A completely non-political charity event to helps kids is being attacked by a hair lipped monster because the organizers had the temerity to, uh, try to raise some money to help kids.
A charity event to raise money for needy children may be in jeopardy because Hillsborough County Commissioner Ronda Storms has questioned its association with strip-club owner Joe Redner.
Whether IMAGO Magazine’s fifth annual Auction for Angels at the Wyndham Westshore Hotel will take place Nov. 19 was unclear late Friday.
One of two charitable organizations in line to benefit from the event pulled out because of the controversy, magazine Editor Norm Roche said.
“It’s kind of all collapsed,” Roche said. “This has crashed the event.”
Redner, who has appeared on the cover of the Dunedin-based arts and personalities magazine, contributed $500 toward the dinner and auction. Joe Redner Enterprises is listed as a sponsor on the $60-per-ticket invitation, which arrived Thursday in Storm’s mail.
Storms said she called three other businesses shown as sponsors — Wyndham Westshore, Decker Ross Interiors and the Tampa Bay Lightning — to ask whether they knew that Redner also was a sponsor and that they were being linked with the adult entertainment industry. She was troubled by the invitation’s use of a girl’s picture near Redner’s logo.
“A little girl’s image is being associated with the adult entertainment industry,” Storms said. “I’d like to know if that little girl’s parents know about it.”
……Storms, the mother of a young daughter, an advocate for foster children and a longtime opponent of the adult entertainment industry, said she did not pressure the businesses to withdraw from the event.
“The event doesn’t have to be in jeopardy,” Storms said. “I’ll write the check [for Redner's $500 share] … to rectify the situation. This just is not appropriate.”
Jan Horn, executive director of Blooming Place for Kids, a Clearwater charity for neglected and abused children set to benefit from the event, said she was vaguely familiar with Redner’s adult entertainment businesses.
“As a charity, I don’t question everybody that donates money,” Horn said. “We are appreciative of everybody who gives money because that money is for kids.”
Horn said her organization, which hosts a two-week summer camp, got $7,000 from last year’s IMAGO event.
“If this event doesn’t happen, there will be 10 kids who will not be able to experience this program,” she said.
Roche, the IMAGO editor, said A Gift for Teaching of Tampa, which distributes school supplies to needy children and teachers, backed out of the event because of fear of offending Storms and the county commission. Officials with the program could not be reached Friday.
……“I think Ronda Storms is a mean-spirited person,” Redner said. “This is not about her and I; it’s about anybody that crosses her. She goes after them, and she doesn’t care who she hurts.”
Redner said he pays about $100,000 in county property taxes.
“They take my tax money. Maybe [Storms] ought to give that back,” he said.
Yeah, that’s the ticket: Ronda’s not trying to intimidate anyone here, but if charities that also rely on the county for funding just happen to get the message that they shouldn’t be associated with this event, and voluntarily pull out, well, Ronda can’t help that, can she?
Now one of two charities slated to benefit from the auction, A Gift for Teaching of Tampa Bay, in Tampa, has pulled out. And the head of the other is concerned that children might lose out due to the commissioner’s latest crusade.
“I morally disagree with that type of business,” said Jan Horn, executive director and founder of Blooming Place for Kids, in Clearwater, which raises money to send foster children to summer camp in Lithia. “But if that man wants to make a contribution to a charity that helps neglected and abused children, if that’s what he wants to do with his money, then I commend him.”
Storms said her problem is one of association between a charity event seeking to help children with a business that she feels hurts women. The girl is pictured above the logos of what are represented as four sponsors, including Joe Redner Enterprises. One of Redner’s enterprises: Mons Venus strip club.
An invitation landed in Storms’ mailbox Thursday, which is when she called the other sponsors, including the Tampa Bay Lightning and Wyndham Westshore Hotel in Tampa where the auction is scheduled for Nov. 19. Storms confirmed she asked representatives of each if they knew with whom their names were being associated.
“This girl is a very little girl,” Storms said. “It looks to me in the picture like she still has her baby teeth. Anytime it looks to me like a child is being exploited, and in my opinion associating a child with the adult entertainment industry looks like they’re being exploited, then I’m going to address that.”
Storms said she is further disturbed that Redner is being allowed to purchase credibility with marquis treatment in the event.
Redner, who also has a fitness club and various real estate holdings, expressed outrage in a sometimes profanity-laden rant. What difference does it make if he contributes and his corporate logo is depicted on a charity invitation, he asked.
The only one drawing the association is Storms, he said. And he said the only ones taking a hit from her involvement are children who need it most.
“I’m dumbfounded and speechless,” said Redner, who has clashed repeatedly with Storms over his involvement in adult business. “This is the mentality I’ve seen in this woman all along: “If you cross me, I’m don’t care what I’ve got to do, I’m going to get you.’ ”
Redner said he contributes to many other groups, including Joshua House, the Police Athletic League and the Shriners Hospital.
He made a $500 donation and agreed to purchase a $500 table at next week’s auction organized by Imago Charities Inc., an affiliate of Imago Magazine, a monthly magazine in Dunedin that chronicles bay-area events and personalities. Imago representatives say this would be their fifth annual auction for children’s causes, and others have gone off without a hitch. This year they expected to raise $30,000.
Then Imago owner and publisher Adrienne Davis began receiving calls from the announced sponsors Thursday saying they had been contacted by Storms. Davis called the two charitable beneficiaries to notify them about the commissioner’s voiced concerns.
“Imago, and Imago Charities, is not a political entity,” said Norm Roche, Imago’s editor. “(Davis’) first question was “Who is Ronda Storms?’ and then “What did I do to her?’ ”
Imago’s editor, Norm Roche, said A Gift for Teaching decided to withdraw. It gives free school supplies to poor children and schools with large numbers of poor children.
A Gift for Teaching receives a $50,000 grant from the Hillsborough government each year, and has raised more than $1-million in its nearly three years. With little knowledge of the organizers of the auction, and concerns being raised, the charity’s leadership thought it best to bow out.
……It doesn’t matter how Storms put it, said radio personality Jack Harris, who is scheduled to serve as an emcee at the auction along with his two co-hosts on a morning show on 970-WFLA.
“That’s pure intimidation, anyway you look at it,” said Harris, wondering if she would have objected to ABC Liquors or Hooters restaurant being a sponsor.
A few points:
That’s Jack Harris the host of the conservative AM radio morning show which likes to present itself as light hearted fluff while consistently and subtly pushing conservative talking points as generally accepted fact.
Joe Redner Enterprises is not the Mons Venus. JRE owns and develops land, acts as a landlord for local businesses, rents space to the federal government, runs or invests in many diversified business ventures, and gives money and other needed items to many local charities and non profits. Joe is a very generous and open minded guy and is always willing to help out anyone who is working to better our community.
Joe has never been accused of hurting a child. Ronda, on the other hand, with her hateful and narrow minded meddling must have hoped that her calls would ultimately harm the organizations that are helping the kids. Ironically, Ronda’s tantrum could backfire, as this incident will provide tons of publicity and may well result in more money flowing to the non-profits that need it.
Evil has a friend in Ronda.
I like reading blogs and accidentally came across yours when googling “ronda storms and redner”. I’d probably be interested in reading your blogs except the ads and such cover most of the text while there is an empty grey strip on the right hand side. I’m assuming thats where the ads belong. Perhaps it’s my system that is doing that but it has never done it on other blogs sites.