Upcoming Events Sat, March 4- John R. Wood Bean Bag Tournament starting at 1 pm, 2959 Oleander Street, Saint James City. Volunteers needed. Please contact Linda Bohacek 715-579-5009. See details about the event below. Mon, March 6- March Board Meeting starting at 6 pm, at Lorie Tidwell's place. Tues, March 7- Hurricane Supply Giveaway, vetting starts at 8 am, at Pine Island UMC, 5701 Pine Island Road in Bokeelia. Contact Julia Gaylor 239-298-1113 if you are able to help. Thurs, March 9- PIE Fishing Derby Site Walk-Through, starting at 3 pm, at Jug Creek and Knights Landing. See section below! Sat, March 11- Bag 'n Tag Sorting and Packing starting at 9 am, at 7830 Lobean Lane in Bokeelia. Volunteers needed. See below for more details. Mon, March 13- March General Membership Meeting starting at 6:30 pm at House of Omelets, 900 SW Pine Island Rd in Cape Coral. See details below. Thurs, March 16- Bag 'n Tag Sorting and Packing starting at 9 am, at Lobean Lane in Bokeelia. Volunteers needed. See below for more details. Thurs, March 16- Pine Island Elementary SpringFest 5-7 pm, 5360 Ridgewood Dr, in Bokeelia, close to the center. Volunteers needed. See details below. Sat, March 18- Bag 'n Tag Pancake Breakfast Event starting at 8 am. Volunteers needed. See details below. Mon, March 20- Luau Wrap-Up Meeting starting at 6 pm. Location TBD. Sat, March 25- Outdoor Island Market 9 am- 2 pm at Fishers of Men Lutheran Church 10360 Stringfellow Rd in SJC. Volunteers needed. See details below. Members are encouraged to visit the website for up to date news, meeting minutes, financials, merchandise and committee event forms. |
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Madam's Corner Congratulations to the Luau Committee!! Everything seemed to go very well on Sunday, and everyone who I spoke with was enjoying themselves. I had a great time, beautiful day, good company, delicious wine and tasty food. There was a great variety of items to bid on and luckily, I came home with a few. We're getting down to the last of the Matlacha Hooker events for the season. Also check out the entire contents of the Hooker Heralds and our calendar on the website. There are always plenty of volunteer opportunities, and we all Volunteer, Volunteer, and Volunteer again! New Members - Volunteering is a great way to meet others, too. May you all be proud of the work that you do, the person that you are, and the difference that you make! Still proud to be a Matlacha Hooker! Madam DJ |
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Island Luau 2023 was AWESOME If you didn't attend the Matlacha Hookers Island Luau last Sunday, you missed a really great event. Hats off to the hardworking, creative chairpersons: Joanne Correia, Sandy Kerr, and Linda Bohacek. Their leadership, coordination, persistence, and patience paid off. Everyone at the event had fun - those attending and those volunteering. There was a mix of new and seasoned Hookers, working together on many of the components of the event - welcome table, leis, photo opportunities, social media exposure, Mystery Wine, Chic Boutique, decorations, silent auction, wine tasting and serving, 50-50 and FOOD. Huge thanks to Joanne, Sherri Davis and her team, pulling things together in the nick of time. The food prep, variety, and service were impeccable. Attendees also enjoyed awesome music - just the right mix and volume. The new site set up at the SJCCC worked very well, in addition to plenty of seats and our signature Florida sunshine. More info on the details of the success of the event to follow - but share a hug and a huge shout out to all who volunteered and enjoyed this tremendously enjoyable event. This exemplifies why Hookers do what we do and the difference we make to so many. |
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PIE SpringFest Needs Our Help!! This fun event is held at Pine Island Elementary on March 16th from 5-7 pm. The carnival-like event is the highlight of our school year. This is an evening for not only our students and their families to enjoy, but the whole Pine Island community. There will be bounce houses, an obstacle course, inflatable slides, a rock wall and several carnival games. We will have food served by Outback Steakhouse food truck and Blue Duck Ice Cream food truck, along with sales of popcorn, cotton candy, and drinks. We will also have a silent auction during the event with baskets from local businesses and local artists. All proceeds go the CPTO to purchase educational materials and experiences for the students. The school needs volunteers for this fun evening! We are seeking SEVERAL volunteers during the event. The event is 2 hours long and we separate volunteer times into 30-minute slots. Volunteers are needed in food areas, games, and monitoring of bounce houses. We could also use help setting up (3:30 pm- 5 pm) and cleaning up (7 pm-8 pm). Please bring water to stay hydrated and wear comfortable shoes. The best way to see the need for volunteers is on our Signup Genius (button below). Or you can contact the CPTO President, Seri at 239-544-0211 or montalbanofamily6@gmail.com *Please have your volunteer form turned in to the school office no later than 3/13/23. Thank you for your consideration. – The CPTO (Concerned Parent Teacher Organization) |
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Bag 'n Tag and Pancake Breakfast March 18 The one and only Bag 'n Tag will be held on Saturday, March 18th at the Moose Lodge on Stringfellow Road in SJC, and LOTS of volunteers are needed for set up, during the breakfast and event, and break down. Thank you to Co-Chairs Carolyn R and Sherri D, and to Gwen and her crew overseeing the Chic Boutique, Chris B overseeing the Jewelry at the Chic Boutique, and Julia and Natalie overseeing the Pancake Breakfast. Luckily, my plans to be out of town have changed and I will be able to assist with the planning, sorting, and the day of the event. I've lined up two (2) 14 ' enclosed trailers; thank you to Sherri D for loaning us one, and thanks to Jay Sanderson for the other one. Both will be at the Maxwell House on Saturday, March 11th. If you have items to donate, please have them at the Maxwell House, 7830 Lobean Lane in Bokeelia, by Saturday, March 11th. Dropping off that day will be fine. Saturday, March 11th from 9:00am until 3:00pm, with a break for lunch around 11:30am, we will be sorting items that have been donated in the last several weeks; and packing up the trailers. Thursday, March 16th from 9:00am until completed, with a lunch break around 11:30am, we will complete all sorting and packing. Saturday, March 18th at 7:00am ALL Bag 'n Tag and Kitchen Crew volunteers will be needed for set up and preparation. We will be setting up tables and tents, and unloading the two trailers. The Pancake Breakfast will begin at 8:00am, followed by the Bag 'n Tag at 8:30am. The Breakfast usually sells out by 11:30am and the Bag 'n Tag will run until 2:00pm.
