Leadership Englewood members aim to create their legacy

This Leadership Englewood’s class got off to an interesting start this year. Shortly after they first convened, Hurricane Ian slammed into the Southwest Florida, wreaking havoc on many communities, Englewood included.

So class members, knowing they needed to help the community, started brainstorming with each other to come up with a project.

They did all this in between — and during — their monthly daylong tours of Englewood and beyond, where they learn about different aspects of the community, tourism, education, the arts community and other aspects.

They also did it fairly quickly, as they’re well on their way to completing their vision.

Leadership Englewood’s Class of 2023’s brand pillars are “Rebuild, Renew, and Restore.”

The class members describe their project as “multi-faceted and focused on impacting the Englewood community through hands-on outreach.”

Here’s how they’re doing that:

Phase 1: The class orchestrated a series of three weekend waterway clean-up events for three of Englewood’s 55+ communities.

Together with their volunteers and sponsors, they removed more than 19,093 pounds of debris from canals, creeks and lakes.

That phase, with the goal of restoring neighborhoods, was completed.

Phase 2: The class is selecting an artist to create a sculpture they will dedicate to Charlotte County.

By incorporating some of the debris collected during their waterway cleanups, the sculpture will memorialize the class’s efforts, in addition to the “resilience of the whole community of Englewood embodied through the recovery of Hurricane Ian,” according to a group statement.

When finished, it will be mounted on a pedestal at the entrance to Chadwick Park at Englewood Beach.

The class members released a Call to Artists this week.

The artist should plan to use some of the collected debris — the class has a collection of this stuff stashed away someplace — and other materials to create a sculpture roughly 5-by-7 feet.

The class has set up a timetable, starting with an application deadline of May 1 and finishing with a dedication ceremony on Sept. 28, the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ian’s attack.

Application forms and more information are at englewoodchamber.com.

The class is also working on the base for the sculpture. To help build it and to raise funds at the same time, they are selling bricks for what will be called “The Wall of Resilience.”

The bricks will be etched with text. They’re asking businesses, families clubs, communities to create these memorials for a fee. The brick sizes are 4-by-8 inches and 8-by-8 inches.

Members of the Englewood Chamber of Commerce have the first shot at the bricks, and may purchase them through March 21, with sales open to the public from March 22 through May 1.

For more information, visit englewoodchamber.com.