Unite For Change Party

Thank you to everyone who was able to make it to Heathrow for the Unite For Change party this past Saturday, and thank you again to Mr. and Mrs. Rahaman for hosting the event (that cake was fantastic!). We heard some very inspiring stories, made a few new friends, and had a chance to address some concerns about the voting process here in Florida. After our last few troubled elections, these concerns are only natural, and it's a good thing the Seminole Dems were there to fill us in. Getting more involved in the election process will also help eliminate this problem- volunteer at the polls, encourage your friends to vote, and insist that the rules are followed. Also, remember that you can always call your local County Supervisor of Elections Office for more information.
Orange: http://www.ocfelections.com/
Seminole: http://www.semcoelections.org

Speaking of volunteering, there is quite a bit going on this week. Here is a list of upcoming events:

Ongoing
Canvassing w/ the Sem Dems
When: 10 a.m. Saturday, July 5
Contact: Richie at 407-963-6925

Data entry w/ the Sem Dems
When: Every Tuesday evening. Contact Ernie for details -- elangdon2@cfl.rr.com
Where: DEC office, 125 Robin Road, Altamonte Springs

Phone banking w/ the Sem Dems
When: 6-9 p.m. Tuesday, July 10
Where: DEC office, 125 Robin Road, Altamonte Springs
More info: contact G.K. at communications@seminoledemocrats.com or 321-696-3534

Thursday, July 3
Red, Hot and Boom Voter Registration/ Night of Fun and Fireworks
Altamonte Springs, Crane's Roost Park
4-10 p.m. (Fireworks begin at 9:30)
For more information, contact Necole at NecoleDuncan@live.com

Friday, July 4
Fireworks at the Fountain 4th of July Celebration
Lake Eola, Downtown Orlando
4-10 p.m. (Fireworks begin at 9:15)
For more information, contact Necole at NecoleDuncan@live.com

Sunday, July 6
I-4 Corridor For Change Meeting
5 p.m.
Panera Bread, Altamonte Springs
At the corner of 436 and Maitland Ave.

Monday, July 7
UCF Students For Barack Obama Meeting
Student Union, UCF campus 4- 5:30 p.m.
contact: NecoleDuncan@live.com

American Momentum Building
Gray-Robinson, Downtown Orlando
7 p.m.
"Come find out how you can get involved in the Obama campaign! Hear from campaign staffers, local organizers and sign up to volunteer!"
RSVP on the MyBO website (follow link)

Tuesday, July 8
UCF College Democrats Meeting
UCF campus, 7 p.m.
contact: Chris Chambers
cchambers@studentsforbarackobama.com

Wednesday, July 9
The Central Florida Democracy For America Meetup
Orlando Public Library, 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 13
Voter Registration, AKA Lounge
9 p.m. *Pine & Magnolia, Downtown
68 East Pine Street
Orlando, FL 32801

Saturday, July 19
Canvass For Change
*Everywhere*
"Please come and join the Obama for America campaign at the Orlando 4 Obama grassroots headquarters. We will be going out into various communities across the city to knock on doors at 10 am and 3 pm. Bring your friends and family - Let's build the hope together here in the magic city of Orlando. See you there!"

I-4 Corridor For Change Car Wash
Altamonte Springs, FL (location to be announced)
10 a.m.

Seminole County DEC Office Grand Opening/Fundraiser
NEW OFFICE (yay!)
125 Robin Road, Altamonte Springs
5 p.m., families welcome
"Come celebrate the Grand Opening of the Seminole County Democratic Party's new Headquarters! Meet local candidates while munching on hot dogs and other goodies."

Sunday, July 20
Community Barbeque
11 a.m. until we get rained out (so far the forecast looks good)
Dinky Dock Park, Winter Park
Join us for food and friends at this fun social event. Meet other community groups, talk politics, and help to organize your community for Obama.

Monday, July 21
Orange County Dems Monthly Meeting, 7 p.m.
Classroom Teachers Association

1020 Webster Avenue
Orlando, FL 32803
"Gather with us as we join forces with the local Democratic Party at their monthly meeting. Learn more about the local political scene as well as next steps for the Obama campaign both locally and nationally."

