Lyndsay Fogarty
On Nov. 5, the Oviedo-Winter Springs Chamber of Commerce (OWSCC) held its annual Chamber Gives Back Nonprofit Appreciation Luncheon, which is now in its sixth year. Before lunch began, nonprofit organizations that serve the Central Florida area were invited to set up a promotional table to provide information about their services to attendees.
Rock and Brews Oviedo, a huge supporter of local charities, served lunch to the crowd and also accepted the OWSCC beautification award. Tracy Conner of Michelee Puppets was the guest speaker. Michelee Puppets has been bringing these inanimate objects to life for the past 30 years, reaching nearly 2,000 children from preschool to 12th grade and helping them to deal with tough subjects like abuse.
At the end of the program, Connor revealed a puppet named Lynne Casey, which was used in an educational program to introduce a young girl who had been burned in a fire to her fellow students at a new school. It taught the students about acceptance for people who are different in a very powerful way. “We do what we do out of passion but we can’t do what we do without your help,” Connor says.
