Bonita Springs resident Liz Matt will tell anyone who listens that her leap into political action is inspired by one thing — actually two: her preschool grandkids who live in the Philadelphia suburbs. So it was fitting that a trip north to spend some summer weeks with them aligned with one of the biggest events in electoral politics in years, the Philadelphia launch rally for Vice President Kamala Harris’s unexpected run at the top of the Democratic ticket for the 2024 Presidential election. Matt was able to score a ticket to the news-making event held, coincidentally, at her alma mater, Temple University. She was one of over 12,000 attendees at a packed basketball arena, witnessing the official introduction of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the Democrats’ Vice Presidential candidate.

“The noise was astounding. The mood electric. The vibe was so upbeat,” recalled Matt in the hours after the event. “I immediately got home and posted videos back to my Florida friends to give them as much of a feel of the joyful mood as I could communicate. I know many of them watched live on TV and my videos were taken far up in the bleachers. But TV coverage didn’t actually communicate the size of the rally because they naturally showcased close-ups of the candidates and my pictures showed ALL of the room. So it was a good complement to the official broadcasts. It brought the excitement I felt back to my friends and neighbors.”

Matt, 72, is the co-founder of a group of Democratic activists in Lee County calling themselves The Blue Gator Initiative. Begun in 2020, the “Gators” have an organized membership of over 200, who have done all of the usual grassroots campaign tasks like writing and funding thousands of postcards, door-to-door-canvassing and phone banks. But her group has taken leadership on more unusual projects like car caravans and giving out candy at the annual Dunbar Easter Parade.

“The message of the Democratic ticket this year is unabashed joy . . . with no apologies,” Matt said. “Joy and the underdog status that we face as Democrats, particularly in our part of Florida. Many of my Blue Gators friends are from Minnesota and some swing states like Michigan, where this initial campaign tour will take place. We may be far from ‘in play’ in Florida, but the folks in our towns back home are right in the crucial mix that will decide the future of our nation in the next three months. I was fortunate to attend and happy to bring the energy of the opening rally back to my neighbors. We are working to support candidates up and down the ballot. Having joyful excitement at the top of the ticket helps us deliver for the local Democrats running for State House and County offices. They deserve our enthusiasm and this certainly was fuel.”