published: Sunday, August 19, 2012

Several help with Centennial sponsorships

This week's article is focused on thanking the Centennial sponsors.

These people and businesses are the first in our community to step up and help make our celebration week possible.

We need more sponsors- hopefully we can add your name here next week.

The Host Sponsor for the entire Centennial Celebration week is the Alan Jay Automotive Network; a huge thank you to all on the team.

The Alan Jay Automotive Network has been serving Highlands County automotive needs for 20 years. Ever since Mr. Wildstein arrived in Sebring in 1992, his simple philosophy of treating customers like family and becoming a true partner with the community has played a small part in the automotive groups incredible success. The Alan Jay Automotive Network owns and manages more than 10 locations and 14 unique new automotive manufacturers. The Alan Jay Automotive Network will continue to be a major part of the community, in the past few years, it has contributed to more than 100 worthy organizations and events, and we thank them for contributing to our city's weeklong Centennial Celebration.

Gold Sponsor - Lilly, O'Toole & Brown, LLC; Steve Brown Esq. - Located at 2154 Lakeview Drive, Steve has been serving Sebring since moving here in 1986. Mr. Brown is an AV-rated lawyer, the highest rating established by Martindale Hubell, the agency that provides attorneys' ratings throughout the United States. He is board certified by The Florida Bar as a civil trial lawyer. This distinction is held by less than 2 percent of lawyers within the state of Florida. As a client of Lilly, O'Toole & Brown, you can expect the best possible service; they follow a 'client first' principle and strive for top quality work to serve the interest of their clients.

Gold Sponsor - Representative Denise Grimsley Campaign - Before her role as a state representative, Denise spent many years working as a certified operating nurse in Highlands, Hardee and Polk counties. Denise is currently employed by Highlands Regional Medical Center in Sebring. During her eight years serving in the Florida House of Representatives, she has been recognized by the Home Care Association of Florida, Florida Citrus Mutual, Florida Career Institute, Florida Chamber of Commerce, and the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges for her accomplishments. Denise is leaving the House of Representatives to run for Florida State Senate.

Gold Sponsor - The Cohan Radio Group - The Cohan Radio Group was founded in 1998 and owns and operates five radio stations that serve Sebring, Avon Park and Lake Placid areas. They include WWOJ-FM 99.1 (Country), WWLL-FM 105.7 (LITE adult contemporary), WJCM-AM 1050 (oldies), WITS-AM 1340 (adult standards), and WWTK-AM 730 (talk). Offices and studios are in Sebring's Fairmount Cinema Square. Peter Coughlin, president of the Cohan Radio Group and general manager of the stations, has a varied and extensive broadcasting background in sales, management, and station ownership, and has worked in Boston, New York, Cincinnati, Rochester, Buffalo, Dayton and Albany. We thank Peter and all at the Cohan Radio Group for providing the necessary radio advertising for our city's centennial celebration.

Gold Sponsor - News-Sun - The News-Sun is truly a multimedia information company publishing specialty publications, free distribution products, sophisticated website, niche publications as well as the newspaper. As always, the News-Sun newspaper contains a mix of local, state and national news, with the emphasis on local news and features. It is published Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings. Their extensive coverage is second to none as they have been the hometown newspaper since 1927. They pride themselves in bringing Highlands County residents a newspaper full of features along with articles written by their professional staff as well as local writers contributing columns and features. We thank the News-Sun for the opportunity to have the newspaper space for this weekly update. Be sure to reference this article every Sunday and you won't miss a thing.

Gold Sponsor - Lenihan and Associates, Inc. - Serving Sebring since 1972, Lenihan and Associates is at 154 W. Center Ave., and pride themselves in getting the job done right. Their services include, but are not limited to, new business set up, business counseling, small business accounting, individual tax preparation and business tax returns.

Gold Sponsor - The Lakeshore Mall - The Lakeshore Mall is a regional mall that features food, entertainment and shopping for the whole family. As mentioned in last week's article, the mall is hosting the finale to our celebration week with its huge 100th birthday party, to rival the mall's 20th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 20, beginning at 5 p.m. General manager Jenny Cheek wants all of the community involved in this celebration party. If you have a donation to give for it, or want to be involved in a myriad of ways, give Jenny a call at 471-9500.

Gold Sponsor - The Jack Hancock Family - Jack Hancock was raised in Sebring, attended Sebring public schools, and graduated from Sebring High School in 1946. After graduating from Duke University and University of Florida College of Law, he practiced law in Sebring for many years. He was passionate about Sebring and its history, and he was very active in the community. He and his wife Jean raised their three children, Susanne, Janie, and Ned, in "the Indian streets" neighborhood of Sebring, and all graduated from Sebring High School. Jack died in 2001, and Jean still resides in the house they built on Lake Jackson the year they got married.

Gold Sponsor - Mayor George and Nancy Hensley - George Hensley has been very active in the planning of our centennial celebrations. He has even written a song, "The Centennial Ode to George E. Sebring". The Back Porch Revival Band is putting music to it and we'll all be singing it at the Mayor's Street Dance on Oct. 18. George and Nancy married in 1959. The Hensley's have always been active in many civic involvements, and are proud parents of three beautiful daughters.

Mayor Hensley urges all citizens, groups, clubs, societies and businesses to join in the celebration and be a part of this exciting time in our city.

Silver Sponsors: Hodges University; Highlands Independent Bank; Heacock Insurance; Pam Soler - PSS Signs; and Jen Brown.

Bronze Sponsors: Don Jose's Mexican Restaurant; Waypoints Financial; Mayor Smith Rudasill; Allen Altvater III; Leisure Acres; Champion for Children and Wicks, Brown, Williams & Company.

Thank you also to the Patron Sponsors that range from $25 up to $249; they include Bobby Heffner - Robbins Nursery; Bob Trautman; Sebring Recreation Club; Carlos R. Roman CPA; McClure & Lobozzo; Florida Non-Profit Housing, Inc; Janie Moddrell; and John Adair.

Calling all that love Sebring, the time is now - show your pride, get in on this and support our city's centennial celebration. We all know Sebring is a great city, please join in and help make it even better!

For more information, call 655-5554, email events@Sebring100.com, we are active on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SebringCentennial, or Sebring100.com.

If you have submitted a sponsor form, and you are not listed above, please be sure to let us know.

Jen Brown is a member of the Sebring Centennial Committee and the Sebring Historical Society.