Ybor City Museum Society to Honor 2019 Legacy Awards Recipients
Tampa, FL– The Ybor City Museum Society (YCMS) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2019 Legacy Awards, who were selected for their significant contributions to the Historic District. Copeland Moré (Vicente Martinez-Ybor Award), Rosalie Guarino Simms (Anthony “Tony” Pizzo Award), and Michael A. Murphy (Adela Gonzmart Award) will be honored at an Ybor-style brunch at the Columbia Restaurant on Sunday, June 9, 2019, 11:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m. Reservations can be made at YborMuseum.org/events-a-programs.
Now in its 35th year, the Legacy Awards celebrate the achievements of visionaries who have made a lasting economic or cultural impact on Ybor City, Tampa’s National Historic Landmark District.
Copeland Moré, the recipient of the Ybor Award, is fourth-generation owner of the historic La Segunda Bakery in Ybor City, now in its 104th year of operation. He has served as Chair of the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce and on the Ybor City Development Corporation Board and has supported many local organizations and activities. After becoming a partner in the business with his father, he doubled the business and has taken their distribution to a national level.
Pizzo Award recipient, Rose Guarino Simms, grew up in Ybor City where her family resided in a casita on 8th Avenue, almost exactly where the Tony Pizzo Statue stands today. She was instrumental in the development of the project at Centro Ybor where the Ybor Chamber’s Visitor Center (VIC) is now housed. Drawing from past and present historians and the experiences of parents, she
co-authored a book entitled Ybor City…A Quick Peek Into its History. Simms currently serves as the manager of the VIC, where she has worked since 2005.
Michael A. Murphy, who will receive the Adela Gonzmart Award, has been the owner of the Silver Meteor Gallery in Ybor City for nearly 25 years. He serves as a volunteer on the Ybor Merchants Association, Ybor City Chamber of Commerce and Ybor City Development Corporation and provides behind-the-scenes support at many Ybor City events including the holiday tree lighting, ribbon cuttings, pumpkin patch, art shows, film and festivals. He is the gallery assistant at the HCC/Ybor Art Gallery.
Lissette Campos, a seven-time EMMY Award winning journalist, will serve as Mistress of Ceremony. Admission is $65 per person and discounted admission for YCMS members is $55. Reservations are required and can be made at YborMuseum.org/events-a-programs. For more information call (813) 247-1434 or email Info@YborMuseum.org.
Event sponsors include: La Segunda Bakery, Columbia Restaurant, Venable Law Firm, Ybor City Chamber of Commerce, Bank of Tampa, Tampa Bay Rays, and RSA Architecture.
All proceeds benefit the Ybor City Museum Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is preserving, promoting and celebrating the unique cultural heritage of Ybor City and supporting the Ybor City Museum State Park.
###