Tuesday, July 22
Alan Grayson For Congress Meetup
Langford Park, 6:30
1808 E. Central Blvd
Orlando, FL 32803

Thursday, July 24
Seminole Dems Monthly Meeting 7 p.m.
Eastmonte Civic Center, Altamonte Springs
830 Magnolia Drive
Altamonte Springs, FL 32701
*This is the last general meeting before the August primary election and the Democratic National Convention, so there is much to be done!

*If I have missed something, or you would like to include your event contact: I4CorridorForChange@gmail.com
~~~
News from the Orange County Dems:

"Quite a few of our best candidates have pulled last minute challengers for the November Elections. State Attorney Lawson Lamar and Elections Supervisor Bill Cowles are in races. So are Tally Reps Darren Soto (Dist 32), Scott Randolph (Dist 36), and Tony Sasso (Dist 32). That's why The Democratic Party of Orange County is rev-ing up for all our races. "

The Presidential race is so exciting this year that sometimes it's easy to forget that there are other people running for election- but other Central Florida progressive candidates need our support, too. I will be linking to the websites of the candidates here on the I4 Corridor blog, so check the margins for more information about each.
~~~
**I-4 Corridor For Change Newsletter**
You may have noticed these e-mails popping up once a day in your inbox. They are a collection of interesting news stories and commentary provided by Mr. Rahaman for anyone who would like to read them. If you are not receiving them yet, or if you want to opt out, contact:
Sultan Rahaman: wellnessphysician-uniteforchange@yahoo.com
~~~
Pictures!
Unite For Change Party, June 28th
at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Rahaman



We found it! Thanks to the balloons


Definitely the right place : )

Our hosts, the Rahamans (not all of them- Joe is second from the left and that's me on the end)
Next stop...Obama cake


People to know in this picture: second from the left is Marian Williams, State Committee Woman for the Seminole County Democratic Executive Committee (she's very helpful, and throughout the meeting encouraged everyone to become more involved with the Seminole County Democrats), and to the right of her are Belinda Morgan-Sterling and Chris Mincey, active Obama volunteers who regularly schedule local voter registration drives.

This is Lee Wild, Chair of the Seminole County Dems Administration and Credentials Committee and hero to Democrats everywhere. If she can't walk the precincts, she will drive everyone over there, she says. Thank you, Lee.

Here we're all watching the video prepared for the event.
Joe admitted that he choked up a bit watching volunteers from across the country share their stories (sorry, Joe, your secret is out) : )
About 35 people attended the event (our largest gathering so far!), and a few dropped in toward the end. It was nice to meet so many interested, involved members of my community.
Yes, that is an Obama bumper sticker on my folder.
After the video we shared our own stories

This is my favorite picture
This is Pablo Vega, who attended our last meeting and brought his son and daughter to the party.


A visiting Fellow from another state. It was great to hear about Obama work elsewhere.


I hope you all enjoyed the event. We will be planning another social event for this coming week, probably on Wednesday or Thursday. More to come about that. I hope you all have a terrific week. Barack the Vote!

*Community Events, June*

There is plenty going on this month! The Obama campaign is in town, and they are working hard to bring the Central Florida community together. Check out the upcoming meetings of the Seminole and Orange County Democrats, including a few purely social events for some liberal fun. Here is a collection of the information I have gathered:

---
2008 Jefferson-Jackson Dinner
http://www.fladems.com/page/content/jj08-index/
June 14, 2008
The Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa
3555 South Ocean Drive
Hollywood, FL 33019
Phone (954) 602-6000
www.diplomatresort.com
Individual dinner tickets can be purchased for $175, or $1750 for a table of ten.

---


---


---
June 16
Orange County Democratic Executive Committee Meeting
7 p.m.
Classroom Teachers Association
1020 Webster Avenue, Orlando
"Monthly Meeting of Elected and Appointed members of the Orange County Democratic Executive Committee (OCDEC)
All registered Democrats in Orange County are welcome to attend, observe, learn more about, and join the OCDEC."

June 17
Greater Orlando Team Hillary Endorses Barack Obama Party
When: Tuesday, June 17th 2008, at 6:30 PM
