By Gary Curreri

The 10^th Annual Ranse Classic Beach Volleyball tournament was more about the camaraderie and the community rather than the competition.

An estimated 300 players took part in the beach volleyball tournament north of the Deerfield Beach pier that celebrated the life of Ranseford “Ranse” Jones. From junior players to top open competitors, there was a sense of pride among all at the 30 sand volleyball courts.

Tournament Director Diogo Sousa said the event holds a special place in his heart. He met Jones when he was younger at Deerfield Beach.

“I was 16 and he was one of the first people to stand up for me at Deerfield Beach when nobody would let me on the volleyball courts,” said Sousa, now 31, who lives nearby. “He was the first person I played with and, after we played for one day together, he went around to everybody and told them I was allowed to play anytime I wanted in Deerfield.”

“Since then,” he added, “this has been my home beach to play on. It is truly amazing to see someone’s life celebrated, year in and year out.

There are so many people that support the charity and the type of person that Ranse was. Everybody loved him and they continue to show love, not only to Ranse who passed away, but his family. His mother and father come down for this event every year.”

“This is way above cool,” said Jones’ mother, Sherry Marthinuss. “It is going to take me the whole weekend to come down from this. Ranse connected with people, obviously, and that is what he left us with. It is his legacy. That’s why we get together every year and celebrate that and keep building on it.

“We call it the biggest reunion on the east coast,” she continued. “A lot of the volleyball players he played with and knew still compete and want to win. It is great vibes and lots of love.”

In April 2010, Jones, a former Deerfield Beach firefighter, suffered a brain aneurysm while playing in the semifinals of the Panama City AVP Young Guns tournament. He died Nov. 8 that year at the young age of 34. Jones had played in 21 AVP tournaments since 2000. He also spent time on the Extreme Volleyball Professionals tour and competed in the Men’s Open Division of the 2009 U.S. Open of Beach Volleyball.

The Ranse Volleyball Classic has evolved into a nationally-recognized event to benefit Stroke Awareness, through the hard work of the local volleyball community.

The tournament generally raises between $20-$30,000 on an annual basis for the Ranse Jones Stroke Awareness Fund at the Broward Health North Stroke Center. To date, the event just exceeded $300,000.

Nikki Esposito, 22, has been coming to the tournament for years. Her father, John, is one of the organizers. She starred at Pompano Beach High School before playing with the FSU Seminoles.

“I have been playing in this tournament since I was 12,” she said. “Because I have been playing at Florida State, I haven’t been able to play in the tournament for the last four years, so I made the drive down this year.

“It has grown a lot and almost doubled in players this year,” she said. “It is so much fun getting everyone together from all over the state and the country. I made new friends. We just had a lot of fun.”

Flavia Fernandes, 36, also of Deerfield Beach, said the tournament is definitely for fun. She has also played in the tournament for about five years. She coached Esposito when she was younger.

“This tournament is not so much about winning, or the competition,” Fernandes said. “You still have the competitive drive and at the end of the day, you know it is for a good cause.

“For me, this is the most fun tournament of the year,” Fernandes said. “This is special for me because everyone comes from so far and I see the hard work that the organizers put in. We all look forward to it.”

Jonathan Rogers, 28, of Deerfield Beach, said they had nice weather on the first day and a little rain on the second.

“Usually, it is pretty windy this time of year,” Rogers said. “It was really sunny and really a nice day for volleyball. Considering the format and that you don’t know the partner you are playing with, I was pretty happy that we made it to the semifinals of the open division.

“I ended up being paired up with a guy from Brazil,” Rogers added. “He was a really cool dude. We couldn’t communicate because he didn’t speak English, but it was fun.”

3^rd Annual Ryan Owens Memorial Run set for Saturday

The 3rd Annual Ryan Owens Memorial Run is set for Nov. 9 on Deerfield Beach. Registration begins at 6:30 a.m. Organized by the Naked Warrior Project, the run pays tribute to Fallen Navy SEAL, Ryan Owens, who grew up in Ft. Lauderdale and was killed in action on Jan. 29, 2017. 

The four-mile beach run on Deerfield Beach is fashioned after the weekly timed beach runs in Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training that candidates must pass. Runners of all levels are welcome. Limited to 500 runners, the race will be timed and medals awarded. The entry fee is $40. 

