BRADENTON BEACH – The city celebrated its hurricane recovery and the reopening of businesses following the hurricanes at Christmas on Bridge Street on Dec. 7.
Bridge Street was closed to vehicular traffic from 2-11 p.m. as attendees enjoyed music, food and retail offerings at newly-reopened shops.
The first retailer to reopen, Rejane Monetti, who owns Monetti Apparel and Lourdes Boutique, designed a shirt logo to celebrate the city’s recovery. She is donating all proceeds from the sales of the shirts to hurricane recovery efforts in Bradenton Beach.
“I have gratitude, and I created art, and I am donating whatever we sell to a fund that the city is starting for the recovery,” Monetti said. “This is an outline of Noah’s Ark with our island inside because I feel we were protected.”
The logo says, ‘Bridge Street Strong’ because Monetti said there is a very strong sense of community in the city’s shopping district.
“I’m very grateful to be part of this community,” she said.
Monetti had reached out to Bradenton Beach City Attorney Ricinda Perry with her idea to create a product to benefit the community.
“I went to her (Perry) and I said I want to create art and I don’t want the money,” Monetti said. “It can be for the merchant’s association; it can be for the city’s recovery, but that money is going to go in a fund she created.”
The logo’s sunset-colored background has significance to Monetti.
“The reason for the sunset is because no matter what happens, we have the best sunset in the world,” she said.
