Brandon/Winthrop
11
February 2024
Volume 19, Issue 2
Ph: 813-657-2418
February 29-March 10
See Ad On Page 27
CELEBRATING 22 YEARS OF PUBLISHING P OSITIVE COMMUNIT Y NEWS
ARMWOOD BASKETBALL CELEBRATES FORMER PLAYER ADAM SOLLAZZO IN NUMBER RETIREMENT
By Nick Nahas
Osprey Observer 2109 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. Valrico, FL 33596
By Brad Stager Supporting the ment, with pracfirst responders tice beginning who keep the at 8 a.m., also at community safe the Eagles Golf is the mission of Club. TournaBack the Line ment sponsorCharity Events ships range from and the purpose $100-$1,000. The of the fundraising registration fee activities it orgafor teams of two nizes. players is $60. This year’s anThe day’s events nual golf and also include raffle cornhole tournadrawings and a siments are raising lent auction. money to support Corporal Carlos Brito (left) and Deputy Manuel Hosting a golf the families of Santos of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and a cornhole were injured while on duty in November 2023 Corporal Carlos tournament on Brito and Deputy the same day exManuel Santos of pands the activithe Hillsborough ties for the public County Sheriff’s to enjoy and supOffice (HCSO). port, but it also They were severemeans a greater ly injured during a need for individuservice call at the als and organizaBrandon home of tions to become 28-year-old Ralph event sponsors Bouzy in November 2023. Brito and his and donors of items for prizes, according wife have three children and Santos is to event host Heather Cropper. married with two children. “We are looking for teams for both According to HCSO, Bouzy allegedly golf and cornhole, sponsorships and rafhit the officers with his car at high speed fle baskets and silent auction items,” she with the intention of injuring them while wrote in an email announcing the tourthey were conducting an investigation. naments. Brito and Santos’ injuries landed them More information can be found on the in the hospital. Both have since been Back the Line Charity Events Facebook released from the hospital and are con- page. tinuing to recover. Donations can be mailed to the FireThe fourth annual Back the Line Char- men’s Benevolent Charity of Tampa ity Golf Tournament will take place at at 720 E. Zack St., Tampa, FL. 33602, the Eagles Golf Club in Odessa on Sat- Attn: Aaron Hanson or Heather Cropper. urday, April 6. According to organizers, Checks should be made out to the Fireall funds generated by this year’s event men’s Benevolent Charity of Tampa. will benefit Brito and Santos’ families. Sponsorships are available from $200$5,000, and teams of four golfers cost VEGAN WORKSHOP...........................PG 4 $600 and include dinner. The shotgun start for the golf tournament is at 1 p.m. ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT ... .............PG 5 Saturday, March 23, is the registration RELAY FOR LIFE..................................PG 8 deadline. EYE ON BUSINESS ................PGS 25-26 On the same day, organizers are host- ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT......... PG 31 ing the second annual cornhole tourna-
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Armwood High of the more nerSchool celebrated vous moments of former standout my career, seeing basketball player all that hard work Adam Sollazzo in a pay off. It was definumber retirement nitely life-changing ceremony on Januand made me realary 24. The former ly feel special, and 2008 Class 5A I am forever gratePlayer of the Year is ful for Armwood Photos courtesy of Dina Langston. the first Armwood to hold me at such 2008 District 13 Player of the Year Adam Sollazzo basketball player a high honor.” celebrated with family, former high school teamto have his number mates, former coaches and friends at the ceremony. The 2008 retired and hung in All-Western Conthe rafters. His number, ference Player of the 20, was officially retired Year played at Armin 2014, but he didn’t wood from 2004-08. have a chance to attend He averaged 22 points a ceremony until now per game, 6.3 assists because he had been per game and 6.1 replaying overseas for the bounds per game in his last 11 years. senior season. He also The former East Tenbecame a 2008 Florida nessee State University Athletic Coaches Asstar went on to have an sociation All-Star that Adam Sollazzo celebrates with his outstanding basketball mom, Terry; his wife, Kari; and his dad, year. career overseas, winning Adam is now retired Paul. a championship with his Spanish league from basketball and has his real estate liclub, Rio Breogán, located in Lugo, Spain cense in the area. The former guard hosts in 2021, while also being named finals basketball camps once a month at ArmMVP. He played 11 total seasons overseas wood High School to teach and encourin Romania, Germany, Italy, Argentina, age local youth basketball players. France and Spain. “I don’t want people to look at that The 2008 District 13 Player of the Year jersey in the rafters and just think about celebrated with family, former high school me and how good of a player I was,” said teammates, former coaches and friends Adam. “I want it to be more of an inspiin the ceremony. His dad, Paul Sollazzo, ration and somewhat of a challenge to all who is an assistant coach for Blooming- the players in the county and all the kids dale High School, was able to attend be- who come to my basketball camps to see cause the celebration was scheduled for that jersey and think, ‘Hey, someone from the Armwood vs. Bloomingdale basket- this area made it to be a professional.’ I ball game. just hope that the next time I come in “I was kind of speechless,” said Adam. this gym 10 years from now that there “I started my speech off saying that I’ve are more jerseys hanging up there beprobably played in front of 50-60,000 cause someone took mine as a challenge people at times, and this is probably one to be better than me.”
BACK THE LINE CHARITY EVENTS RETURNS WITH NEW TOURNAMENTS TO SUPPORT INJURED LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FAMILIES
Serving Lunch and Dinner Every Day! Late Night Happy Hour 10 p.m. - 12 a.m. Friday & Saturday
The Tampa Bay AirFest is coming back to MacDill Air Force Base on Easter weekend. Each day is full of exciting performances and displays featuring the U.S. Air Force’s own Thunderbirds, U.S. Special Operation Command’s Para-Commandos, C-17 Demo Team, KC-135 Stratotanker and much more! Read the full article on page 26.
$2.00 OFF DRAFT BEER, WELL LIQUOR, AND WINE DINE IN ONLY. NOT AVAILABLE FOR TO GO.