Where: Stonewall Bistro
741 W. Church St.
Orlando, FL 32805
Host: Jessy Hamilton
Contact: jessy.hamilton@gmail.com
Info: Party! Join Greater Orlando's Team Hillary and Orlando4Obama for the Democratic party of the summer on Tuesday 17 June at Stonewall Bistro in beautiful downtown Orlando. Festivities begin at 6:30pm. Bring your friends, family members, and all undecided voters! More details to come, so stay tuned... (Call 407-452-8432 for info)
Together: yes, we can!
Notes: RSVP Now at: http://hrclinton.meetup.com/54/calendar/8098898/

---
Juneteenth Celebrations, Saturday June 21
http://www.juneteenth.com/
"Commemorate the end of slavery with food, fun and remembrance at area Juneteenth weekend celebrations. Local organizations will pay advance honors to the day of June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. Oakland's African American Arts Festival will feature performances from gospel singer Nyoki and spoken word artist Willie Lowman, while a fifth annual gathering in Leesburg offers a soul food fest and music by the Mary Banks International Singers." - Orlando Sentinel
Cost: FREE

1. Berry Park (Leesburg, FL)
2121 John's Avenue
10:00 AM
Contact: (352) 365-3592
or lakecounty4obama@gmail.com

2. Fort Mellon Park (Sanford, FL)
600 E 1st St.
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

3. Speer Park (Oakland, FL)
AAA Festival
331 N. Tubb St., Oakland
10 a.m.-4 p.m

---
Orange County Young Democrats General Meeting
June 25 at Gray-Robinson in Downtown Orlando
301R Pine St, Orlando

---
June 26
Seminole County Young Democrats General Meeting
6:00 p.m.
Tijuana Flats
895 E. Altamonte Dr.
Altamonte Springs
321-594-5665 for directions

Seminole County Democrats General Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Eastmonte Civic Center
830 Magnolia Dr, Altamonte Springs, FL
(407) 869-2608
From intersection of I-4 and S.R. 436, proceed east on S.R. 436 for approximately three miles. Turn Right on Ronald Reagan Blvd., pass Orienta Avenue on your right, and turn right onto Magnolia Drive.

---
June 27
Orange County Young Democrats Speak Easy
The Beacon - 100 S. Eola Drive, Orlando, FL
5:30pm – 8:30pm
"The Speakeasy is a monthly event we hold the last Friday of every month where local elected officials and candidates come and speak. Last month Congressional District 24 candidate Suzanne Kosmos came to speak to us. In the past we've had the Mayor of Orlando and all the city commissioners, county commissioners, and state legislators come speak. On Friday June 27 we're having Orange County Sherriff Candidate Jerry Demings come speak. If elected, he'd be the first countywide elected official in Orange County history."
For more information call Darren Vierday at (407) 760-7021

---
Countdown to November (Meeting)
Please join Barack Obama supporters on Saturday June 28, 2008 at Beef O’Brady’s in Oviedo. The goal of this event is to bring together all of the Barrck Obama groups, and individual supporters located in Central Florida to share ideas, goals, and plans for the remainder of the election. We are coming to the downhill slope of this election and it is important for everyone to work together over the next few months to ensure that we will get the Change we are all looking for come November. Hope to see you there!
Time: Saturday, June 28 at 7:00 PM
Duration: 3 hours
Host: Kristen King
Location: Beef O'Brady's (Oviedo, FL)
1817 East Broadway
Bldg 6
Oviedo, FL 32765

---
Voter Registration
Thursday, June 12
Community Feeding - Dinner
5:30pm - 7:30pm
First Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church
700 Elm St. (Located at Elm & 7th Street)
Sanford, FL. 32771
Contact: Belinda, unique111@aol.com

Saturday, June 14
Wal-Mart, Casselberry
We'll be meeting at the IHOP on 436 in Casselberry at noon to go over a few basics and have some pancakes. Then we'll be heading over to Wal-Mart.
Shifts:
12:30-2:30 (Chris)
2:30-4:30
Contacts: Necole & Chris, NecoleDuncan@live.com

Monday, June 16
St. Paul Baptist Church, Sanford
9:30am - 12:30pm
Contact: Belinda, unique111@aol.com

Friday, June 20

Denton Johnson Community Center
400 Ruffel Street
Eatonville, FL.
Time - 4:00pm - 6:30pm
This is city property, please do not wear Obama gear


Saturday, June 21

Nu Vision Hair & Nails
Denise Williams - Owner
4512 S. Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, FL
Located in the Orange Blossom Trail Shopping Center
Time: 12:00pm


Monday, June 23

Community Lunch Feeding, Clothing and Personal Care Items Giveaway Event
St. Paul Baptist Church Fellowship Center
813 Pine St.
Sanford, FL 32771
Time - 9:30am - 1:00pm
