In the middle of rural farmland, 35 miles from the Gulf of Mexico shoreline, a beautiful sandcastle appeared in front of Myakka City Elementary this week.
It’s raising the spirits of students and staff, many of whom suffered losses due to Hurricane Ian.
The sculptor, who typically spends his days in a classroom or on the football field, took six hours to build the “Love Myakka” sandcastle.
And wouldn’t you know, a rainbow appeared during its construction.
Sand was donated and delivered by Manatee County Government.
Principal Carol Ricks said the sculpture brings smiles to everyone at school.
Staff members call it “beautiful, awesome and amazing" and it will stand tall until rain brings it down.
Another creation brought about this idea.
Casey Fabianski, a Chicago-area native, said he’s been visiting Fort Myers Beach for nearly 30 years, so it feels like home.
Like many others who made beautiful memories of visiting Southwest Florida, seeing images on television from the aftermath of Hurricane Ian is devastating for him.
The Braden River High School (BRHS) teacher and athletic coach needed to find a way to cope with heartbreak, so he put his shovel to sand.
“Spreading some love seemed to be a decent remedy,” said Mr. Fabianski. “A couple of weeks ago, I sculpted a sand castle honoring Fort Myers Beach – my favorite place and where I learned to sculpt sand 10 years ago.”
That sand sculpture on Siesta Key Beach garnered a lot of interest, so he put on one of his other ‘hats’ and designed a t-shirt that reads, “FMB Strong”.
Proceeds from shirt sales have raised more than $1,000 in hurricane relief funds to benefit Fort Myers Beach and other affected areas.
Mr. Fabianski teaches commercial art and digital information technology at BRHS, “Home of the Pirates”.
He also coaches junior varsity football and flag football.
When asked, “Where do you find the time?”
Mr. Fabianski laughed. “You can always make time for things that matter. When things are important enough, you’ll find the time.”
A life lesson from an inspiring Pirate who finds self-care in the sand.