“I began The Naked Warrior Project in 2017 to ensure that the memory of these brave warriors and their sacrifices are never forgotten,” said South Florida resident John Owens, a retired Navy SEAL and brother of Ryan Owens. The mission of the non-profit organization is to memorialize fallen Navy SEALs, help injured Navy SEALs in their recovery and provide support to their families through education, connecting families and building memorials.

“This run is our largest event of the year,” said Owens. “We run this race to honor Ryan’s life and the money raised this year will go toward building a memorial to Ryan here in South Florida.”

Following the run, the organization’s annual dinner and silent auction will be held at the Royal Palm Yacht Club in Boca Raton. Dinner tickets are $150 per person. Dinner sponsorship opportunities are available at different levels. The evening also includes a silent auction. The organization holds several other annual fundraising events including a fishing tournament and golf outings.

To register for the run, learn more about sponsorships and donations and for more information, visit NakedWarriorProject.org.

By “Cinema” Dave
http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Behemoth ! Colossal !! Gigantic ! ! ! These are just some of the adjectives describing the opening night of The 34th International Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF34) at the Museum of Discovery and Science.

Cuba, the 45 minute documentary on the six story IMAX theater, created ambiance to set up a unique party. How unique? The magnitude of party goers danced to Tito Puente Jr.’s Mambo tunes on a dance floor situated between a Megalodon Shark and Terry the Otter’s water pool.

Besides rocking it out on the dance floor, Karen Allen and Peter Reigert proved to be generous celebrities. Karen Allen’s drama Colewell and Peter Reigert’s short subject, Extra Innings, are reminders about the importance of storytelling in the movies. For this film columnist, it is such a welcome relief to see professionals like Allen and Reigert express such genuine love for cinema and storytelling.

With echoes of Frank Capra’s Oscar winning classic, It Happened One Night, the French film, Our Happy Holiday, screened with director Patrick Cassir and actress Camille Chamoux too. A romantic comedy with modern charm, this film had people laughing all the way up to the end credits.

This international party continues this Friday, Nov. 8 with Duck Pond from Sweden. Director Robert Andersson will present his film and host the Merry Meatballs party after the 6 p.m. screening. Even Executive Director Michelle Filipi’s success with organizing parties this season, expect this Duck Pond/Merry Meatballs party to be a unique and fun event. 

On Veteran’s Day — Monday, Nov. 11, actress Diane Baker will attend the screening of her cult classic, Strait-Jacket, costarring Lee Majors and Joan Crawford. Professor Foster Hirsch will conduct an onstage interview with this prolific actress with a long resume. Besides appearing in Oscar winning films like The Diary of Anne Frank and The Silence of the Lambs, Diane Baker has starred in many cult classics like Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Cable Guy and A Mighty Wind.

Baker will attend a special evening screening of Sir Alfred Hitchcock’s Marnie at the Savor on Tuesday evening, Nov. 12.

Earlier in the day, Florida Film Legend William Grefe will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award before the screening of the 1985 film Cease Fire. This moviewas one of the first movies to tackle the subject of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on the big screen. Starring Don Johnson,this filmfeatures an appearance from Vietnam Veteran’s advocate Chris Noel.

With Justin Long and Radha Mitchell arriving in town to screen their movies and party with our neighbors, it is silly not to join the fun. For ticket prices and updates, visit the website — www.fliff.com. Also — don’t forget to thank a Veteran this special weekend!

By Gary Curreri

Senior running back Jaylan Knighton ran for 113 yd. and two touchdowns as Deerfield Beach won its fifth straight district championship and 23rd overall with a 41-0 District 12-8A victory over host Monarch at Coconut Creek High School last Friday night.

Senior quarterback Michael Pratt also found the end zone twice for the Bucks who scored on their first two possessions to take a 14-0 lead and were never headed as they rolled to their 23rd consecutive district win.

Deerfield Beach (6-3) took a 7-0 lead with 7:24 remaining in the first quarter on a 1-yd. quarterback sneak by Pratt. The Bucks made it 14-0 on a 14-yd. run by Knighton as the score capped a 5-play, 38-yd. drive. Knighton scored again with 4:58 remaining in the first half to push the lead to 21-0. The drive was set up by a 33-yd. punt return by Bryce Gowdy. Knighton finished the first half with 14 carries for 111 yd.

“Today, I could have done better,” said Knighton, an FSU commit, who accounted for 182 total yards with 69 yd. receiving and another score in the game. “Today was a great day. We got the victory. Since I have been here, we won the district championship every year. It is a great experience to bring it home.”

