Willie Gary Cancels 2007 Christmas
Extravaganza Due to Problems Obtaining
Permit from City of Stuart

2007 Annual Kidz Carnival
and Toy Drive Will Take Place

Stuart, FL – Willie Gary and Lorenzo Williams recently announced that the 2007 Christmas Extravaganza has been cancelled due to problems obtaining a permit from the City of Stuart. The Gary Christmas party has been a tradition in Stuart for over 25 years, and the tradition will continue in 2008.

Every year during the holiday season, the law firm has one of the largest street parties of the year, which provides food and entertainment for nearly 17,000 party-goers from around the country. A-list entertainers and celebrities alike, converge on Stuart, Florida for what many call the ultimate Christmas party. The only request made to attendees is to provide an unwrapped gift for a needy child.

This year, the event has been cancelled due to problems in coordinating and planning with the City of Stuart, where the party is held each year. The City of Stuart required the law firm to obtain written consent from each of their neighbors stating they have no objection to the party. Some neighbors refused to cooperate for various reasons. As an alternative, the city suggested that the venue be changed to locations that the law firm found to be unacceptable.

There was much protest by the Martin County Chamber of Commerce, the Martin County Hotel and Motel Association and other area businesses who were in support of the event. Willie Gary and the law firm are hopeful they will not face these obstacles next year. However, the toy drive and the Kidz Carnival will continue in 2007. All of the toys collected will be distributed during the annual Kidz Carnival which will be held on Thursday, December 20th at the law firm. Over 40 organizations from Martin, Indian River, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie counties bring children to the carnival to receive toys, take pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus,` sing Christmas carols and much more.

“I regret having to cancel such a wonderful event that brings thousands of people together from across the nation,” said Gary. “We look forward to our toy drive and hosting our Kidz Carnival which provides toys for boys and girls who may not have any presents under their Christmas tree,” continued Gary. For further information contact the law firm at 800-329-GARY or visit the Web site at www.garyfoundation.com.

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Willie Gary knows better than anyone that tough times never last but tough people do. Growing up in a poor migrant family, Gary beat the odds to become a multi-millionaire nationally renown attorney, who is known for giving back to the less fortunate. 

Gary keeps rising out of the shack he and his ten sisters and brothers shared. Gary  was the first black male to go to college from the small town of Indiantown where his family labored in the cane fields. He still remembers the tiny shack where he lived in the Silver City settlement of Pahokee, Florida. Gary often drives by the shack with a clear vision of those times.

Gary, Williams, Finney, Lewis, Watson & Sperando, P.L., is headquartered in the Waterside Professional Plaza, a historic art-deco landmark on the St. Lucie River in Stuart.

Gary bought the building in 1988 and executed $3 million in renovations to the property. The firm's Ft. Pierce offices are on the Intercostal Waterway, just south of the Fort Pierce inlet.

The Gary Foundation is committed to enhancing the lives of youth and steering them away from crime and drugs.

Through scholarships and funding for agencies such as the Gertrude Walden Center and other educational institutions, the foundation instills the desire to learn.