(PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, Fl. (July 31, 2019) - The City of Miami, The Overtown Neighborhood Enhancement Team (N.E.T) and Brightline, in coordination with a host of other sponsors, will donate 750 backpacks filled with school supplies to residents of Overtown on Saturday, August 3 from 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Dorsey Park located at 1701 NW 1st Avenue. 

Overtown families who attend the event will receive much-needed school supplies as they prepare for the start of a new school year. Backpacks will include items such as notebooks, pencils, pens, etc. Brightline teammates will be present to talk to students about how to stay safe around railroad tracks.

“The Overtown backpack giveaway has become a Brightline teammate tradition and 2019 marks the fourth year where we join our partners in a way that makes our community stronger,” said Brightline President Patrick Goddard. “We are thrilled to contribute to our community to provide students with much needed materials to start the school year off right.”

Brightline has a strong connection to the Overtown community. It’s headquarters are based in the area and it employs close to 20 percent of the teammates who work at Virgin MiamiCentral from the surrounding zip codes.  Brightline, the only privately funded intercity, express train service in the U.S. connects the communities of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, with future planned service to Orlando. Virgin MiamiCentral, the 11-acre mobility hub where Brightline begins, is located in Overtown and downtown Miami.   

Additional sponsors to participate in the event include Office of Commissioner Keon Hardemon, 99 Jamz, Richard Hallman Foundation, Marlo’s Italian Ice, Miami Dade Public Library, Y2Y Inc., Attachables, Greater Bethel Church, Herd of Love, Nemo’s Lemonade, DJ H2, Bayside Marketplace, St. John’s CDC, and University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

(PRESS RELEASE)_(West Palm Beach, FL ) - In 2018, Ingrid Robinson launched Artists & Charities Hand in Hand with a small art exhibition and sale as a way to help raise funds for the Constance & David Blacher Children’s Special Needs Program. The show was a success, so Robinson took it a step further and organized a second show at the Lighthouse Point Yacht and Racquet Club, this time benefitting the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League.

The two events were so successful that for her third charitable art show, Robinson has decided to triple the size, triple the impact, and triple the number of beneficiaries, as the organization debuts its inaugural fine art event:

Artists & Charities
Hand in Hand Fine Art Show
Palm Beach County Convention Center
November 2-3, 2019 | 11:00AM – 5:00PM

“Our mission is to partner worthwhile charities with talented artists to collectively share the joy of art and culture with as many people as we can,” said Robinson. “Let’s face it – a lot of artists struggle to earn a living even though they have such incredible talent; and so many nonprofits are in need of important funds to continue their mission in the community. So, if this event can help both groups achieve some of those goals, I’d say it’s a grand slam home run.”

The weekend art show and fundraiser will feature approximately 100 fine artists from across the U.S. showcasing their works in photography, paintings, mixed media, sculpture and more. In addition, Manuel Oliver, father of Parkland student Joaquin Oliver, will be on hand to do a live demonstration of his passionate painting, and highly popular Miami artist, Romero Britto, is scheduled to make an appearance over the weekend, as well.

Best of all, 20% of all art sales will be donated to the participating charities, all based in West Palm Beach: Armory Art Center, Dreyfoos School of the Arts Foundation, and Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League.  Though admission is free, a suggested contribution of $10 per person for admission will also be distributed evenly among the three beneficiaries. Those who can contribute will receive a special swag bag.

There is still time for artists and sponsors to participate in the upcoming Artists & Charities Hand in Hand Art Show. For more information, please Founder/Curator Ingrid Robinson at 415.419.4292 or visit www.artistsandcharities.com.

About Ingrid Robinson, Founder, Artists & Charities Hand in Hand:

When Ingrid Robinson heard the news of the sudden death of her only child, Michelle, she fell into a terrible depression. During this dark and mournful period, Ingrid fell victim to a financial fraud, which ultimately caused her to lose her home of 40 years and nearly everything she had. In search of a new life, Ingrid left California and moved to Florida with not much more than her two little dogs. Her tiny apartment in Florida happened to be a part of a community which had an art room in the clubhouse.

