroo Promotions is proud to announce the launch of the new website for Bella Casa of Sarasota, the Gulf Coast's premier custom waterfront home builder. Please take a moment and visit, and tour some of the incredible homes that Bella Casa of Sarasota has created in our community.

Kangaroo Promotions was proud to coordinate website design by Biscuit Studios and write a bit of copy for the site. We look forward to showing you more of these exquisitely crafted homes.

Michael A. Gilkey, Inc.: Celebrating E-Fest

Last weekend marked the fourth annual E-fest, a Sarasota celebration of conscious living. Josh Wynne Construction invited Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. to join in their display at the festival as part of his team. Kangaroo teamed up with Gilkey designer Jason Riley to coordinate a promotional display that helped Wynne receive accolades for having one of the nicest booths at the festival.

Reflecting upon the principles of sustainability, the team designed table tents including individual packets of Coreopsis leavenworthii, or Tickseed, the Florida State Wildflower. One side demonstrated how to grow the flowers (with a conceptual emphasis on their continuing cycle), and the other answered the question: Why hire a landscape architect for your sustainable design? Landscape architect Michael A. Gilkey, Jr. added native materials he used at the recently completed Codding Cottage to the display, including the innovative Coconut Mulch, native plants such as Duranta erecta and Muhlenbergia capillaris, and clay brick.

The principles of concsious design were realized beautfully at the Codding Cottage, the first Platinum Level One LEED Certified Home in our community. Gilkey used harvested rainwater in the irrigation system, native plants and recycled materials, and appropriate design to ensure sustainability. Riley incorporated this philosophy beautifully in the e-fest display. Please join Josh Wynne Construction and Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. at the Junior League Holiday Tour of Homes, December 5th and 6th, for an exclusive look at the most energy efficient home in Florida, located right here in the historic Laurel Park district.

Adam Tebrugge: A Job Well Done

Kangaroo Promotions would like to congratulate Adam Tebrugge on conducting a campaign worthy of imitation and deserving of his community's respect. As he ran for Public Defender of the 12th Judicial Circuit and lost by less than a percentage point, Adam maintained paramount criteria for integrity, honesty and general good karma. Adam refused to malign his opponent, campaigning instead on the passion that had driven him to fight for the rights of every citizen in our community, regardless of income, for twenty-three years.

It was a sincere pleasure to be involved, even in small part, with Mr. Tebrugge's campaign. We wish his opponent and victor Larry Eger all the best as he succeeds Elliot Metcalfe in defending the rights of our indigent citizens. It is my candid and sincere hope that Mr. Eger has acquired, through over two decades of comaraderie with Mr. Tebrugge, some of that same passion. It will be necessary as he fights for those who need him the most, and sometimes for those who commit the crimes we all cannot bear to think of; for these are American citizens and they deserve their Constitutional rights within our justice system.

Three cheers for Adam Tebrugge, a true champion of equality, a man of principal, and a servant of the people.