FMBGN-ROXIE-What's Up FMB-Raising Money To Keep Fourth Of July Fireworks Alive On Fort Myers Beach

Fourth of July on Fort Myers Beach nearly lost one of its biggest traditions and the ripple effects would have hit every restaurant, bar, shop, and family that counts on summer energy. From the Roxie Power Hour in Times Square, we talk with Karen Woodson of What's Up FMB, a newly official 501(c)(3) nonprofit with one clear mission: drive visitors back to the island during the off-season and keep local businesses thriving when things slow down.

Karen breaks down the behind-the-scenes reality of funding fireworks after the town cut them during budget season, including what it costs to run a safe beach event right now. With the pier still under construction, the show needs a barge, and the full budget covers far more than fireworks shells. We talk security, bridge operations, event setup, and why the fundraising goal sits around $130,000. The best part: the community is already close, and every dollar helps push the finish line and could even carry momentum into New Year’s Eve fireworks.

We also get into the fun side of the off-season comeback plan: the Charm Crawl that sends you across dozens of Fort Myers Beach businesses all summer, the return of Mullet Madness, and Glow By The Gulf, a wellness-focused weekend with beach yoga, workouts, and vendors aimed at mind, body, and soul. If you’re searching for Fort Myers Beach events, things to do this summer, or ways to support local, this one is packed with ideas and ways to get involved.

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What's Up FMB
Karen Woodson
karen@whatsupfmb.com
whatsupfmb.com

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Transcript

Welcome To Good Neighbor Podcast

Intro/Close 0:00

Welcome to the Fort Myers Beach Good Neighbor podcast. No shade, just sunshine. Drama-free, positive vibes only. This is the Fort Myers Beach Chamber Roxie series, where we share local information, meet the people who make this island special, and shine some sun on the businesses that keep our island glowing. Here's your host, Cabo Jim Shaller.

"Cabo" Jim 0:17

Good morning, Fort Myers Beach Good Neighbors. We're at Roxie Power Hour here in Times Square with uh no Roxie, but we're okay. We're gonna make it work. We're good. And we've got uh Karen Woodson from What's Up FMB.

Karen Woodson 0:28

Hello, good morning, everyone. Um, so Jim asked me to come and talk a little bit about What's Up FMB, who we are, what we're doing. Um, so What's Up FMB was created last year. We finally got our 501c3 designation in October. Um, and we are here for the businesses, and we're here for the businesses in off-season. So the main focus is to drive tourists, drive people, drive residents from off-island to our island in the off-season when things slow down a lot for the businesses. Um, obviously during season, it's a madhouse, so we all know it.

"Cabo" Jim 1:12

And now we're slowing down a little.

Karen Woodson 1:14

We're slowing down a little bit, and it's interesting as I talk to people that friends are off island or people that I come in contact with, they're like, oh, thank heavens the season's over. Now we can finally get to our beach, right? Kind of thing.

Speaker 4 1:27

We come out of the woodworks now.

Saving Fourth Of July Fireworks

Karen Woodson 1:28

Exactly. So now we're driving people to the beach in the off season. So we have a lot of different events. Um, well, first off, just because talk about the membership of WhatsApp FMB, you do not have to own a business to be a member or a volunteer. So we have three different levels of membership. Uh, the first one is obviously for businesses, second one is for 501c3s. I'm also a member of Lovers Key, Friends of Lovers Key, Friends of Bay Oaks. We have joined as 501c3 organizations, and then we have individual memberships. So anyone can be part of it, anyone can help and volunteer with all of our events. Um, probably the biggest event that we are fundraising for right now is the Fourth of July fireworks.

"Cabo" Jim 2:22

That's the big one.

Karen Woodson 2:23

So that's the big one.

"Cabo" Jim 2:24

For the people that aren't familiar with the whole story, why are you doing it? We're working to have fireworks, right?

Karen Woodson 2:30

We were not gonna have fireworks because um, as of budget season last year, last October, no, September is when they go into budgets, the fireworks were cut because the town is struggling. So we took it upon ourselves in partnership with the town um to raise money for the fireworks. So we actually got the barge that we have to use until the pier is built. We have to be out in the water on a barge, um, which is a $40,000 price tag, and we were able to get that donated, which was fantastic. Um, so then the balance of it and our bogey is $130,000, basically $129,000 something, and that covers all of the LCSO, the um fireworks themselves. Like I said, the the um the event and everything. Yep, setting up the event, all the security, shutting down the bridge, opening the bridge again. So it's a big deal. So we are close. We're at 85%. So close. Um the we are we've got to make this happen. And the town has been really gracious with us. They're still handling all the um mechanics of it, if you will. But we're handling the money and raising the money. So um there's still room to donate. We still have we still need the money. We're at what April, what are we, April 15, 17, 17? April 17th. So a couple days ago. Yeah, so we've got uh got a couple months yet, but yeah, so we're 85% there. So we're pushing, pushing hard for this. Individuals can donate, businesses have donated. Um, every dollar counts.

Speaker 2 4:21

And once you get to that amount, anything above and over that is going to go to the New Year's Eve fireworks.

Karen Woodson 4:30

So that's what we're hoping for. We're hoping to keep this momentum throughout the year so that we can fund both the Fourth of July, which to me the Fourth of July was just essential. Um, it's the 250th anniversary of America, and we needed to be on the Gulf of America with our five fireworks.

