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Sanibel Island’s Store Documentary

WGCU | By Susan Gard
Published October 18, 2024 at 10:55 AM EDT

Sanibel Island’s Store traces the journey of a family, a small business, and an island determined to rebuild and thrive after Hurricane Ian in 2022.

The worst storm to hit the beloved Florida island in a century, Ian caused catastrophic damage. The film highlights the resiliency of Bailey’s General Store, established in 1899, as the family business rebuilds for the third time after Ian. Sanibel Island’s Store chronicles the enduring spirit of islanders as rising seas and stronger storms threaten their vulnerable barrier island.

Sanibel Store Documentary Film Screening Event
WGCU hosted a sold-out premiere of a new one-hour documentary, Sanibel Island’s Store, at BIG ARTS on Sanibel Island. The event included a panel with Ralph Woodring, son of legendary fishing guide Esperanza Woodring, Eugene Gavin, a descendant of early Black settlers on Sanibel, Betty Anholt, an island historian, and Sanibel Mayor Richard Johnson, owner of Bailey’s General Store. Sanibel Island’s Store highlights the resiliency of Bailey’s through multiple hurricanes and chronicles the enduring spirit of residents on the vulnerable island. It is the first documentary from WGCU’s new documentary unit, which is reviving the popular WGCU series, Untold Stories.

PROGRAM CREDITS:

Film Crew:

Senior Producer, Writer & Narrator – Janine Zeitlin
Videographer & Editor – Tom James
Associate Producer & Additional Camera – Susan Gard
Additional Camera – Andrea Melendez, Amanda Whittamore & Kevin Smith
Graphics Designer – Jess Trueblood
Executive Producer – Pamela James
WGCU AGM of Content - Amy Shumaker
WGCU General Manager – Corey Lewis

Photos & Videos Courtesy of:

  • Benchmark General Contractors
  • Breeze Newspapers 
  • Brenda DeCapua 
  • Captains for Clean Water 
  • Captiva Island Historical Society 
  • Cassandra Woodson 
  • Charles LeBuff 
  • Charlie McCullough images courtesy of Tower Gallery 
  • City of Sanibel 
  • Dane Johnson 
  • Deb McQuade Gleason 
  • Dr. Scott Crater 
  • Florida Solar Design Group 
  • Fort Myers Florida Old Photo Facebook Page 
  • James & Jimmy Anderson 
  • Mike Kelly 
  • National Hurricane Center 
  • Newspapers.com 
  • Lawrence Sherrill Yeomans & the Yeomans Family 
  • SanCap Resilience 
  • Sanibel & Captiva Chamber of Commerce 
  • Sanibel Historical Museum & Village 
  • Sanibel Public Library 
  • Simple Social Marketing Agency
  • Southwest Florida Historical Society 
  • State Archives of Florida/DigitalFGCU, Florida Gulf Coast University Library 
  • U.S. Department of Defense 
  • Unicorn Bookshop 
  • Vikki Slavik 
  • WUSF FM 

Archival Resources:
  • “A visionary plan has long safeguarded the island’s character and beauty. But can it inspire solutions for a changing climate?” Thomas T. Ankersen (Florida Humanities) 
  • Historic Sanibel & Captiva Islands Tales of Paradise by Jeri Magg 
  • Images of America Sanibel Island by Yvonne Hill, Marguerite Jordan, and Lee County Black History Society 
  • My 92 Years on Sanibel by Francis Bailey and Emilie Alfino 
  • Once Upon the Island Known as Sanibel by Charles LeBuff 
  • Protecting Sanibel and Captiva Islands The Conservation Story by Betty Anholt and Charles LeBuff 
  • Sanibel and Captiva Islands by Deb Gleason and Charles LeBuff 

Stock Images, Video & Audio:

  • Envato 
  • Footage made available by Sherman Grinberg Film Library 
  • iStock 
  • Library of Congress 
  • Pixabay 
  • WGCU Archives 

Special Thanks:

  • The Johnson Family 
  • Francis and Sam Bailey Family 
  • The Gavin Family 
  • The Woodring Family 
  • Betty Anholt, Historical Consultant 
  • Deb McQuade Gleason 
  • Mark McQuade 
  • Captains for Clean Water 

Copyright:

A production of WGCU Public Media 2024

Sanibel Store Film Screening Event

Susan Gard
See stories by Susan Gard
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