Optimists to host oratorical contest for youths
The Plant City Optimist Club is getting ready to host its annual Oratorical Contest and registration is now open.
Youths younger than age 19 (as of Oct. 1, 2020) who are not enrolled as degree-seeking students at a post-secondary institution can participate in the Feb. 15 contest, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. that evening and will be held at the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center, 302 S. Maryland Ave. All contestants will be asked to prepare a four-to-five minute speech around this year’s theme of “Healing the World with Optimism” and present it in front of an audience of family members and the Optimist Club. Judges from the Plant City Toastmasters will grade each contestant based on their poise, adherence to the topic, overall effectiveness and their delivery and presentation.
The top two finishers will move on to the Zone 6 contest in Winter Haven in March. Those who continue to perform well in this year’s circuit can win anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500 in scholarships at the North Florida District Finals in April and possibly advance further to the sixth annual World Championships in St. Louis, MO in July.
Since 2001, nine Plant City-area youths have won the North Florida District Finals competition and two have competed at the World Championships.
Visit plantcityoptimistclub.org to register and get more information.
RSVP for Citizen of the Year luncheon
The 2021 Plant City Outstanding Citizen of the Year will accept their award on Feb. 17, but those who wish to attend the 62nd annual luncheon need to RSVP well in advance.
The Kiwanis Club of Plant City asks anyone interested in attending the annual luncheon, to be held at 11:30 a.m. at the TECO Expo Hall at the Florida Strawberry Festival grounds, 2301 W. Oak Ave., to purchase tickets before Feb. 1. Tickets cost $30 per person and checks can be made payable to Kiwanis Club of Plant City, 1902 Bond St., Plant City, FL 33563.
For more information, contact Sharon Moody at 813-453-7134 or sharonmoody91@yahoo.com.
Virtual career fair for veterans today
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the veteran unemployment rate in December 2020 was 5.3 percent — more than double the December 2019 rate. DAV and RecruitMilitary are offering unemployed United States military veterans a chance to get back to work in the Tampa Bay area.
The Tampa Virtual Career Fair for Veterans will be held entirely online from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and “is open to all members of the military community, past and present, as well as military spouses and dependents,” according to a press release. The free career fair will link job seekers up with employers looking to fill jobs quickly in large group, small group and one-on-one formats.
Sign up online and join the event at recruitmilitary.careereco.com/Fair/EventDetails?fairId=6158e64b-9238-41a0-a8e6-ac6701280e6b.
Trade Space becomes U-Haul neighborhood dealer
U-Haul International announced Jan. 15 that Trade Space, 3801 Paul Buchman Highway, is now an authorized U-Haul neighborhood dealer.
Trade Space will offer U-Haul trucks, trailers, towing equipment and other essential services now that it is an official neighborhood dealer.
“U-Haul has teamed with independent dealers to offer moving equipment since 1945,” the company said in a press release. “With the COVID-19 outbreak creating challenging times for small businesses, more than 20,000 dealers across the U.S. and Canada are creating supplemental income through their U-Haul partnership. When a customer rents from a U-Haul dealer, they are directly supporting an independent small business in their community.”