Deerfield added one more score at the end of the first half as Pratt capped a 7-play, 77-yd. drive with an 8-yd. scoring run. Knighton hauled in a 57-yd. pass from Xavier Restrepo on a fake punt to extend the lead to 34-0 with 10:04 left in the third quarter. The final score of the night came on a 1-yd. plunge by backup quarterback Derohn King for a 41-0 lead.

“Right now, we are above average,” Knighton added. “We are working every single day and trying to get better, not taking no days off.”

Deerfield Beach is 8-1 in the series between the two schools. In the last five meetings, Deerfield is 5-0 and has outscored the Knights, 206-7 during that span. Deerfield outscored the opposition, 340-110 and was coming off a loss to St. Thomas Aquinas, which snapped a five-game winning streak.

Last season, Deerfield Beach fell in the state semifinals of the Class 8A tournament as they lost 49-21 to Miami Columbus and finished 12-2. Deerfield lost in the regional quarterfinal the season before and lost in the state semifinals in 2016 to the eventual state champion, Southridge, 26-7, in 2016.

Ely falls to Atlantic

Atlantic clinched their third consecutive district championship with a 34-16 win over visiting Blanche Ely in the District 13-7A clash last Friday.

Blanche Ely (7-2) took an early lead on a field goal, before the host Eagles built up an 18-point lead. The Tigers clawed back as senior Darnell Deas punched in an 11-yd. touchdown run to cut the Eagles’ lead to 12 with 1:26 left in the first half. Blanche Ely then closed to within 21-16 quarterback Jevon Williams found junior Dewante Deas on the near sideline for a 40-yd. scoring toss.

The Eagles tacked on two fourth quarter scores to pull away and punch their ticket to the postseason for the sixth straight year. Blanche Ely will tackle Dillard at home on Saturday in the annual Soul Bowl at 5 p.m.

Ranse Volleyball tourney this weekend

The 10th Annual Ranse Classic will be held this weekend, Nov. 2-3 on Deerfield Beach near the pier.

The Ranse Classic is a beach volleyball Pro-Am tournament in memory of Ranse Jones, an avid beach volleyball player, whose life was cut short when he suffered a stroke while playing an AVP Young Guns Tournament in 2010. Registration for the event closes today (Oct. 31) at 4 p.m.

On Friday, there will be a Blind Draw Party at Burger Craze 7:30 p.m. followed by the tournament on Saturday and Sunday.

The men’s and women’s Pro AM Blind Draw Doubles will be held on Saturday. There will also be raffles and a silent auction from 4-9 p.m. at Bru’s Room and drawings will take place at 9:30 p.m. There will be a player party with live band Uproot Hootenanny at Bru’s Room 7:30 p.m. until closing.

The men’s and women’s Open Doubles Tournaments is on Sunday. There will also be a juniors Blind Draw Doubles Tournament with divisions for 12U, 14U, 16U, and 18U and a Coed Doubles Tournament with AAA and AA divisions.

Money raised will be donated to Ranse Jones Stroke Awareness Fund at Broward Health North.

For more information, visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RanseVolleyballClassic/

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Even though Halloween winds down this evening, this weekend will keep the party going with Day of the Dead festivities, especially in Ft. Lauderdale. The 10^thannual tons of fun Florida Day of the Dead Skeleton Processional in downtown Ft. Lauderdale begins at 6 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 2.This rowdy processional will snake through downtown Ft. Lauderdale with many touch points that will involve the 34th Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF).

FLIFF runs Nov. 1 to 17. Savor Cinema will kick things off Friday, Nov. 1 with a special movie, Scream, Queen, which is a documentary about featured guest Mark Patton. An avuncular fixture at horror movie conventions, this gay actor has served on Scream, Queen panels with certified Scream Queens like Linnea Quigley, P.J. Soles and Barbara Crampton. While there is safety at a horror convention, this new documentary will present Patton’s struggles in the motion picture industry after A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge was released in 1985. Freddy’s Revenge will screen after Scream, Queen.

This Saturday evening, Nov. 2, at Cinema Paradiso-Hollywood and Sunday evening, Nov. 3, at Savor Cinema, Gamble Rogers: Down at the Terminal Tavern will screen. A documentary about singer, songwriter and raconteur, this documentary will present the life and times of a unique artist. Special guests Bill and Melissa Shepard Sykes will be in attendance at a special party Sunday evening at Savor Cinema. The couple is expected to walk the red carpet this Friday evening, Nov. 1, at the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science Gala Party.

