Religion
The life of world record holder and marathon and Ironman triathlete Scott Rigsby is a unique journey of success and failure that all started with a decision and the desire to never quit.
In 2007, Rigsby became the first double-amputee on prosthetics to cross the finish line at the 140.6-mile Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
He will share his story, "Doing the Unthinkable," at the 9:30 and 11 a.m. services Sunday at Kirk Church, 2686 Bayshore Blvd. in Dunedin. He will speak about the persistence needed to achieve what people think is beyond their reach.
At 12:30 p.m., Rigsby will participate in a public, non-competitive run/walk, "Unthinkable 5K," leaving from the church parking lot and heading toward Honeymoon Island via Causeway Boulevard and back.
The first 100 registrants receive a free "Unthinkable 5K" T-shirt. Race participation is free and open to all. A special welcome is extended to any handicapped friends or wounded warriors.
To register for the 5K or view course changes and rain dates visit kirkchurch.com.
For more information, call (727) 733-9305 or email kirkalive@hotmail.com.
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The final day of the second annual Tampa Bay Celebration of Life Rally, a two-day event with music, national speakers, workshops, a free lunch and pro-life organizations from the greater Tampa Bay area, will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Countryside Christian Center, 1850 N McMullen-Booth Road in Clearwater.
Morning events include an address from the Rev. Msgr. Robert F. Morris, vicar general of the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg, as we;; as educational workshops and a free lunch with David Bereit, national director of 40 Days For Life.
A youth rally for middle and high school students will feature music, comedy, dance, drama and surprises.
Admission is free; limited childcare is available.
To register, call (813) 246-6916, email pespo@tampabay.rr.com or visit tampabayprolife.org.
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To commemorate the anniversary of the Feb. 12, 1809 birth of Charles Darwin, an English naturalist and geologist best known for his contributions to evolutionary theory, the Unitarian Universalist Humanists, working with the Tampa Bay Coalition of Reason and other groups, will host a Darwin Day Celebration at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Octagon Arts Center, 2470 Nursery Road in Clearwater.
Keynote speaker Daniel Dennett, author and philosopher from Tufts University, will discuss "Evolutionary Routes to the Human Mind," providing attendees with an appreciation of who and what we are, and what we may become.
Also speaking will be Ryan Cragun, Ph.D., of the University of Tampa, who will provide an overview of the logical fallacies and factual errors of anti-Darwinian arguments.
Joining Dennett and Cragun will be Dr. Michael Hoffman, a neurological scientist and surgeon from Sarasota, who will discuss the physical evolution of the human brain and recent discoveries in brain science with implications for the future of our species.
Tickets are $35 at the door and include lunch.
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Explore all your optionsCall (727) 733-7855 or (813) 505-7013. Visit evolvetampa.com.
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Pianists Tony DeBlois and Tony Kidonakis will present a dueling piano concert featuring songs made famous by artists like Elvis, the Beatles, One Direction, Ray Charles, Katy Perry, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Cash, Taylor Swift, Pavarotti and others at 7 p.m. Sunday at the St. Nicholas Cathedral Community Center, 36 N Pinellas Ave. in Tarpon Springs.
Tony DeBlois, 40, is able to play more than 20 instruments, sing in 11 languages and perform about 8,000 pieces of music from memory. Blind since infancy, the autistic savant began playing piano at the age of 2 and graduated magna cum laude from Berklee College of Music. He's made several television appearances and a made-for-TV movie about his life, Journey of the Heart, was produced in 1997.
Joining DeBlois is pianist Tony Kidonakis, who has performed for Norwegian Cruise Lines and Howl at the Moon, a dueling piano bar in Chicago. He's a professor of saxophone and jazz studies at Chicago's Vandercook College of Music.
Nonalcoholic drinks will be available for purchase.
Proceeds benefit St. Nicholas Cathedral Community Center music system.
Tickets are $25 for adults (one youth admitted free with one paid adult) and $15 for youth ages 18 and younger.
For tickets, call (727) 934-2532.
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Pianist Teresa Walters has queued up a list of romantic musical favorites, including selections by Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Gershwin and others, at a Valentine's-inspired concert, "Moonlight and Romance," at 3 p.m. Sunday at Peace Memorial Presbyterian Church, 110 S Fort Harrison Ave. in Clearwater.
Walters received her doctorate from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. The concert artist has toured the United States and Europe, performing at venues including New York's Carnegie Hall, Esterhazy Palace in Eisenstadt, Austria, and the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory.
Admission is free. Doors open at 2:30 p.m.; seating is first-come, first-served.
A $5 offering is suggested.
A reception will follow in the church's fellowship hall.
Call (727) 446-3001, (727) 461-1818 or visit PeaceMemorial.org.
Mail religion news to Tampa Bay Times, 1130 Cleveland St., Suite 100-A, Clearwater, FL 33755; fax to (727) 445-4119; or email nbeall@tampabay.com.