On a sunny day last December, Pass-A-Grille jeweler Evander Preston rolled up to St. Petersburg’s Williams Park in a Bentley. He popped the trunk and, like a Skid Row Santa, handed out 100 half-pints of Kentucky bourbon and Thompson torpedo cigars to some ecstatic homeless men and women lounging on the grass. Preston’s holiday stunt earned the wrath of some St. Pete residents and a former city council member who (unsuccessfully) tried to pass an ordinance that would have banned giving away alcohol on city streets. While some might call Preston’s actions irresponsible; we call it spreading some holiday cheer.
This article appears in Sep 10-16, 2008.
