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05/19/2026 08:30:00 AM05/19/2026 11:30:00 AMAmerica/New_York2026 Rise & Shine Inspirational Breakfast & Awards Ceremony
The Rise & Shine Inspirational Breakfast & Awards Ceremony event is much more than an awards ceremony—it’s Senior Connection Center’s annual friendraiser and a pivotal community gathering. Each year, attendees come together to celebrate the Salt & Pepper Award honorees while gaining a deeper understanding of our mission and how we support seniors across the community. This inspiring event also serves as our main fundraising opportunity for the Crisis Fund, which provides emergency assistance to older adults facing urgent needs. Contributions raised during the Rise & Shine Inspirational Breakfast & Awards Ceremony have a profound impact, helping seniors access essentials like housing, healthcare, and food in times of hardship. The support generated at the ceremony is critical to advancing our mission, enabling us to step in when seniors need us most, and ensuring they can live safely with dignity.
Sheraton Tampa/Brandon 10221 Princess Palm Ave Tampa, FL 33610
The Rise & Shine Inspirational Breakfast & Awards Ceremony event is much more than an awards ceremony—it’s Senior Connection Center’s annual friendraiser and a pivotal community gathering. Each year, attendees come together to celebrate the Salt & Pepper Award honorees while gaining a deeper understanding of our mission and how we support seniors across the community. This inspiring event also serves as our main fundraising opportunity for the Crisis Fund, which provides emergency assistance to older adults facing urgent needs. Contributions raised during the Rise & Shine Inspirational Breakfast & Awards Ceremony have a profound impact, helping seniors access essentials like housing, healthcare, and food in times of hardship. The support generated at the ceremony is critical to advancing our mission, enabling us to step in when seniors need us most, and ensuring they can live safely with dignity.
About This Event
The Rise & Shine Inspirational Breakfast & Awards Ceremony event is much more than an awards ceremony—it’s Senior Connection Center’s annual friendraiser and a pivotal community gathering. Each year, attendees come together to celebrate the Salt & Pepper Award honorees while gaining a deeper understanding of our mission and how we support seniors across the community. This inspiring event also serves as our main fundraising opportunity for the Crisis Fund, which provides emergency assistance to older adults facing urgent needs. Contributions raised during the Rise & Shine Inspirational Breakfast & Awards Ceremony have a profound impact, helping seniors access essentials like housing, healthcare, and food in times of hardship. The support generated at the ceremony is critical to advancing our mission, enabling us to step in when seniors need us most, and ensuring they can live safely with dignity.
When Senior Connection Center introduced the Salt & Pepper Awards in 2008, we wanted a way to
spotlight the remarkable achievements and contributions of older adults in our community—those
whose dedication and resilience deserve to be celebrated. Year after year, the nominations pour
in, each one a testament to the powerful impact seniors make through acts of service, mentorship,
and leadership.
The name “Salt & Pepper” carries a double meaning: it’s a nod both to the silver strands that often
accompany life’s wisdom and to the late Honorable Claude Pepper, a steadfast advocate for aging
Americans. Known for championing legislation like Social Security and Medicare, Claude Pepper
served Florida and the nation with distinction well into his eighties. At each Rise & Shine event,
we honor his legacy by sharing the inspiring stories of the year’s Salt & Pepper Award recipients,
celebrating the passion and purpose that drive our community forward.
Add to Calendar
05/19/2026 08:30:00 AM05/19/2026 11:30:00 AMAmerica/New_York2026 Rise & Shine Inspirational Breakfast & Awards Ceremony
The Rise & Shine Inspirational Breakfast & Awards Ceremony event is much more than an awards ceremony—it’s Senior Connection Center’s annual friendraiser and a pivotal community gathering. Each year, attendees come together to celebrate the Salt & Pepper Award honorees while gaining a deeper understanding of our mission and how we support seniors across the community. This inspiring event also serves as our main fundraising opportunity for the Crisis Fund, which provides emergency assistance to older adults facing urgent needs. Contributions raised during the Rise & Shine Inspirational Breakfast & Awards Ceremony have a profound impact, helping seniors access essentials like housing, healthcare, and food in times of hardship. The support generated at the ceremony is critical to advancing our mission, enabling us to step in when seniors need us most, and ensuring they can live safely with dignity.
Sheraton Tampa/Brandon 10221 Princess Palm Ave Tampa, FL 33610
Senior Connection Center is currently accepting nominations for their annual Salt & Pepper Outstanding Senior Awards.
Who is eligible? Any individual, age 60 or older, who resides in Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Highlands, or Hardee County and who is nominated by a member of the community based on the criteria listed for any of the following categories:
COMMUNITY SERVICE & VOLUNTEERISM | an individual whose personal dedication and history of donating their time, expertise, service and/or talent has had a positive impact on improving the local community in a unique or significant way.
BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP | someone who has done outstanding professional work with either a private or public company or through their own business.
HEALTH & WELLNESS | someone who is either a role model for living a healthy life or who has been involved in advancing the health and wellness of the community through their personal or professional achievements.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | someone who is an artist and actively involved in creating art including visual art, music, literature, poetry, theater, and/or other performance arts, or someone who is committed to advancing the arts in our community.
PHILANTHROPY | someone whose personal generosity and/or philanthropic leadership within a business, foundation, or civic organization has led to improving the lives of older adults or persons with disabilities
