Gateway Women’s Club

CHARLOTTE STEWART, GWC PRESIDENT WITH BARBARA-ANNE URRUTIA SENIOR MANAGER COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING, LEE COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY AND DEB STEPHANO, PROGRAM CO-ORDINATOR

GATEWAY WOMEN’S CLUB MEETS BARBARA- ANNE URRUTIA

STEPHANIE MENA

Barbara-Anne S. Urrutia, Senior Manager Communications and Marketing at Lee County Port Authority Southwest Florida International Airport was invited to present an in-depth look at RSW.

Urrutia graduated from Florida State University earning a degree in public relations with a minor in journalism and joined Lee County Port Authority in 2000. Her team is responsible for the promotion and marketing of RSW International Airport as well as Page Field through public information and marketing campaigns, special events, community and media relations, corporate citizenship and employee communications. She also handles the airport’s Art in Flight program, oversees the production of airport advertising and promotional materials and maintains the airport’s website and social media efforts.

The Lee County Port Authority showcases Southwest Florida artists and their work for the traveling public. Art in Flight is a partnership between the Lee County Alliance for the Arts and Lee County Port Authority, which brings art to the public spaces at Southwest Florida International Airport.

Page Field is a full-service, award- winning business and general aviation airport. Private and corporate pilots can use both Page Field and RSW airports run by the Lee County Port Authority. Page Field’s terminal is decorated in a World War II theme, paying homage to its history as an Army air base in the 1940s. A full-size replica P-51 Mustang is suspended from the lobby ceiling, surrounded by breathtaking original photographs featured on the walls. Visitors are invited to explore many displays of local World War II artifacts throughout the building. An original, fully restored North American AT-6 Texan Aircraft is displayed in the parking lot for our guests to enjoy. Everyone is invited to visit their website: https://www.baseoperationsfmy.com/facility/.

Many changes have been put into place since Ian. Growth continues at RSW. Over 1.5 billion dollars has been dedicated to several projects over the next 5 years. Urrutia explained, “The funds for these expansions come from government grants and airport bonds, not property tax dollars.”

RSW is a Class A Port of Entry U.S. Customs site foreign trade zone. Thousands of people work at the airport. Over 10 million people traveled through RSW in 2023. New carriers have been added including Breeze and Avelo Airlines. Future plans for RSW call for additional terminals, TSA checkpoints and security points. New local and corporate vendors will be added to serve RSW travelers. A “Grab and Go” eating option will also become available.

Just announced, WOOF@ RSW, “Watching Over Our Friends,” is a new K-9 therapy program developed in partnership with Therapy K9s of Southwest Florida. Certified dog teams and their handlers will spend time greeting airport guests who need extra care to reduce stress. The furry ambassadors will be at the airport on a bi-monthly basis to start. The K-9 teams will be located in pre-security and will wander throughout the terminal in public areas. They are easily identified by their Blue Shirts with the WOOF logo walking with dogs wearing blues vests that say, “Pet Me Please.”

For complete RSW details and future design layouts, Barbara-Anne Urrutia invites everyone to visit the website at http://www.flylcpa.com.

BOOK CLUB

BARBARA HANLIN

The GWC Book Club will be reading The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews. It celebrates the magic of Christmas and second chances. Ivy Perkins, who is newly divorced, buys an old farmhouse. She has a full-time job sorting through everything that was left there. Ivy finds a beautifully made Santa suit with a handwritten note inside a pocket. It appears it was written by a child with a Christmas wish. Ivy then has a mission to solve the mystery of the note. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 10 in the home of Mary Jo Cornell with Valerie Emerson as co-hostess. Barb Hanlin will lead the discussion. Remember to bring a children’s book that will be donated to the soup kitchen in time for Christmas. Mary Jo’s contact information is in the GWC Directory.

BRIDGE

LAUREL BORGIA

Bridge 101 will meet December 3rd and 17th at Hampton Park Amenity Center at 10 a.m. Please contact Susie Kravetz by phone or email, (her information is in the GWC directory) to let her know if you are attending. The group needs a number count and names of attendees so you can get in the gate. They welcome anyone who plays bridge.

CHARITABLE GIVING COMMITTEE

JUDY HAMMOND

Gateway Women’s Club celebrated a successful and festive Bingo night with its 2nd Annual Bingo event, held at Gateway Trinity Lutheran Church recently. With Halloween being the theme, costumes ranging from witches to emojis, and even Dracula made for a thrilling and entertaining evening. The event combined the excitement of bingo with a costume contest, ensuring fun for all attendees.

Attendees played for generous prizes, and luck was on the side of several winners throughout the night. The winners of the six bingo games were:

The evening’s costume contest also brought out some fierce competition. The winners were:

Adding to the night’s excitement, a 50/50 raffle saw Mary De Silva and Candy Steinman each taking home a share of the prize. The event also featured door prizes for lucky participants.

The committee raised $1,798.92 at Bingo night and it will directly go to supporting GWC local charities, including ACT (Abuse Counseling and Treatment, Inc.), the Gulf Coast Humane Society, and the club’s own $$ for Scholars program, which provides scholarships to deserving young women.

Gateway Women’s Club would like to thank all who participated and volunteered to make the event a success. The club is committed to fostering community spirit and supporting local charities, and this Bingo night was a testament to that mission.

GATEWAY GALS ON THE GO

MARY ANN MCDONALD

GWC members and guests recently enjoyed the experience of axe throwing at HeadPinz on Global Parkway. No one proved to be expert, but Mimi Rossi and Bobbi Kincade were judged the most lethal of the group! Ax throwing can’t be useful, but it was fun and it was nice to have a couple of husbands along to try their skills.

DINING OUT

SUSAN ROBERTS

Thanksgiving has recently been celebrated all around the country. But it is more than just indulging in a delicious feast of turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie. It is a time when families and friends come together, expressing gratitude and creating lasting memories.

The Gateway Women’s Club’s recent dining out event at LYNQ restaurant in Fort Myers extended those traditions of Thanksgiving and embraced the joy of grateful gatherings. As the Women’s Club’s members, spouses, and friends enjoyed a variety of tasty appetizers, savory entrees, and refreshing beverages, the time together also was a cause for celebration of our community and the friendships that we cherish. Dining out together provides an opportunity to share our gratitude and togetherness. The evening ended with a lively Happy Birthday song, shimmering candle, and festive celebration of member, GWC officer, and dear friend Norma Barr.

SPECIAL EVENT

MARY MILLS

A group of GWC members and guests enjoyed an outing at ECHO Global Farms. ECHO provides aid where it is much needed. Most hunger arises in rural areas which is why ECHO focuses on small farming solutions. Farmers around the world are being forced to adapt to ever-changing weather patterns. ECHO gives families the ability to face these challenges.