March 2017(Single Page)

For 15 Years We’ve
Watched You Grow!
By Shellie Miller
Back in the days before the internet was a central part of all of
our lives, the only way to find out about league sign-ups was to
“know someone” involved already, drive by a sign posted near city
hall, or accost a kid in uniform and ask how to get your 7 year-old
on a T-Ball (or other) team. 16 years ago it was five phone calls and
4 incorrect contacts that led me to a league President who informed me
that flag football signups had been the week prior.
Scott and I developed the Spectator to meet one of our family’s needs, but also to
bring a closer sense of “community” to our family-oriented cities. I remember our first photo shoot, with him taking
pictures using a borrowed camera with film. 36 shots and he’d need to change the roll! Parents on the soccer field
were very suspicious and peppered us with questions. I distinctly remember calmly telling one angered father that
someday he’d be asking us to get action shots of his daughter on the field instead of making a loud scene about
“invading” their privacy. Today, my hopeful words have been ringing true since a few months into our venture. At virtually
every event where we have a photographer, both athletes and their parents clamor to get in front of the lens
and have their photos published. I liken the Spectator to a monthly yearbook of things going on in the ‘hood.
Being in South Florida, we’ve seen friends come and go, and what better way to meet the new ones and bid farewell
to others? Our very first issue featured a boy who was battling leukemia, Evan Diaz. When he lost the fight, our
community reached out to his parents in a mighty way by showing them enormous amounts of compassion and
offering help in many forms. Today we have websites, but
we had none of that then….just personal interactions with
people physically showing up to offer assistance,
prayers, sympathy and encouragement.
Our Family in Focus is something we made certain was a
staple because “connection” is what we’ve decided
should be the mission of our magazine. When you “meet”
a new family in the Spectator, they could be people you
may not feel compelled to get to know. However, the
information in their article may start a conversation that
wouldn’t have happened otherwise. A common college,
hometown or child who shares a team with one of our
kids builds a bridge that creates bonds benefitting both
them and us. I can’t tell you how many stories and subsequent
friendships I hear about from families who were
approached at the grocery store, PTA meeting or coffee
shop by someone who saw them in the Spectator.
Today, Scott and I have friends that we consider family
who we may have never met without embarking on this
publishing adventure in 2002. The guy who called to
advertise introduced us to a guy who did our real estate
closing, whose family was featured, who joined us to create
a fundraiser, which had hundreds of people attending
that helped several terminally ill kids be granted “wishes.”
Thank you for the amazing opportunity to share your
lives and stories for the past 15 years….all because we
couldn’t find a sign-up opportunity for a disappointed 12
year-old.
Rom. 8:28
5