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m., local resident Chris Noel will be visiting the Retro Pool Party at the Conrad Ft. Lauderdale Beach, 6th Floor, Spinnaker Pool Deck. Cast in the movie, Noel will be the Special Guest at the screening of Girl Happy, starring Elvis Presley. Filmed in Ft. Lauderdale circa 1965, Noel was cast as an “Elvis Girl.” While visiting Vietnam on a promotional junket, Noel became an advocate for Vietnam Veterans and worked for the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service. As a guest of the motorcycle posse, Rolling Thunder, she rode her chopper to Washington D.C. for many Veteran’s Day ceremonies.

On Saturday, Nov. 9 at 3:30 p.m. at Savor Cinema, Australian actress Radha Mitchell will receive the FLIFF2019 Career Achievement Award. With appearances in films like Olympus has Fallen, Silent Hill and Man on Fire (co-starring Denzel Washington); Mitchell will attend the screening of her new movie, Celeste. Celeste is a family drama that was filmed in North Queensland, Australia.

On Saturday, Nov. 9, Justin Long will attend the Centerpiece Party at Savor Cinema. The actor, producer and podcaster will present his new film, Safe Spaces at 8:30 p.m., and will receive the FLIFF 2019 Career Achievement Award.

To close out the evening, Popcorn Frights will screen the Sam Raimi scary flick, Drag Me to Hell, co-starring Alison Lohman and Justin Long.

Over 100 FLIFF Catalogs have been given away at Deerfield Beach Percy White Library since last Saturday. While the catalogs are likely to be gone at the time of this column’s publication, pocket schedules will still likely to be available.

Keep the party going, but have a safe and Happy Halloween.

By Rachel Galvin

Our area just got a whole lot sweeter with the addition of a new dessert shop called Sweet Lipz, at 1563 N. Dixie Hwy. in Pompano. You may recognize the name. They also have a food truck and are frequent participants in local events. They held their Grand Opening on Saturday, Oct. 12, which brought in quite a crowd to taste samples of their banana pudding and other delights. This reporter bought a Brookie for $3 (a combination of a brownie and a cookie) and it was delicious! They also had cakes, cheesecakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls and more. Look for new pastries, doughnuts and bread to come soon.

“I just don’t bake. I study food. I learned from my mom and my grandmother …” said owner Jesse “Jay” Williams, who said that Sweet Lipz came from his nickname as he and his brother tried to sneak some samples of desserts as a child.

The whole family was out for the celebration, including grandma Pat Williams, mom Rose Isaac, Aunt Sahara Abramson, Aunt Barbara Watson, who is also a state rep., along with Jay, his wife, Mallory, and his kids Jesse, Jessie, J’lah and Jordan. Come out to grab a sweet treat and meet the family! They are open 6:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. They are closed Sunday and Monday.

For more information, visit www.sweetlipzdesserts.com.

By Jo Jo Harder

Halloween can be a fun time for the entire family, but there can be potential dangers and sources of stress for the canine family member. If your pooch considers the All Hallows Eve a “fright night,” follow these five tips for an enjoyable and safe Howl-o-ween:

It’s fun to decorate for Halloween, but curious dogs might not understand that your cute decorations are only for looking at and not eating. Remember to place decorations out of your pup’s reach.

Watch for signs of stress. If your dog is prone to anxiety, he/she will appreciate the security of spending the evening at home. Make sure your dog has safe space away from loud noises. Soothing music, fun games and chew toys can be welcome distractions.

When selecting a costume, the most important thing to keep in mind is a good fit. A canine costume should fit well and remain securely in place. DIY costumes are the trend. Homemade Halloween costumes are fun to create, and they don’t have to take a lot of time and effort.

If your plans include trick or treating, keep your dog on a leash at all times and carry a flashlight. Decorate treat bags with reflective tape, and avoid crossing lawns and yards where furniture and ornaments present danger. Additionally, go only to homes where residents are known and have a welcome light on.

Keep candy out of your dog’s reach. Sugar, chocolate, raisins and candy wrappers can all cause problems. Should your dog get into these treats or candy wrappers, call your veterinarian right away.

Looking for paw-some Halloween events in South Florida? Check out this agenda!

• The 5^th Annual Paws for a Cause benefitting local animal rescues will be held at Baja Café Dos, 1310 S. Federal Hwy., in Deerfield Beach, on Sunday, Oct. 27 from 3 to 8 p.m. Sponsored by GFWC Woman’s Club of Deerfield Beach. Dog and cat adoptions, food specials, raffle baskets, Halloween pet/person contest. For more information, call 954-596-1304.