Attire - Please do not wear Obama gear


Westmonte Park Community Center
624 Bills Lane
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
Time - 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Please do not wear Obama gear or show anything representing any local or national candidate or discuss your candidate preference while you are doing the voter registration drive



Tuesday, June 24

Lillie H. Green Community Center
325 Station St.
Altamonte Springs, FL
Time - 4:00pm - 6:30 pm
Please do not wear Obama gear


Westmonte Park Community Center
624 Bills Lane
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
Time - 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Please do not wear Obama gear or show anything representing any local or national candidate or discuss your candidate preference while you are doing the voter registration drive



Wednesday, June 25

Johnny H. Jackson Community Center
1002 West Carter St.
Orlando, FL.
Contact person - Jaime Luciane Deshay
Time: 3:30pm - 6:00pm
Please do not wear Obama gear


Westmonte Park Community Center
624 Bills Lane
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
Time - 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Please do not wear Obama gear or show anything representing any local or national candidate or discuss your candidate preference while you are doing the voter registration drive



Thursday, June 26

Westmonte Park Community Center
624 Bills Lane
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
Time - 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Please do not wear Obama gear or show anything representing any local or national candidate or discuss your candidate preference while you are doing the voter registration drive



Friday, June 27

Westmonte Park Community Center
624 Bills Lane
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
Time - 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Please do not wear Obama gear or show anything representing any local or national candidate or discuss your candidate preference while you are doing the voter registration drive.

Saturday, June 28

Community Health Fair
St. Paul Baptist Church Fellowship Center
813 Pine St.
Sanford, FL 32771
Time - 10:30am - 3:30pm
Please do not wear Obama gear


Monday, June 30

Community Lunch Feeding, Clothing and Personal Care Items Giveaway Event
St. Paul Baptist Church Fellowship Center
813 Pine St.
Sanford, FL 32771
Time - 9:30am - 1:00pm
Please do not wear Obama gear

*Contact: NecoleDuncan@live.com or Unique111@aol.com*

Can't Stop The O-Train

We win!! *Marching band in Necole's head starts playing*(I keep them around for just such an occasion)

Barack Obama is the official presumptive nominee, and we had a great party last night at the Ale House to celebrate. Thanks to everyone who made it out, and as Obama said himself, we're on to the next historic chapter of this movement.

The national campaign is in town now, for those of you who did not meet our new campaign staffer/veteran hero friend Jared last night. There are other staffers as well, one of whom will be at our meeting on Sunday to speak to everyone about the upcoming election and the importance of our role in this area. As Jared mentioned, the focus right now is on voter registration, and a large majority of the people we register are going to vote for Obama, so we need to get moving : )

We are trying to arrange a carpool for Gay Days out at Disney this weekend. I may be going on Sunday, so if anyone is interested just let me know.

Here are the pictures from last night's Primary Watch Party~

Party Details

Tuesday, June 3rd
End of the Primaries : D
Watch Party
Ale House, Altamonte Springs
7 p.m.

Be prepared for primary watch bingo and fun trivia!

McCain doesn't know the difference between Shiite and Sunni, doesn't know how many troops we have on the ground in Iraq, and seeks to convince the American people that a stroll through Baghdad is a walk in the park. He has proven that he is not prepared to be Commander in Chief. Watch a few of his more recent gaffs here:

Primary Watch Party

5/25 Meeting

We had a great introductory meeting yesterday, and there were several new faces (Welcome Ann, Thomas, Chris, Belinda and Kurt). We discussed ways of getting involved in the coming months- particularly when the Obama campaign opens an office here in Florida, organizing, canvassing, the opening of the Orlando4Obama office on Colonial Dr., and our personal reasons for supporting the campaign.

We discussed a few upcoming events
~~~
June
***Orange County Dems Social, Houlihan's
Friday, June 6th at 5:30

