Cocoa Mainstreet

Past President of 2007.

Thanks for introducing us to Mayberry, Al.

While in my show room at Al's Trophy Shop, Joanne Youngblood, who is the Office Manager for Cocoa Main Street came in to order name tags for the organization. Little did I know what doors would open when I asked, "What is Cocoa Main Street”?

She began to tell me about Cocoa Main Street in detail and then I asked her, "What do you think about having a Mayberry theme festival right here in Cocoa”? Well, that certainly did open a lot of doors for me.

She left my shop and 30 minutes later, the President of CMS, Ida Wright, along with Patrick Clenndenning, the Program Director, came into my shop to discuss using the Mayberry theme in Cocoa. I told them I had been visiting Mt. Airy, NC, Andy Griffith's home town, for the past 13 years for the annual Mayberry Day's Festival. For the last 3 or 4 years I wanted to bring something like that to my hometown.

They liked the idea so much that I was appointed as a director with Cocoa Main Street and my primary project was to promote and organize the festival called "Mayberry Comes to Cocoa". A year later, I was voted in as President of Cocoa Main Street.

The thing I love most about this organization is that you are treated like family by everyone. The people I have met, I feel like I have known them all of my life. And the one person that I most look up to is Capt. Ed Lanni, the founding president of Cocoa Main Street.

Everybody has a way about them and Capt. Ed is no exception. He is, and always will be, more than just a friend. I also want to thank Joanne Youngblood whom I will always think the world of and for coming into my shop that day. God blessed me!

Sincerely,
Al Gandolfi