• 10th Annual Howl-O-Ween Fundraiser, Oct. 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Max’s Grille, 404 Plaza Real, in Boca Raton benefiting Tri-County Humane Society. Dress your pets to impress for the Halloween costume contest. Entry fee $20, includes passed hors d’oeuvres and two select cocktails, sponsored by Tito’s Vodka. Raffle tickets are available for purchase for a chance to win a variety of prizes! Pre-register by calling Tri County: 561-482-8110.

• Howl-o-ween Festival, Friday, Oct. 25, from 5 to 7 p.m. Humane Society of Broward County, 2070 Griffin Rd., in Ft. Lauderdale. Celebrate Halloween with the furry friends! Food trucks, games for prizes, face painting, fall photo booths, costume contests, puppy playtime, and more!

Jo Jo Harder, is a Boca Raton based author, stylist, producer, pet lifestyle expert, CEO and creator of America’s Top Dog Model Contest. Jo Jo has been at the helm of America’s Top Dog Model ® brand since 2005, and her unique approach to discovering, developing, and managing top dog models has gained international attention. America’s Top Dog Model’s new reality series “How to Get to the Top” season one, can be viewed on YouTube. www.americastopdogmodel.com.

By Gary Curreri

Blanche Ely senior quarterback Jevon Williams ran 11 times for a game-high 135 yds. and three scores as the Tigers rallied for a 28-16 win over visiting Coconut Creek on Friday night.

Blanche Ely (7-1) won for the fifth straight game and will face Atlantic on Friday at 7 p.m. for the District 13-7A championship.

“Speed is everything,” said Williams, a three-time state champion hurdler in track. “Football is speed, it is not just strength, and I go by speed…if they can’t stop me, they can’t stop me.

“Last year, we won one game and, this year, we won our seventh game,” added Williams, who also threw for 100 yds. in the game. “We are on a winning streak right now. It feels great to me, and I am proud of this team and proud of myself as well. We got Atlantic next week and we are going to win that game as well.”

Coconut Creek (4-4) got on the scoreboard first on a safety when Blanche Ely punter Schneider Etienne had his knee touch down in the end zone as he was attempting to punt the ball for a 2-0 Cougars’ lead. 

Coconut Creek scored on its opening offensive series when Cedrick Bennett hit Damien Heller on a screen pass, and he went untouched from 23-yds. out for a 9-0 lead with 8:22 remaining in the first quarter.

Williams scored on a 6-yd. run to trim the lead to 9-7 before the Cougars’ John Blackmon hauled in an 8-yd. TD pass from Bennett to boost the lead to 16-7. 

The Tigers scored twice before the end of the first half to take the lead for good as Williams scored on a 6-yd. run and Shomari Lawrance scored on a 13-yd. run to cap a 9-play, 63-yd. drive with 3:22 left in the first half. Lawrance finished the game with 14 carries for 63 yds.

The Tigers capitalized on an interception by Antonio McBride, and Williams padded the lead when he scored on a 59-yd. run with 8:49 remaining in the third quarter for a 28-16 lead.

Blanche Ely’s lone defeat this season was a 42-0 loss to Deerfield Beach in the third game of the season. Since then, they have reeled off five wins in a row.

“Deerfield was a game where I felt we beat ourselves and I didn’t harp on that,” said Blanche Ely coach Clifford Wimberly after the Tigers finished 1-9 last year. “We jumped right back into action and put that game behind us. I told the kids we have a long season left to play and our goal was to ‘restore the roar,’ we would no longer be the step-child in Broward County and I think we are doing that.”

“I made the kids believe,” Wimberly said. “I gave them a vision…this is one of the heartbeats of the community. This is where my family is from and I am deeply rooted in Pompano. I knew how big the job was when I was taking it. We were 1-9 last year, but a lot of people don’t realize we probably played the toughest schedule in the state, and we have only lost one game since the spring.”

Blanche Ely is 10-5 against the Cougars dating back to 2004. Coconut Creek had won the last two meetings, and three of the last four entering the contest. The Tigers have outscored their opposition 244-126 this season.

Bucks fall 28-7 at St. Thomas Aquinas

Deerfield Beach fell on the road to St. Thomas Aquinas, 28-7 in a nationally-televised game that featured two of the top teams in the county.

