All Stories
Latest from SWFL Spotlight.
Browse every story, profile, guide, and community feature from newest to oldest.
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Slow Down in the Woods
A walk through Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, where slowing down turns a quiet boardwalk into a bird-by-bird, bloom-by-bloom Southwest Florida education.
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Multicultural Counseling in Southwest Florida
Charmaine Dockett, founder of Rivers of Hope Counseling, shares the personal experience that led her to build a multicultural, faith-based counseling organization serving clients across Florida and beyond.
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A Fort Myers Beach Tradition Rolls On: Inside the 68th Annual Shrimp Festival Parade
Thousands of spectators lined Estero Boulevard on March 7 for the 68th Annual Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival Parade, one of the island’s longest-running community traditions.
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From Apparel Executive to Creative Strategist: The Story Behind Twang Design Studio
Meet C. Robert Brown, founder of Twang Design Studio, and learn how this Southwest Florida brand strategist is helping local businesses build identities that are authentic, consistent, and built to last.
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Safe Family Garage Repair Owner, George Thomas, on Building Trust in Southwest Florida
Meet George Thomas, owner of Safe Family Garage Door Repair, and learn how this Southwest Florida business owner is building trust through honesty, transparency, and relationship-driven service.
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How Jamie Mammarelli Built Barkyard and Tap in Southwest Florida
Meet Jamie Mammarelli, Army veteran and founder of Barkyard and Tap, and learn how she is building Southwest Florida’s first dog-friendly social hub from the ground up.
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Therapist & Sage & Lore founder, Petra Wilkes, believes people and organizations change when they reconnect with the values and stories guiding their lives.
Petra Wilkes of Sage & Lore shares how military service, therapy, storytelling, and values-based leadership shaped her work in Southwest Florida.
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Coconut Point Holiday Celebration Brings Tropical Parades, Live Entertainment, and a Community Tree Lighting to Estero
Families gathered at Coconut Point in Estero for a day of holiday fun featuring a tropical parade, live entertainment, vendors, Santa, and tree lighting.
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Friends Giving Brings My Autism Connection Together at Lakes Park
Friends Giving, hosted by My Autism Connection, brought members, families, friends, organizers, FGCU interns, and student volunteers together for a relaxed day of inclusion and connection at Lakes Park in Fort Myers on November 15, 2025.
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Inside Dog Dayz Costume Swap: Bringing Southwest Florida’s Dog Community Together
Dog lovers gathered at Dog Dayz Costume Swap in Bonita Springs for an afternoon of off-leash fun, costume trading, and community connection in Southwest Florida.
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My Autism Connection Culinary Workshop at FGCU Builds Skills, Confidence, and Community Connection
A culinary class at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Sugden Hall brought My Autism Connection participants together with Chef Rebecca for hands-on cooking instruction, skill-building, and meaningful community connection.
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Pincher’s Stone Crab Festival Naples Returns for Its 15th Year with Seafood, Live Music, and Waterfront Celebration
The 15th Annual Stone Crab Festival brought seafood, live music, and community celebration to the Naples waterfront at Tin City on October 24, 2025.
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