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Legislative
Awareness Days Legislative Awareness Days, from April 22 to 23, 2003, was a huge success for the FSMTA, and especially the Tampa Chapter. The Tampa Chapter was well represented by Thomas Foley, Glen Kemp, Nicole Longwell, Theresa Shinohara, Deborah Sotomayor, and Peggy Sample-Summerhill. Every member of our Tampa Chapter can be extremely proud of the great job their team did as they left very positive impressions not only with the legislators and staff, but also with our state FSMTA representatives. Every team member worked very hard on both days they were at the Capitol and showed their dedication and purpose of the massage profession to Legislators, staff, and others. When the last massage was done to wrap up the two-day event (most of the other Chapters had already left to go home), our Tampa team was still standing strong (of the nine massage therapists left, six of the therapists were from the Tampa Chapter)! On a sad-happy note, Lynda Soleil-Wolfe, BOMT member, and staunch supporter for the FSMTA, had a car accident on her way to Tallahassee Monday night. She regularly attends Legislative Awareness Days and was missed by a lot of people, and even Governor Bush. I e-mailed our best wishes to her since she had already left the hospital by Tuesday evening when we first heard about her accident. She replied and explained that her truck was totaled and said “I have a shoulder injury but overall I am in great shape. I am still very very sore all over.” |
Some of the many positive comments we received: Senator Michael S. Bennett: “Whoever’s next…let him wait!” Ms. Mayte Canino – Assistant to Senator Debbie Wasserman-Schultz: “If we had this (chair massage) done every day, we’d probably get our work done.” Senator Larcenia Bullard: “You two are angels (Nicole and Theresa) and you came to me today!” “I’m going to tell the Senate President to hire massage therapists to work here every day during session!” Rep. David Rivera: Before his first chair massage – “Now what is this going to do for me?” After his first chair massage – “Are you around tomorrow?” Rep. Joe Perkins: “My massage therapist is too busy to see me.” So because of this shortage of therapists, he has to go to a chiropractor, which is not same as going to a massage therapist. Ms. Lynda Barrow – Legal Aide to Rep. Homan: “She (five months pregnant) and Brock (baby boy) are very relaxed and they both appreciate it!” Bob Smallwood, LMT, Executive Director, FSMTA - "A BIG THANKS to the Tampa Bay team. You all were a great help in making the event a success." |
