Marco Historical Society receives grant; Chefs support Our Daily Bread

News admin September 21, 2026 0 Comments

Marco Historical Society receives grant; Chefs support Our Daily Bread

The Marco Island Historical Society has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Collier Community Foundation. It will be used to top off the annual MIHS Summer of Giving fundraising campaign, supporting the conservation and installation of two massive historic gears that once raised and lowered the loading ramp on the original Marco Island ferry. The gears will become a permanent feature in the Marco Island Historical Museum’s Pioneer Era gallery.

“Before a bridge connected Marco Island to the mainland, every vehicle, individual, and shipment bound for Marco Island was transported back and forth by the ferry that ran from 1912 to 1938,” reads a press release from the Historical Society. All that physically remains of this vital link to the island’s past are two iron gears, together weighing approximately 400 pounds.

“The ferry gears were heroically rescued from the Marco River bottom near the island’s Snook Inn and saved from oblivion,” said MIHS CEO Pat Rutledge. “Now, thanks to the generous support of the Collier Community Foundation and individuals and businesses throughout the community, the Marco Island Historical Society can conserve and exhibit this tangible connection to Marco Island’s past and share its story for generations to come.”

The Marco Island Historical Museum is located at 180 S. Heathwood Drive. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free and the site is fully ADA compliant and accessible to all visitors. For information call 239-389-6447 or visit themihs.org.

Happy Hour of Hope at La Tavola

Meals of Hope Marco Island is inviting the community to an upcoming Happy Hour, from 4 until 6 p.m., Sept. 29, at La Tavola, 961 Winterberry Drive, Marco Island.

Attendees will have complimentary appetizers and Happy Hour drink prices for a suggested $20 donation. The event will feature live music. There will also be a 50/50 raffle.

The event benefits the Meals of Hope meal packing event in November.

For more information, visit mohmi.org.

Marco Island Chefs unite to support Our Daily Bread

Marco Island chefs came together at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort for the inaugural Island Chef: Pantry Challenge, a timed culinary competition benefiting Our Daily Bread Food Pantry.

The event brought together chefs from across Marco Island for a challenge designed to highlight both culinary creativity and the ongoing issue of food insecurity in the local community.

Each chef received a mystery bag containing a whole chicken, guava paste, broken rice and chayote, ingredients that had to be incorporated into their final dish. Chefs then had just five minutes to shop a limited pantry and 30 minutes to prepare and plate their entries before presenting them to the judges.

The format was designed to reflect a reality faced by many families who rely on food pantries: creating meals with the ingredients available to them.

Participating chefs represented The Oyster Society, Marco Prime, The Deck at 560, Kane at JW Marriott Marco Island, Fin Bistro, CJ’s on the Bay and Pinchers.

The competition winners were first place: Chef Christopher Barre, The Deck at 560 at Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort and Spa; second place: Chef Hansen Ang, Kane at JW Marriott Marco Island; third place: Chef Christopher DeGenova, The Oyster Society.

The judging panel included Michelin-starred chef and “Top Chef” season 14 contestant Gerald Sombright, a former JW Marriott Marco Island chef, and Asif Syed, winner of Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay.”

“Island Chef is a wonderful example of what happens when our local culinary community comes together for a larger purpose,” said Sharon Lockwood, general manager of the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort. “We’re proud to host an event that celebrates the talent on Marco Island while helping introduce more people to the important work Our Daily Bread is doing in our community.”

For Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, the event helped bring additional awareness to the organization’s work serving local residents experiencing food insecurity and the ongoing need for food donations, financial support and volunteers.

“Hosting Island Chef is about using hospitality to help create awareness and connection,” Lockwood said.

Wake Up Rotary speaker series continues

Marco Island Sunrise Rotary continues its Wake Up to Rotary Speaker Series. The series features speakers at the club’s Tuesday meetings, 7:15 a.m., at Stonewalls Restaurant, 551 S. Collier Blvd., Marco Island.

Slated speakers include Heather Otis, Marco Island Historical Society on Sept. 29; Bonnie Thayer, Baby Basics executive director, Oct. 6; DG Dennis Wallace, district governor, Oct. 13; Ben Bridges, CEO, St. Matthew’s House, Oct. 20; Crystal Kinzel, Clerk of the Circuit Court, who will speak about Amendment 3, on Oct. 27.

Visitors, prospective members, and community partners are welcome.

For more information, contact Bill Morris, 247 N. Collier Blvd., Suite 202, Marco Island, at [email protected] or 239-642-6020. You can also visit Sunrise Rotary at marcosunriserotary.com.

Live, work or play on Marco Island, South Naples or Everglades City? If so and you have something you’d like featured in Now You Know, send your information to [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Marco Eagle: Marco Historical Society receives grant; Chefs support Our Daily Bread

Reporting by Will Watts, Special to the Eagle / Marco Eagle

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

This story was originally published September 21, 2026 at 7:00 PM.