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| Volume XXV, Number 6 | April 30, 2004 |
By Shelley Marmor
BIG CYPRESS — On Wednesday April 7, Chairman Mitchell Cypress, along with about 150 of his friends and co-workers, celebrated his birthday. Cypress and his guests gathered at the Herman L. Osceola Gymnasium in Big Cypress on his special day.
Upon entering the gym, many guests wrote a birthday wish to Cypress on a large banner. Roy Cantu, Building Manager in Big Cypress (BC), along with tribal citizens Breanna Robbins and Virginia Tommie found their way to the banner to wish the chairman a happy birthday.
After everyone had settled into seats at one of the tables, tribal citizen Paul Bowers took over the microphone and said a few words. He expressed how sad it was for the tribe to lose Henry John Billie, a tribal elder and BC resident, the day before Cypress’s birthday.
Bowers acknowledged the Tribal Council and Board members who were present; including, Roger Smith, David Cypress, David Dehass and Johnny Jones. Next, Bowers asked Reverend Hummingbird to say invocation and bless the food and the people who traveled to BC to celebrate Cypress’s birthday.
“ Today is a good day to come together,” Hummingbird said. “God set this day aside for us to come together.”
After Reverend Hummingbird’s prayer, Tina Turner, Tom Jones and Garth Brooks took the stage to entertain the crowd. While the real entertainers could not make it out to BC that day, the impersonators they sent in their place would have made the real singers proud.
Each impersonator sang some of the hit songs everyone knew them for. Tina Turner sang “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” Garth Brooks sang “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” and dedicated it to the late Henry John Billie, and Tom Jones sang “Its Not Unusual.”
After the impersonators finished their set lists, Chairman Cypress made his way to the microphone. The ladies who work in the chairman’s office, Sally Tommie, Sandy Selner, Pat M’Sadoques, Debbie Christophe, and Jo Leigh Jumper, joined him and sang “Happy Birthday” to Cypress. He then thanked everyone for attending his birthday celebration.
“ I know you all are busy at the office,” he said. “But thank you all for coming.”
Cypress added that his birthday was more special than most, because a very special guest was able to attend–his mother, Mary Francis Cypress.
“ This is my greatest happy birthday because my mother is here on my fifty-seventh birthday.”
Immediately following, everyone lined up for a catered lunch that included barbecue ribs, fried fish, mashed potatoes, and cornbread. Soon after, it was time to cut the cake. Paul Bowers returned to the microphone and asked Chairman Cypress to cut the first slice.
Bowers commented, “There’s going to be a woman who jumps out of there.” Cypress laughed, and then brought the first slice, which should have been for himself, to his mother.
Not long after, many attendees started making their way back to either home or work. However, no one, including Cypress himself, left without enjoying themselves.
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