Speaker 1 4:50

Um, what does that mean for the community and the business here?

Karen Woodson 4:53

Oh my gosh, there are thousands of people that come to the beach to watch those fireworks, and they don't just come at eight o'clock at night.

Speaker 4 5:03

They're here all day.

Karen Woodson 5:04

They're here all day, they roll in, they come for sunset, they're eating, they're drinking, they're beaching, and then they stay for the fireworks. So it's really, really important in the heat of the summer to have people come.

Speaker 1 5:18

Well, and it creates that sense of community as well, too. Exactly.

Karen Woodson 5:21

But it lives here, it gets together, and we're all one then exactly. And don't forget your outfits and don't forget the Fourth of July parade because we're also involved in that. We will have a huge float, so it'll be fun. Very nice.

Speaker 2 5:35

So, what else can people do to help out volunteer? You know, uh donate.

Charm Crawl Summer Challenge

Karen Woodson 5:40

Well, there's donations always, you know. So you can go on the WhatsApp FMB website, it's just what's upfmb.com. Um, you will see a list of all the events. You can click on each event and get the details when they are. So just to name a few, we've got uh the Gillian's or I'm sorry, the charm crawl that starts in May and goes through till the end of August. Yeah. Um, and that's a really interesting one. So we have 27 businesses that are participating. Each business has made their unique charm. And so you go online and you buy a charm package, basically, which is your your big beach bag that you put the charms on. It gives you a map of where to go, and every business will have their own unique um way for you to earn the charm, whether it's buying a special drink, it's buying an appetizer, whatever, you get your charm. At the end of it, when you've completed the whole thing, you get a special WhatsApp FMB charm to put on your bag. So it's something that you continue. I know, exactly.

Speaker 4 6:55

Charms for all the businesses exactly.

Mullet Madness Returns

Karen Woodson 6:57

So customize for what you want, that type of thing. So 501c3s are part of this, businesses are part of it. Um so that will run all summer. Yeah, and then last year, our kickoff event was the mullet madness. So that is happening again. Yeah, real your mullet. So that is Saturday, July 25th.

Speaker 4 7:23

Okay.

Karen Woodson 7:24

Um, I think people got freaked out last year because we really were throwing real mub mullets. And if you started at the beginning of the day, it was fine because they were frozen. By the end of the day, they were pretty slimy. Right.

Speaker 4 7:37

So chopped up a bit.

Karen Woodson 7:38

Yeah. So there were options this year, there's going to be options of what you can throw. You don't necessarily have to throw the slimy mullet. It was fun. It was fun. It was fun. Yeah. Yeah. And you carried around a lot of Clorox wipes for your hands. But it was really fun. And then at the end, I don't know if people stayed around for the end, but uh Mike Miller, who's, you know, he's got his beach hair now that he is on the beach, and he committed to having a mullet cut. Yeah. And unfortunately, it's still growing out from that mullet. So I don't know if he's gonna do that again this year.

Speaker 4 8:14

Every other year, right?

Karen Woodson 8:16

Yeah, I'm not sure because he's still not all grown out from the mullet cut yet. That's your funny. You should try the mullet cut. I should.

"Cabo" Jim 8:23

I don't know. I like my tanied surface.

Glow By The Gulf Wellness Weekend

Karen Woodson 8:25

Yeah, I I get that. I get that. And you've got an event this weekend, aren't you? We have an event this weekend, Glow by the Gulf. Um, it actually starts this evening with yoga on the beach and the sound bowl meditation. Tomorrow morning, there is, and it's all is taking place at Santini Plaza. Yeah, so we have, I want to say 22, 25 vendors. I'm really not sure the final count, coming, and it's all geared towards wellness. All kinds of, you know, whether it be nutrition or the latest, greatest in IV therapy or massage therapy, or just um everything. Yeah, everything feels good, and all the things that make you feel good. So we start at 6 30 a.m. with yoga on the beach, so that'll go from 6 30 to 7 30. And then we have a high intensity and we have a big truck next to us too. But we have a high-intensity uh workout that's being done on the beach from 7:30 to 8:30, and then the vendors will be set up by nine o'clock and it runs nine to two. It's a free event for people. Come enjoy, talk to people. The vendors are gonna be there and just talking wellness, wellness, wellness, and how they can help mind, body, soul.

"Cabo" Jim 9:57

Nice. I love it. Yeah, love it. Good things happening here in Fort Mario Space.

Karen Woodson 10:00

It's fantastic.

"Cabo" Jim 10:01

Thank you guys for all that you do. Absolutely, indeed. Pleasure having you here. We'll see you.

Karen Woodson 10:06

We'll see you at the beach here this weekend. I will be here. I'll be there at 6 30 actually. When the sun comes up, yeah, because it's coming up earlier nowadays. It is coming up earlier. Beautiful, though. You start in the dark and you've watched the sun come up. There you go. Weather's gonna be great. It is.

Intro/Close 10:21

All right, all right, thank you. Thanks for sticking up a little sunshine with Roxie and the Fort Myers Beach Chamber. If you'd love today's local scoop, share this episode, leave a quick review, and follow for more island stories. Come join us every Friday at the Roxie Times Square on beautiful Fort Myers Beach. Also, to dominate your favorite neighbors, local legends, heroes, or local businesses to be on the show. Go fmbgoodneighbor.com. That's fmbgoodneighbor.com or call 239 42 74100. Until next time, support local a good neighbor.