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

A production of WGCU Public Media 2024