
B52's Live Music at the Portfolio Vero Beach Banyan Tree Benefit at Grind + Grape
Another awesome contest wrapped for June some of the greatest trees of the Treasure Coast. It was awesome to meet everyone who made it out for the Banyan Tree Benefit event at Grind and Grape tonight. We had a great time honoring our contestants and collected many donations for the new park. We are going to save those Banyans! Make a Donation. $1 from everyone will build a new park. I know the Go Fund Me Page doesn't look like much but many donations have been made by check and in much larger numbers. We are making progress.
That one submission with the snow we allowed for the humor of it. When was the last time it snowed in Florida Joe Semkow? Thank you to all who submitted and voted.
There is a new contest every month, so if you didn't win you can always try again.
We opened up submissions two weeks early and voting just began yesterday for Florida's Vanity License Plate Photo Contest. Submit any tree photo from the TC and win over $800 in prizes so far. Prizes are not finalized we will be adding on many more this coming week. New prizes for most submissions and most views. Also voting changes to allow 1 vote per day per entry.
The TC Trees of Life Winners Are...
1st Place - $550

Roseland Sunset
Roseland Sunset by Michelle Andrews-Ting
Votes: 51 | Views: 65
Felicity Images: A photo session with Nellie Quiros at Felicity Images, and a custom photo app with your favorite twenty images valued at: $350.

Sassy Boutique: A gift certificate., valued at: $200.
2nd Place - $342

Vero's Tree Lined Streets
Vero's Tree Lined Streets by Kristen Brenan
Votes: 118 | Views: 655

Captain Hiram's: A room for a single night stay., valued at: $179.

River King Cruise: Four (4) River King Cruise Tickets, valued at: $128.

Main Street Vero Beach: A City Scapes Drawing, Unframed, valued at: $35.
3rd Place - $284

Mimosa Tree Vero Beach
Mimosa Tree Vero Beach by Sonya Fenney- Plantagious
Votes: 133 | Views: 644

Vero Beach Karate Association: One Month of Karate Lessons, Includes Uniform, valued at: $120.

DIGG Gardens: Gift Certificate, valued at: $100.

Riverside Theatre Comedy Zone: Four Tickets to any Comedy Show, valued at: $64.
4th Place - $204

Endangered Florida Dancing Lady Orchid In Coastal Trees
Endangered Florida Dancing Lady Orchid In Coastal Trees by Prem Subrahmanyam
Votes: 81 | Views: 409

Curves: 1 Month Membership Certificate, valued at: $99.

Eminence Hair Design: 1 Gift Certificate for a Men's or Women's Haircut (Sebastian), valued at: $55.

Dede's Shoes, Bags and Apparel: A Gift Certificate (Vero), valued at: $50.
Most Creative Photo - $25

500 Year Old Banyan
500 Year Old Banyan by Joe Semkow
Votes: 7 | Views: 70

Chive: 1 Gift Certificate (Vero), valued at: $25.
Stacy Cook is the founder of VeroVine.com and Vero Beach Foodie on Facebook, and a nationally recognized digital strategist and business development leader with over 20 years of experience driving innovation in web development, digital marketing, and online business growth. With a unique blend of entrepreneurial grit, technical fluency, marketing mastery, and community-first thinking, Stacy has launched and scaled successful ventures across a spectrum of industries—from SaaS and e-commerce to media, dating, and hyperlocal publishing.
Born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, Stacy began programming in high school and never looked back. While earning his B.S. in Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky, he simultaneously worked as a Computer Lab Administrator for the MLK Microlabs and ran his own web development company. He then served as a New Media Developer at Mikrotek ISP, managed internet marketing for Host Communications/Total Sports and the NCAA, and was named Vice President of Development at iHigh.com, a VC-backed startup revolutionizing real-time sports stats for media and fans.
Stacy’s post-college venture, Edit-X, launched in Denver and quickly became one of the most advanced CMS/e-commerce hybrid platforms available. The software was a decade ahead of its time, and its success led to partnerships across Fortune 500 clients and some of the largest privately owned dating platforms in the world. Stacy’s ability to drive traffic, increase engagement, and build custom tech positioned him as a trusted consultant for large-scale digital enterprises.
After successful chapters in Kentucky, Denver, and Miami, Stacy chose Vero Beach as home in 2011, drawn to its creative energy, natural beauty, and family-friendly lifestyle. Since then, he has become a cornerstone of the local digital scene, founding Vero Vine, the largest community-driven event platform in Indian River County, and Vero Beach Foodie, a 46,000-member strong food and lifestyle community hailed as the largest of its kind on the East Coast.
He also serves as the co-author of the Optimizer Handbook, founder of Starling Support, and a veteran Google Ads strategist who has audited over $5 million in digital ad waste and overseen ad accounts spending over $1M/month and managing over $400M in ad spend life-time. His work has empowered hundreds of businesses, agencies, and startups to scale with clarity, confidence, and precision.
A father of three (Ava, Aden, and Myla), Stacy splits his time between digital strategy, community advocacy, and building new tools for local businesses to thrive online. Whether he’s optimizing ad performance, launching grassroots campaigns, or spotlighting hidden gems across the Treasure Coast, Stacy brings passion, integrity, and creative energy to everything he does.
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