• The house was packed for the luncheon, with 870 people in attendance according to Sports Board Manager Michael Bouda. The event was so large they had to bring in extra tables to seat everyone. The crowd might have been a record, said Bouda, with the possible exception of when Notre Dame comes to Jacksonville for the game.
• Visit Jacksonville President and CEO John Reyes is the guest speaker at the first Florida Public Relations Association Jacksonville Chapter meeting of the year. It’s Jan. 10 at River City Brewing Co. and starts at 11:30 a.m. The luncheon costs $25 for FPRA members, $35 for guests and $20 for students.
• SMG sent out an interesting press release to announce the Jan. 8 local qualifying event to select the couples who will be part of the Local Dance Challenge competition. The competition will be held during the “Dancing With the Stars” performance Jan. 22 at the Arena. SMG used one of Hallmark’s music cards featuring the song, “Turn the Beat Around” to get the attention from the local media. For more information on how to participate in the Dance Challenge competition, visit www.jaxevents.com.
• The Gator Bowl Association soon will name Fidelity’s Dan Murphy as its chairman-elect. He’ll work under new chair Brian Goin of the PGA Tour.
• The Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Downtown Council starts its ‘08 schedule on Friday at the River City Brewing Company and you’ll quickly note a change: the breakfast cost is up $5 to $15.
• Former Sports Board director Mike Sullivan is off to his new job in Sioux Falls, S.D., where he’ll work with that community to bring in events. Sullivan was a volunteer in Tuesday’s Gator Bowl game and was to leave town today.
“This generation is very sure to plant corn and beans each new year precisely as the Indians did centuries ago and taught the first settlers to do, as if there were a fate in it.”
– Henry David Thoreau