***Downtown Orlando, Orlando Summer Jam Fest 2008
http://www.theorlandofestival.com/index.html

July
***Cranes Roost, Red Hot & Boom!

This annual fireworks display is held in the City of Altamonte Springs adjacent to the Altamonte Springs shopping mall behind Route 436.


***Downtown Orlando, Lake Eola Picnic in the Park

A local tradition, the Lake Eola Fourth of July celebration features games, activities, entertainment and spectacular fireworks. Location: Lake Eola, Rosalind Avenue (between Central Boulevard and Robinson Street), downtown Orlando. Time: 3 p.m.-9 p.m.
~~~

We also discussed organizing a canvassing event soon. More to come on that.

Just for fun:

Meeting this weekend!

We've worked out our scheduling difficulties, and we'll be having a meeting this Sunday (5 p.m.) at Panera in Altamonte Springs. There is much to discuss!

As many of you probably know, Senator Obama is in Florida this week making the rounds and raising some money. I was a volunteer for the Maitland fundraiser on Wednesday, and it was really a great experience. Orlando loves Obama!

Here is one Orlando Sentinel article about the events this week. Check out the video from the Kissimmee rally. The Maitland fundraiser was very successful, raising almost twice as much as expected.

Obama in Orlando

With Hillary clearly falling behind in the race, many Democrats have begun to turn their attention to the general election, and John McCain. The Obama campaign Vote for Change kickoff was this past Saturday, and grassroots groups across the country began registering voters and informing them about Senator Obama's goals for the country.

The DNC has released a memo detailing McCain's many weaknesses as a candidate and current weaknesses of the Republican Party as a whole. These include the fact that McCain has won less than 50% of the Republican vote throughout the primaries, his fundraising difficulties and general inability to rally key Republican constituencies, his disconnect with the general public and his unpopular stances on key issues such as the economy and the war.
In preparation for the general election, Senator Obama will be in Florida next week. He'll be passing through Tampa, Orlando, Palm Beach County and Miami, generating support in this important swing state and raising money for the campaign. He will be in Orlando for a fundraiser on May 21st (next Wednesday), for anyone interested in attending. The fundraiser, which is being sponsored by Orlando 4 Obama, will be held at the Sheraton in Maitland, and tickets are priced as follows:
> Friend: $2,300 per person (includes photo)
> Guest: $1,000 per person (includes private reception)
> Supporter: $250 per person

Any questions can be directed to:
Orlando4Obama@gmail.com
Or you can call Nancy Whited at (407) 443 - 6734

Orlando4Obama Grassroots Headquarters
231 East Colonial Dr., Orlando, FL 32801 (Google Map)
Office Hours: Mon-Thurs. 5:30 pm -7:30 pm
Fri. by appt. only
Sat. 12 pm - 4 pm
Sun. 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm

DFA Training Academy in Orlando

*Note: We haven't had a meeting for the past few weeks because of scheduling conflicts, but we're trying to work out a new day/time, and the next meeting will be Sunday, May 24th, 5 p.m. at the location of the first meeting- Volcano's. We would be having a meeting this Sunday, but Democracy for America is holding a training event for anyone interested in getting more involved with a campaign this election season. I have included the details of the e-mail I received from the DFA below*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DFA TRAINING ACADEMY IN ORLANDO, FL



Complete Details and Signup Here





Saturday May 17 through Sunday May 18, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM each day



*Note: DFA just rolled out a new site and there may be some navigation issues. If you cannot get back to the Orlando Training Page from inside the site, you can always get back using the link above. Sorry for the inconvenience.



You have the power, now learn the skills! The Democracy for America Training Academy is coming to Orlando for two days of exciting campaign training.

How many votes will it take to win in November? How do you find the perfect message and get it out to voters in your district? How will you raise enough money to pay for it all? The DFA Training Academy will help you answer these questions and more.

