As President of the Key Biscayne Chamber of Commerce, I would like to thank everyone involved for making the Great Pink Flamingo Race and Community Picnic a success! There were 400 spectators anticipating their flamingo racing to shore first to win the scooter, donated in part by Southern Trading Inc.

The MAST Academy Steel Drum Band set a tropical feeling for the evening and David from The Lighthouse Café served delicious food for dining.

The night was beautiful and the winds agreeable for the launching of our 1,000 "racing" flamingos by the Key Biscayne Yacht Club with Mike Shanley from BoatNation USA, Mark Yehle, Robin Macklin, Bill Graham and Julie Balogh placing the inflatable flamingos evenly on the start line. It was a spectacular sight to see them racing toward the shore, especially when all the children went running into the surf to retrieve the birds. Of course, our Mayor Bob Oldakowski had already retrieved the lucky winner.

There was a lot of behind the scenes work to make this evening happen, and I would particularly like thank Carol Craiglow and Elena Santayana for their tireless help and support, not to mention the other fine Chamber members ­ Don Emery Joan and Jaime McCaughan, Ellen Blasi, Michele Padovan, Ann Williamson, Kathye Susnjer, Bob Brookes, Karen Levison, Dr. John Martin, Cristina Pesant, Ed Stone, Jim Eraso and the Von Hartz family.

A Chamber also runs on the work of volunteers. A special thanks goes out to Cecilia Gladston, Natalie Gailitis, the Vergani Family, David Riasco, Alex Sonnabend, Dash Cole, Megan and Alson Tague, Christina Brennan, Jessica Castro, Michele Yehle and Jane Morris for all their help.

Our flamingo wranglers, Gannon Yehle, Matthew Fried, Shawn Morris and Grant Kunkle deserve recognition for managing to surprise many happy families who wake up to 100 pink plastic lawn flamingos decorating their front lawn.

A BIG thank you goes out to the residents of the Village for "flocking to shop" on the Key and the merchants of the Chamber for participating in the event.

A very special thank you to the Islander News, Coconut Telegraph and La Isla. And Jaime Millan who designed the Flamingo Logo.

Sincerely,

Mary Tague