As loyal “Peekers” know, the Zonta Club of Sanibel-Captiva promises rare experiences on its annual home tour, “Peek at the Unique,” which raises funds to support organizations whose work empowers women.
Set for Saturday, March 14, the 19th annual “Peek” will again provide the familiar guided tour of normally inaccessible island homes. Tickets are on sale now at www.EventBrite.com for $100 each ($90 for afternoon departures, if available) plus a small service fee; scroll down for choice of time.
This year, a fresh twist: the tour will feature two homes owned by couples who are friends, connected through shared talents, interests, philosophies and love for this sanctuary island, but whose living spaces present unique contrasts.
Charles Sobczak and Molly Heuer, Sanibel residents since 1984, have created a home space that is uniquely personal. Charles, long-time realtor and published author of 10 books including the best-selling “Living Sanibel,” and his wife Molly, an avowed environmentalist, raised two sons there, and live what they advocate. Nestled in a quiet neighborhood steps from Bailey’s General Store, their 40-year-old home is packed with mementos of their travels and their principle of “Recycle, Re-use, Reclaim.”
From a stuffed pronghorn antelope on a wall—a garage sale find—to the kitchen’s double sink rescued from a Baltimore junkyard, every item has a story. Rear deck seating came from a bowling alley in Asheville, NC, and most interior doors were salvaged from a central Florida hotel. Charles is a stained-glass artist and his work graces every room.
Meanwhile, their friends Dick Fortune and Sara Lopez, renowned photographers who visited Sanibel from Miami for years, built an island contemporary structure in another quiet neighborhood, nestled against and overlooking preserve land and a canal. After serving in the U.S. Coastguard, Dick established a floor tile business, both backgrounds richly reflected in the couple’s finished abode. Sara was a BellSouth project manager before picking up a camera.
The couple worked with S.A.M. Builders of Fort Myers to realize their dreams and incorporate “found objects” that—in tune with their friends the Sobczaks—would provide unique touches. A boat hangs over floating stairs of Brazilian walnut; Dick’s metalwork creations are featured throughout; a baby grand piano was rescued from an insurance dispute. Images by the couple, staff photographers for “Island Scene” magazine, are widely featured in Sobczak’s wildlife books, including the cover of “The Living Gulf Coast,” and their work was honored with a dedication in “Living Sanibel.”
The chance to “peek” into the contrasting homes of these well-known Sanibelians will bring a new experience to this year’s tour. Before boarding, guests enjoy “light bites” from Sanibel’s finest restaurants and caterers. Hurry to sign on for this sought-after, three-hour outing. Every dollar in proceeds will help fund programs that improve women’s lives.
The Sobczak/Heuer home is generously sponsored by Gene’s Books with two locations on Periwinkle, and the Fortune/Lopez home by S.A.M. Builders of Fort Myers.
For information about Zonta and the “Peek,” visit www.zontasancap.com. Follow Zonta Sanibel-Captiva on Facebook and “like” us (@zontasancap) on Instagram.
Featured Photo Above – Group of friends (from L): Dick Fortune and wife Sara Lopez; Molly Heuer and husband Charles Sobczak