At the DFA Training Academy, top campaign consultants with decades of experience give you the skills to run a winning campaign. Topics include: field planning, voter contact, fundraising, communications, volunteer recruitment, precinct organizing, and more.

Attendees will also get a copy of the DFA Training Manual packed with over 180 pages of winning campaign info.

Who should attend?

* Candidates for city, county, state or congressional elections
* Campaign interns
* Campaign volunteers and staff
* Anyone who has ever given a moments consideration to running for any office
* Precinct leaders and Neighborhood Leaders who want to be more effective

www.democracyforamerica.com/orlando_training*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Earth Day 2008

Earth Day is exactly a week from today! The purpose of Earth Day, which is on April 22, is to provide information about and raise awareness of the Earth's environment, pollution and other environmental problems, resource use, and how to get involved in helping to protect our resources at a community level.

The best way to help our environment and celebrate Earth Day is to tell people to vote. We desperately need new environmental policy in this country, as even our current President has begun to realize.

Senator Obama has promised that when he is elected he will devote himself to reducing carbon emissions 80% by 2050 by implementing a "cap and trade" system(cap emissions with pollution credits that can be auctioned off), similar to those in other developed nations. The money from the sale of the credits will be used for environmental clean-up and protection. He also plans to address the issue of deforestation, invest in clean energy, increase funding for environmental research and technology, and more. Here is a link to his entire plan.

History of Earth Day, courtesy of Wikipedia:
"In September 1969, at a conference in Seattle, Washington, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson announced that in the spring of 1970 there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration on the environment. Senator Nelson first proposed the nationwide environmental protest to thrust the environment onto the national agenda.” "It was a gamble," he recalls, "but it worked." Five months before the first April 22 Earth Day, on Sunday, November 30, 1969, The New York Times carried a lengthy article by Gladwin Hill reporting on the rising tide of environmental events::

"Rising concern about the environmental crisis is sweeping the nation's campuses with an intensity that may be on its way to eclipsing student discontent over the war in Vietnam...a national day of observance of environmental problems...is being planned for next spring...when a nationwide environmental 'teach-in'...coordinated from the office of Senator Gaylord Nelson is planned...." Senator Nelson also hired Denis Hayes as the coordinator.

"Each year, the April 22 Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. Among other things, 1970 in the United States brought with it the Kent State shootings, the advent of fiber optics, "Bridge over Troubled Water," Apollo 13, the Beatles' last album, the death of Jimi Hendrix, and the meltdown of fuel rods in the Savannah River nuclear plant near Aiken, South Carolina -- an incident not acknowledged for 18 years. At the time, Americans were slurping leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or bad press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. Environment was a word that appeared more often in spelling bees than on the evening news. But Earth Day 1970 turned that all around.

On April 22, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment. Denis Hayes, the national coordinator, and his youthful staff organized massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values."

I'll be at Dandelion Communitea from 4-6 p.m. ("an exciting day of music, educational speakers, sustainable vendors and more in celebration and awareness of Earth Day"), and on Sunday I'm planning to join the Lake Lotus Earth Day invasive plant removal event in Altamonte Springs. It would be great to see a few more familiar faces out there (and of course an Obama pin/t-shirt or two)! The details can be found here.

Other Earth Day events/info/fun:

~YouTube Contest~

~Will Ferrel Bush impersonation, global warming~

~Earth Day Network~

~Current National Policy/ Legislation~

*P.S. Please vote for the most convenient day/time for our bi-monthly group meetings (see below)*

Happy Tuesday,
Necole

Events!!

