Pat King gazebo dedication Friday in Central Park

The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce and City of Winter Park will join members of the Fountain Club to dedicate the new Pat King Gazebo on Friday, November 21, at 1:30 p.m. in Central Park. Pat King was the director of the Park Avenue Merchants Association (PAMA), a committee of the Chamber, from 1992 until January 1997. A group of local merchants and friends of Pat raised funds to build a gazebo in her honor following her untimely death. After more than 15 years in its original home in the West Meadow, the gazebo has been rebuilt and moved to a permanent home in Central Park, between the railroad tracks and West Park Avenue.

“Pat was dedicated to the success of Park Avenue; it was her life,” reflected Debra Hendrickson, vice president of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce. “Pat was a friend to many on the Avenue and more than 250 people attended a memorial service for her in Central Park.”

On that fateful day in January 1997, Pat was on her way to a victory party for then Mayor-elect Joe Terranova when an automobile struck and killed her as she crossed Park Avenue. However, Pat King saw many successes during her tenure with the Park Avenue Merchants Association, including transforming the organization into a meaningful voice and advocate for local businesses. She also helped build community with one particular initiative, a birthday club. Each month she would gather PAMA members for a birthday celebration at Park Plaza Gardens by the fountain. The group came to be known as the Fountain Club, and the organization meets quarterly to this day.

The Fountain Club raised funds to construct the original gazebo in Pat’s honor and is proud to continue Pat’s legacy of building community along Park Avenue by funding the new gazebo. In its new home the gazebo is poised to be an ideal location to enjoy the view of Central Park’s Rose Garden, to greet friends arriving via SunRail or to take a wedding photo.

The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce represents more than 800 businesses, community organizations and individuals in an effort to develop, promote and sustain a vital, thriving business climate throughout the community and to initiate, support and enhance the civic, educational and economic well-being of the area. For more information, visit www.winterpark.org.