At the tender age of 71, Ingrid started painting to fight through her severe depression. Her charming oil paintings gained popularity and it wasn’t long until she was commissioned to create 20 works for a gallery in Delray Beach.

In 2018, Ingrid launched Artists and Charities as a way to help artists showcase and sell their work in a professional fine art show setting, partnering with nonprofits in the community in support of their important work. The organization was founded with her daughter in mind, as Ingrid wanted to ‘shine a light’ on the many positive ways art can help people truly heal.

In November 2019, Artists and Charities will debut its inaugural Hand in Hand Fine Art Show at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, with 100 artists participating from around the nation.

RELATED: Read about
​last year's Polar Express

(PRESS RELEASE)_MIAMI, Fla. (July 29, 2019) – It’s officially Christmas in July! Brightline, soon to be Virgin Trains, and Rail Events Productions, is announcing that tickets to the THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride are now on sale. Based on popular demand, Brightline has opened a second departure location to the North Pole from South Florida with train offerings from Virgin MiamiCentral in Downtown Miami on select weekdays beginning Nov. 19. Departures from the Fort Lauderdale Brightline Station will return weekends and select holiday dates beginning Nov. 16. Tickets are on sale now and available at www.miamithepolarexpressride.com and www.ftlthepolarexpresride.com. Guests are encouraged to book early as popular dates and times will sell out!

In partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, the magical story comes to life when the train departs South Florida for a round-trip journey led by a cast of professional actors. 

 Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, passengers will relive the magic of the classic story as they are whisked away on THE POLAR EXPRESS™ for a magical one-hour trip to meet Santa. Once on board, car hosts will work their way through the coach and punch golden tickets before hot chocolate and a delicious cookie are served by dancing chefs. Passengers then read along with the classic children’s book, The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg. Santa and his helpers board the train to greet passengers and each guest is given the first gift of Christmas. During the trip, characters on each car lead fantastic onboard entertainment – just like in the film! Each guest will take home a keepsake sleigh bell and souvenir golden ticket in addition to the wonderful memories made on this magical trip. Families are encouraged to wear their pajamas for the ride!

The journey begins Nov. 16 and runs through Dec. 29, on select dates from Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Exact dates, fares, and times are available by visiting www.miamithepolarexpressride.com and www.ftlthepolarexpressride.com . Ticket prices range from $50 to $75, depending on the date, time, and location. 

(PRESS RELEASE)_Palm Beach Gardens, Fla– There is no better place for mollusk lovers to be on National Oyster Day than at III Forks in Palm Beach Gardens. On Monday, August 5, the celebrated surf and turf hot spot will be offering $1 oysters on the half shell in the bar from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

Cold Bar Tower-- This delicious culinary deal isn’t the only way to celebrate National Oyster Day at III Forks! Seafood lovers will swoon for the Cold Bar Tower ($120), an architectural masterpiece of oysters, shrimp cocktail, crab legs, and Maine lobster.  

Garden Party -- Toast life’s small pleasures with a glass of champagne or a glamorous craft cocktail. Experience the Garden Party ($13), a verdant concoction of The Botanist Gin, Aperol, fresh lemon juice, basil, and Lunetta Prosecco.

For more information or reservations, call (561) 630-3660 or visit 3forks.com/location/palm-beach-gardens/.  III Forks Prime Steakhouse is located at 4645 PGA Boulevard, Palm Beach Gardens. 

MIAMI_In May we wrote about the grand opening of CENTRAL FARE at MiamiCentral, at the Brightline station. One of several new restaurants there is BUCKS CREPES. Staffed and run by Christopher and Phillipe, they bring a touch of Paris to the Magic City, offering up a full menu of sweet and savory (Galettes) crepes, made from gluten-free buckwheat sourced in the U.S. This week we dropped by to try them for ourselves.

First up was the "Ham Here" ($8.95), featuring Black Forest ham, free range eggs (prepared to your liking), imported cheese and natural sliced roasted turkey breast. We opted to share it, and glad we did. It's a lot of food, and quite delicious. Other selections from the menu include "Hummus Veggie" ($10), "Salmon Shoppe" ($12) and "Chicken Brie" ($11), among others.

