What is Viva Florida 500? Viva Florida 500 is the year-long multicultural commemoration of Floridas 500 th anniversary, dating back to Ponce de Leóns.

What is Viva Florida 500?

• Viva Florida 500 is the year-long multicultural commemoration of Florida’s 500th anniversary, dating back to Ponce de León’s landing on Florida shores in 1513.

• The commemoration is intended to bring local, national and international awareness to Florida’s rich and diverse history.

Vision

• Viva Florida 500 will help educate children and adults about Florida’s history as the place where Europeans first landed in the United States, and the 500 years of events that have happened since that time.

• By promoting the rich and diverse history of Florida, our community and the state will benefit through increased tourism opportunities and the pride that comes with embracing a heritage.

History

• On or around April 2, 1513, Ponce de León and his crew of three ships made landfall on Florida’s eastern shore –somewhere between Jacksonville and Cape Canaveral.

• Ponce de León called the new land La Florida, or flowery land, because of the beauty of the natural environment and because the date of his arrival coincided with the Spanish Festival of Flowers: Pascua Florida.

Goals

• Commemorate –Educate –Promote • Connect the entire state of Florida through

its shared heritage• Be a conduit and clearinghouse for Florida

history and culture in Lee County• Encourage valuable, vibrant, and

productive public and private partnerships• Make Viva Florida 500 events in Lee

County a reality in 2013

Event Planning

• Florida Memory Project– www.floridamemory.com– Searchable collections of manuscripts,

war records, historic images, vital statistics, audio and video recordings from the State Library and Archives of Florida

Event Planning

• Florida Heritage Trail – www.flheritage.com/preservation/trails/i

ndex.cfm– Educational and travel publications that

identify historical sites throughout Florida

– Includes profiles and biographical sketches of significant individuals

• www.fla500.com/main.php -newsletters, partners, state meetings, etc.)

• www.visitflorida.com/viva -public page, etc.

• Calendars –www.visitflorida.com/viva–www.leegov.com/125th/Pages/ -Lee County

history source

• Twitter - @VivaFL500; #VivaFL500• Facebook – VivaFlorida500

Event Planning

Event Planning

• Focus on collaboration with other organizations and promote pride in Lee County’s and Florida’s heritage

• It is not just about our Spanish heritage- Be inclusive and accessible to all! (French, Indian, Cuban, Black,

• Consider niche and broad audiences of all ages• Use the Viva Florida 500 calendar to organize and

advertise• Distribute information about Viva Florida 500 to

your network of colleagues, constituents, franchises and other organizations

Collaboration

• Lee County Library System – Coordination • Exchange contact information (opt out)• Share logo and other resources among all

partners• Compare calendars local vs. state?• VIVALee500 Facebook & Twitter page?• Central photo gallery?• Trivia contests?• Historic events timeline?

500 Ideas?

• Visual arts events• Educational events• Culinary events• Musical events• Educational events• Tours• Displays• Time capsule

Lee County VIVA Florida 500 Events:

Time capsule for each county coordinated by the public library system– Will include local and global information:

• Newspaper/magazine clippings• Mementos, photographs• List of current consumer technology• Catalogs/advertisements (fashion, electronics)• Popular culture (music, art, film, theatre)

2013 Summer Reading themes– Children’s: Dig Into Reading– Teen: Beneath the Surface

Lee County VIVA Florida 500 Events:

Ponce and the Calusa– Thursday, February 21 at 7 p.m.– Calusa Heritage Trail/Randall Research Center

13810 Waterfront Drive, Pineland• Dr. Bill Marquardt, Curator of South Florida

Archaeology and Ethnography and Director of the Randell Research Center, will present the lecture “Ponce and the Calusa”

• Members of RRC will be free; public fee $5 to benefit the programs of RRC a non-profit organization that receives no county, state, or university funds for operations.

• http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/rrc/

Action Items

• Review VIVA Florida 500 information and provide your opinions on: – Calendar location– Content: Central photo gallery, Trivia

contests, Historic events timeline – Lee County Viva FL500 Facebook &

Twitter pages• Contact partners- brainstorm- collaborate

and publicize

What will you be doing in 2013?

Viva Florida 500’s success relies upon the grassroots efforts of local

governments, organizations and institutions!