Any items not sold will be donated to the Pine Island Community Church (PICC) Thrift Store. This is our FINAL event to raise monies for our Hooked on Education Scholarship Program! There will be sign-up sheets at our March Membership Meeting on Monday, March 13th, at the House of Omelets. Come to think of it, this is actually our final event of the Winter Season. Thank you in advance for volunteering. Madam DJ |
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Hooked on Education The 2023 Hooked on Education scholarship applications are here! To date the Hookers have awarded over $227,000 in scholarships to deserving local students. The application is available to download, complete, and return by the firm deadline of April 14, 2023. Eligibility qualifications: Student must meet one (1 ) of the following requirements. - Applicant is a full time Greater Pine Island resident (for one year or more) - Former Pine Island Elementary school student - A current Matlacha Hooker (for one year or more) - Immediate family member of a current Matlacha Hooker (for one year or more) Any questions, please contact Scholarship Chairperson, Laura Suria at 618-410-1210. |
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Hooked on Education Secret Sisterhood Scholarship Fund We will once again offer the opportunity for members who wish to donate any amount anonymously to the Secret Sisterhood Scholarship. Secret Sisterhood funds will be combined to offer a $2,000 Hooked on Education scholarship. Donations can be made by check or cash and dropped off at a general meeting, or mailed to Post Office Box 111, Matlacha, FL 33993. Donations can also be made online by clicking on the button below, and the "Use this donation for" drop down box, then select Scholarship Program. After choosing payment method, there will be a "Write a note (optional)" space to enter Secret Sisterhood Scholarship. Thanks for spreading the word and your generous donations. Please join us to help our students succeed. |
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Beacon of Hope Volunteer Needed The Beacon of Hope needs a volunteer to deliver Beacon Bites (one meal, similar to Meals on Wheels) to seniors who live on Pine Island and Matlacha. Deliveries are on the fourth Tuesday of every month, mid-morning, and can take 2-3 hours to complete. Call Billie Young 814-404-0378 for more details. |
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Supply Giveaway for Full-time and now Part-time residents! Each resident can pick up 10 sheets of drywall, 5 sheets of plywood, 1 roll Romex wire 250', 1 pack of wire nuts, 1 pack of electrical outlets. We are looking for strong volunteers the day of to help load supplies and also people who may be able to help with deliveries. Know someone who can help please call/text Julia at 239-298-1113 | | |
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General Membership Meeting Monday, March 13, 2023 House of Omelets 900 SW Pine Island Rd Doors open at 5 pm. The meeting begins promptly at 6:30 pm. If you're unable to make it, please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://meet.goto.com/205631989
You can also dial in using your phone. United States: +1 (646) 749-3122
Access Code: 205-631-989 Please don't forget to bring food pantry donations! (Keep reading to the end of this newsletter for more details.) |
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OUTDOOR ISLAND MARKET Saturday, March 25 9 AM - 2 PM Fishers of Men Lutheran Church 10360 Stringfellow Rd, Saint James City Keep It Local! This great event is continuing to encourage people to shop and support our local island community throughout the year. The Matlacha Hookers will be there and could use your help. Contact Linda Bohacek 715-579-5009 |
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It's never been a better time to think about getting away from it all! Plan on purchasing a raffle ticket at the next General Meeting and support the Matlacha Hooker's General Fund | | |
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Pine Island Elementary Fishing Derby!!! We have found a location for the kid's fishing! Jug Creek and Knights Landing in Bokeelia will be hosting our event on Sunday May 21st!!! Dust off your Derby notes and let's make it great! If you were on the P.I.E. Committee and want to join us for a walk through of the area and discuss our options come join us on Thursday, March 9th at Jug Creek at 3pm!! Questions? Call/text Julia at 239-298-1113 All Merch will be available to purchase on April 2nd! |
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Pine Island Food Pantry News The Food Pantry is in need of the following items: bar soap, dish detergent, laundry detergent, canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, instant potatoes, and all types of crackers (saltines, Ritz, Townhouse, oyster/soup). Please bring donations to the next General Meeting or drop off at one of the following locations: Winn-Dixie, V.F.W., American Legion, Moose, Centennial Bank, the Matlacha Post Office or at the pantry when it is open on Monday and Thursdays, 8:30 am - 10:30 am. Visit pineislandfoodpantry.org to learn more. Thank you! |
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Membership Information New password for website was updated February 27th. Members Only Area Password: @HMP23 |
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Herald and website content submissions, along with questions or concerns, should be sent to Christy Rau at MHwebmistress@gmail.com. Please do not email Christy by replying to, or forwarding a Herald publication. Since we use the free version of WIX for both our website and emails, the Herald emails actually go out under a different email address, which she does not have access to. |
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