Roberta DePiero, center, and Carol Tedesco, right, receive a “Big Check” from Awesome Foundation Key West Chapter trustee’s, left to right: Marjorie Townsend with children Rémi, 3 months, and Zoë, 7, Amy Culver, David Johnson, Mark Straiton, Chase Hurst, “Dean” Michael Shields, and Lynne Bentley-Kemp.

Awesome Foundation $1000 Grant Will Fund Photo-Book for COVID-19 Relief

The Awesome Foundation Key West chapter recently presented a $1000.00 grant to Roberta DePiero and Carol Tedesco to support publishing of a limited edition commemorative photo-book of images shot by 25 area photographers during the “COVID-19 Spring,” taken when the Keys underwent an unprecedented months-long shutdown. Sales of the book will benefit Sister Season Fund’s COVID-19 relief efforts on behalf of workers in tourist related industries including entertainment, hospitality, lodging, and some retail and guest services.

The project, titled “COVID-19 Spring – When Pandemic Met Paradise,” is the brainchild of DePiero, who said she spent a great deal of time during shutdown riding her bike and taking photos. Before long she noticed other photographers were doing the same and the book idea was born. She contacted photographer/publicist Tedesco, a long-time friend with whom DePiero had published a previous photo-book, and the two applied for and received the $1000.00 Awesome Foundation grant, which was soon enhanced by additional donations from Bill and Linda Klipp, Harpoon Harry’s, Simone Lasswell, and Michael Blades and Kathy Kilroy, raising the kitty to $2500.00 of a minimum $3000.00 goal.

“We calculate that with $3000 we can print approximately 200, 8.5×11 high quality soft-cover books,” said DePiero, “which if sold for $49 each will raise nearly $10,000.00 for Sister Season Fund’s crucial outreach during COVID-19.”

“Leveraging the Foundation’s $1000 grant to benefit the community at large is exactly the kind of awesome idea our trustees love to support and fund,” said Awesome Foundation Key West ‘Dean’ Michael Shields. “At this time of critical community need we welcome and invite others with such awesome ideas to apply.”

Photographers contributing to the still-to-be-titled book are: Peter Arnow, Susan Bailey, Michael Blades, Lynne Bentley-Kemp, Joe and Ozlem Berg, Larry Blackburn, Kyle Campbell, Jeffrey Cardenas, Alyson Crean, Roberta DePiero, Ralph DePalma, Heather Dow Todd Feit, Tony Gregory, Connie Groth, Jay Hall, Mark Hedden, Martha Hubbard, Bill Klipp, Linda Klipp, Corey Malcom, Rob O’Neal, Steve Panariello, Carol Tedesco, and Sharon Wells.

With a forward written by local arts advocate Rosi Ware, the book is anticipated to be in print and available some time in August. Anyone wishing to contribute to the printing cost and/or wishing to place advance orders, please contact Roberta DePiero at [email protected]. For more information about the Awesome Foundation Key West Chapter, visit awesomefoundationkeywest.org or contact Michael Shields at 305-394-3804.

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