Of course along with the savory, we had to try the sweet. So we ordered the "Dulce de Leche" ($5). It employs a lighter wheat batter imported from France. Soooooo good! Optionally, you can add jam, organic fruit spread or the fruit of your choice. 
​
If you are planning a trip to the downtown Miami area, give Bucks Crepes a try, and tell Christopher and Phillipe we sent you. Bon appétit!

(PRESS RELEASE)_​MIAMI, Fl. (July 25, 2019) -  Virgin Trains, formerly Brightline, first began service in January 2018, offering a stress-free, car-free way to travel around South Florida. This past June it celebrated its latest milestone; one million riders. One million residents and visitors have turned to Virgin Trains over the past year to access the best of South Florida, with stops in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, with riders using the service for both business and leisure. Among corporate customers, the legal industry leads the charge in terms of total rides, followed by real estate, technology, hospitality and finance.
 
“This milestone shows the demand for new ways to travel and the need for greater connectivity in South Florida and other areas of the country.” said Virgin Trains President Patrick Goddard. “While we’re still in the adoption phase, our inaugural year showed great promise and tremendous opportunity to reinvent passenger rail in America.”

One million rides not only delivered significant time and cost savings to passengers this past year but also a positive sustainable environmental and economic impact to the communities where Virgin Trains currently operates. From 2018 to 2019, one million rides roughly translated to:
​

• 400,000 less car trips on the road (average party size of 2.5 passengers)
• Reduction of 15 million pounds of CO2 emissions
• 750,000 less fuel gallons on the road, representing roughly $2 million in savings
• Cumulative time savings of 76 years (each passenger saved an average of 40 minutes by choosing rail over highway)

Virgin Trains initiated service in January 2018 and full service between all three stations launched in May 2018. The company has experienced a steady ramp up in ridership comparable to other passenger rail lines around the world. 

(PRESS RELEASE)_(West Palm Beach, FL – July 23, 2019) The most successful romance reality series in the history of television is coming to West Palm Beach to help you find love. The Bachelor Live on Stage official tour will be at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday, May 6, 2020 at 8 pm.

The tour is the latest extension of the hit “Bachelor” franchise, which already includes “The Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise” spin-offs, all produced by Warner Horizon Unscripted Television. “The Bachelor” television series, heading into its 24th season on ABC, airs in 31 countries around the world.

Hosted by “The Bachelor” fan favorite Ben Higgins, The Bachelor Live on Stage fits an entire season of “Bachelor” drama into one evening, giving members of the audience the opportunity to find love in their own community, complete with a rose ceremony.

"I am so pumped to host the Bachelor live tour,” said host Ben Higgins. “Bachelor Nation, or maybe I should say the whole Bachelor family, has brought me a ton of joy over the years. I came into this experience as a man trying to process life, and as a result you all have celebrated with me in seasons of joy and mourned with me in seasons of pain. I feel like I have friends and family all over the United States because of this show. I am ecstatic to be able come to your cities with an amazing team of people from Warner Brothers to visit you and show you all a taste of what it is like to be on The Bachelor! We are coming to your cities, meeting you in person, and hopefully spreading some love along the way! See you soon Bachelor Nation!" 

Tickets go on sale on Saturday, October 5, at 10 am through the Kravis Center’s official website at kravis.org, by phone at 561.832.7469 or 800.572.8471, or in person at the Box Office. Donors will be notified for early access tickets.

Each stage show will introduce an eligible hometown bachelor to local ladies from the audience searching for a chance at love. And, for the first time ever, Bachelor Nation will have a say in the rose ceremony. Along with the audience, Ben will guide the bachelor in his journey to find love, from the first impression rose to group date challenges and the coveted one-on-ones. Watch it all unfold live on stage. If the leading lady accepts the final rose, the night could end with the start of a beautiful romance. The Bachelor Live on Stage has something for everyone, whether you’re looking to find love or just want to enjoy the drama of the evening.

For more information on The Bachelor Live on Stage, please visit bachelorliveonstage.com.

The Bachelor Live on Stage is a production of MagicSpace Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Unscripted Television. Creative team Mark “Swany” Swanhart and Guy Phillips are producing in partnership with MagicSpace.  Their broad experience across television, film and live entertainment includes bringing television hits “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s Got Talent” to the live stage.