It was July of 1999, my brother, Hank, my son, Anthony and I were vacationing on Big Pine Key. We hopped over to Key West and happened upon Sloppy Joe’s during the Earnest Hemmingway Look-a-Like Contest. Hank and I entered. I was nervous and mumbled one sentence as I walked across the stage. Hank, with zero preparation and the ability to captivate an audience, won the story telling contest. I put the contest on the back burner but always wanted to revisit with the desire to become a Papa. Fast forward to 2011 ,I returned a little older, grayer and bigger. As I competed I became more confident and gained a larger following. I was excited to get into the finals. I learned the ropes along the way from the contestants who competed before and along side me! I’m so thankful to the members of this fraternity who have become lifelong friends. Raising funds for the scholarship is our main objective, and I have always strived to generate as much money as possible to help these students.
In 2018 I was fortunate to have a lot of family and friends to cheer me on and celebrate my victory! I am proud to be Papa 2018.
Advice: Talk loud into the microphone.
Don’t get discouraged. Bring your loudest friends.