Here is a list of upcoming events that members of the group will be attending:

Saturday, April 12th Taste of Oviedo. At least two members of our group will be there, and the Seminole Democrats are setting up a booth for the event.

?? Phone banking party at my place. Still waiting on the date- everyone should vote! (see below)


Saturday, April 19th Earth Day at Rock Springs in Apopka, Central Florida Earth Day 2008 at the Florida School of Holistic Living/Dandelion Communitea Cafe in Downtown Orlando (several events throughout the weekend)

Sunday, April 20th Lake Lotus Earth Day Celebration, Altamonte Springs

*We can probably set up a booth for each of these events, so anyone interested in passing out information, talking to people, registering voters, etc. should contact us at I4CorridorforChange@gmail.com or reply to this post

Saturday, April 26th Great Strides Walk-a-thon for cystic fibrosis. We have formed a team for the walk, and will be raising money and encouraging sponsorships for the event.

By the way, for anyone interested: We do have a local Toastmasters group. They meet every Thursday morning from 7:30 to 8:45 at First Watch (GREAT breakfast burritos) near I4 on 436.

See you soon!

~Necole

Montana 4/5/08

Second Meeting

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the I-4 Corridor for Change blog. Here we will post everything that goes out on the listserve, upcoming events, and anything else of use to the group. We will be linking to this blog on the I-4 page located on the Barack Obama campaign website, and vice versa.

We had a great second meeting today (I highly recommend the caramel apple pastry at Panera), though we missed a few people because of the rain. If you were one of those people, fear not!-there will be plenty of opportunities to catch up over the next few weeks. Walking for cystic fibrosis at Crane's Roost Park, a phone banking party, taste of Oviedo, and several other events.

Today we met at Panera Bread on 436 at 5 p.m. This will be our regular meeting time, unless of course we decide to change it, and I will make sure to list any info. about that here. We discussed:

I. T-shirts for the group
Allison and Rob are putting something together. Allison is looking into prices, and when we have a number we will post the exact cost of each shirt for anyone who would like to purchase one. Rob is setting up a PayPal account for the money, and when we have enough to place the order we'll send that out. It would be great to have them for our upcoming walk event. Rob and J. came up with a terrific design for our group, which we should be able to post soon for everyone to see. If anyone has any other design ideas, be sure to let us know! Thanks to everyone who helped with this.

II. Blogspot Site
We decided to set up some sort of site to organize our information and our events, so here we are. We may set up a website for the group, if we find we need one.

III. Events

- April 12 Taste of Oviedo 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Seminole Democrats will have a booth at this event, and at least two members of our group are going to be there.

-April 22 Watch Party
The community room at Galyn's apartment complex *maybe?* Pennsylvania primary night. It's time for Hillary to become a non-issue!

- To help make that happen :D come out to my apartment for a phone banking party. The date and time have yet to be determined, but it will likely be next weekend sometime.



- April 26, Saturday
Great Strides Walk-a-Thon, Crane's Roost Park
Help us raise money to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis. We're trying to get a group together to walk, so if you are interested reply with your RSVP and I will put you on a list. Basically, you just find people to sponsor you- informing those around you about cystic fibrosis- and all funds raised are donated to the charity on the day of the walk. Lunch will be provided at the event, which is very family-friendly *wink wink*

IV. Other Notes
- Galyn will be making phone calls the day before our meetings so everyone has a reminder. The next meeting is April 19th at Panera, 5 p.m. Just let Galyn know if you don't want to hear from her on Friday afternoon.

- Later today or tomorrow I will post info. about local farmer's markets, craft shows, Democratic events and anything else we might be able to join or make an appearance at.

- JoAnn will be organizing a canvassing event very soon!



Thanks to everyone for a great meeting.

~ Necole