The Republican Party of Florida recently elected Senator Joe Gruters of Sarasota as its new chairman. During the annual Florida GOP meeting in Orlando Gruters said the party's "top priority" over the next two years is getting President Donald J. Trump re-elected in Florida. Gruters joined Sundial to talk about the vision for the Republican Party in the Sunshine State and his alignment with the Trump administration.
The federal shutdown continues and the local non-profit Feeding South Florida is seeking donations and volunteers to help furloughed government workers. Sari Vatske, the Executive Vice President of Feeding South Florida joined Sundial from Bass Pro Shops in Dania Beach where the organization giving out food to Transportation Security Administration workers impacted by the shutdown. Vatske talked about the communities currently needing assistance and how residents can help. You can register to volunteer and find locations here.
Next, make sure to grab your boots and cowboy hats because we are headed to the rodeo! The 70th annual Homestead Rodeo kicks off on Friday with thousands expected to be in attendance. The rodeo has been an important cultural institution for decades in South Florida and has attracted some of the top riders from around the country for shows. Jim Baumann, President of the Homestead Rodeo joined Sundial for a preview and some history of this weekend’s events.
Students from Gulliver Schools, in Pinecrest, have won the Congressional App award, one of the most prestigious prizes in student computer science. The award was given for their application“Kickstart,”offering a free list of courses about coding to underprivileged students interested in STEM. As part of the award, the students will speak to congressional leaders and representatives of Facebook and Google in Washington D.C. Dean Morell, computer science advisor and Jake Seymour, one of Gulliver's app creators joined Sundial to talk about the app and their trip to Washington D.C.
The ScreenDance Miami Festival highlights the art of dance through a variety of different films. It is organized by the local non-profit Miami Light Project and will offer a week-long celebration of workshops, screenings and panels in different venues in Miami. One of the films being highlighted is "Pisadas y Manzanillas," by Miami-based filmmaker and dance maker Roxana Barba, who joined Sundial to talk about the film. You can check out the full listing of shows and dates here.