The Bucks (5-3) had their five-game win streak come to a halt as the St. Thomas Aquinas team remained undefeated through seven games.

The Bucks’ Xavier Restrepo got the Bucks on the board first with a 54-yd. scoring toss from Michael Pratt with 7:19 remaining in the first half. From there, it was all Raiders who finished with eight sacks and scored 28 unanswered points.

By David Volz

U Can Ride hosted its annual Halloween Horse Show and Fair at Sand and Spurs Equestrian Park in Pompano Beach on Oct. 12.

Those who came could enjoy a wide range of fun and interesting activities. There was a Halloween costume contest on horseback, contests in barrel racing and walk, trot and cantor. Children could also ride a pony. There were arts & crafts, a bounce house, games and other fun activities. Members of the Pompano Beach Firefighters Benevolent barbecued hotdogs, hamburgers and other food that was sold to visitors. The money they raised went to the U Can Ride Therapeutic Riding program.

“This is a fun, family day. Members of the horse community competed in various activities,” said Jennifer Gross, of U Can Ride. “We had plenty of good food, and people from the community had a good time.”

Emma Loesel participated in the horseback riding competition on her horse named Stryker. She competed in barrel racing and walk, trot and cantor. She lives in Deerfield Beach.

“I love horses and I like being a part of this competition,” said Loesel.

Madeline Devendorf, who lives in Pompano Beach, competed on her horse named Corona.

“I like this show. I get to be with my friends. I really love barrel racing,” said Devendorf.

Rick Cupo, of Pompano Beach Firefighters Benevolent, was helping to prepare and serve food.

“The money we raise goes back to U Can Ride. We want to give back to the community,” said Cupo.

For more information on U Can Ride, visit www.ucanride.org.

Photos by Katy Freitag

On Sept. 29, locals were trying Código Tequila, eating delicious Mexican food and having plenty of fun at Baja Café Dos in Deerfield as it celebrated two decades of being in the community. There even was a big George Strait bus outside. He is the spokesperson for Código Tequila. It was a fun night.

This restaurant knows how to be a good community partner. They are always giving back and offering nonprofits the ability to do fundraisers at their location, and giving proceeds back to them, including for local sports teams, Relay For Life, marching bands, Kiwanis, the Woman’s Club and more.

They have two upcoming events. First is an Abaco Relief Party on Saturday, Oct.19 from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Twenty percent of proceeds will be donated to those in need. Second is the 5th Annual Paws For a Cause on Sunday, Oct. 27 from 3 to 8 p.m. sponsored by the local Woman’s Club and benefitting local animal rescues. People can adopt a cat or dog, win a raffle basket, and buy other goodies. There will be a Halloween Pet and Person costume content too.

Baja Café Dos is located at 1310 S. Federal Hwy. in Deerfield Beach. For more information, call 954-596-1304 or visit www.bajacafedeerfield.com/.

By Rachel Galvin

Any Brazilian would have been thrilled to attend the 66th anniversary of RECORDTV Americas in its new headquarters in Lighthouse Point on Sept. 27. The star-studded event was hosted by top model and host of Hoje em Dia, Ana Hickmann. Other celebrities spoke, including actors Kadu Moliterno, Rayanne Morais and Felipe Cunha from the telenovela Topíssima, Portuguese basketball star Ticha Penicheiro, MMA fighters Fabrício Werdum, Renzo Gracie and Vitor Belfort, as well as Cake Boss chef Buddy Valastro.

The mayor of Lighthouse Point, Glenn Troast, who helped cut the ribbon, said, “We are very proud to have RECORDTV here in our city. We have worked with them over the last few years to get all the building right, and seeing how it turned out is really wonderful. With the vibrant Brazilian community we have in South Florida, the building will be a true icon for our city.”

Hundreds of guests attended the event, which was in Portuguese, including international journalists, Brazilian diplomats, politicians and company representatives. The President of the Brazilian Tourism Institute (Embratur), Gilson Machado; Ambassador João Mendes Pereira, General Consul of Brazil in Miami, RECORDTV Americas Executive Director Wilon Cardoso and CEO of RECORDTV International Marcelo Cardoso also spoke.

RECORDTV broadcasts content in Portuguese 24 hours a day.The company has been in the U.S. for almost 20 years and continues to expand what they have to offer. Their content can be seen in Portuguese-speaking communities in over 150 countries. They strive to utilize top of the line technology to keep up-to-date with today’s demands.

Visit their website at http://recordtvamericas.com.