Meals on Wheels Plus hosts a swashbuckling Tropical Nights

These pirates plundered the booty and "arrrr" putting it toward a good cause.

Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee hosted Tropical Nights on March 23 at the Grove Ballroom.

Captain Jack Sparrow greeted guests, as the event’s theme was “A Pirate’s Life.” Eye patches, scarves and stuffed shoulder parrots were the must-have accessories for the evening.

The Tropical Ave Band provided the music, and the silent auction provided the action. Diamond earrings, a yacht trip and an eight-day European stay were up on the block, along with ABC 7’s Bob Harrigan. The package was called “An Evening with a Meteorologist.” 

“We raised over $200,000 last year,” CEO Maribeth Phillips said. “We would love to do that again.”

Meals on Wheels Plus delivers over 300,000 meals a year. The Food Bank of Manatee, one of the Plus programs, has distributed more than 3 million pounds of food into the community.  

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Tropical Nights. Phillips said there were people in the ballroom who have attended at least 25 of them. 

William and Judi Bjork have attended at least 16 because that’s how long Judi Bjork was the outreach coordinator for Meal on Wheels Plus. This year, the Bjorks can relax. 

“She was always setting up all these events,” William Bjork said, “And then, of course, that brought me in the door and I was emptying garbage bags and helping with everything. This is the first year we’re not doing any of that.” 

Judi Bjork retired in December. The couple enjoyed the rest of the evening with cocktails in hand and nothing on their shoulders except William Bjork’s stuffed parrot.