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Richard Filip Earns ‘Papa’ Hemingway Title

Published 07/31/2017

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The Woodlands, Tx - Richard Filip, owner of RE/MAX The Woodlands & Spring, earned the title of “Papa” at the 37th annual Hemingway Look-Alike Contest held recently in Key West, Fla.

The contest, held in conjunction with the Hemingway Days festival, is a three-day event held at Key West’s Sloppy Joe’s Bar, a favorite hangout of famous author Ernest Hemingway during his residence in the city in the 1930s.

A chance encounter on a Key West dock eight years ago served to introduce Filip to the festival and contest, to which he has returned as a competitor every year since.

“It was a happy coincidence,” Filip said. “We docked in Key West next to a white-haired, white-bearded gentleman who asked if I was there to compete in the contest.”

After assuring the gentleman that he was not, in fact, a competitor, Filip was invited to join the group as it made its way to Sloppy Joe’s, where they met up with a packed house of Hemingway look-alikes.

“That first year I just observed the festivities and supported my new friend in his effort to be named Papa,” he said. “The following year – and five after that – I entered the contest, making it to runner-up status, but never earning the title.”

This year Filip took his game to a new level by chartering a replica of Hemingway’s fishing boat, Pilar, and sailing it from Miami with a three-man crew to the Keys. Simply docking the Pilar in Key West turned into a spectacle, Filip said, drawing cheering crowds and avid interest from all who saw her.

“The camaraderie of the group of Papas, contestants and all their supporters is amazing. All the good times and shared interests are what drew me in and keep me coming back,” Filip said.

Key among those shared interests is the desire to help others.

The Hemingway Look-Alike Society was formed 17 years ago as a way for contest winners to give back to the community by providing scholarships encouraging education and literary talent to Florida Keys Community College students. The scholarships were later extended to include nursing students. Throughout the year, the Papas – with the help of their “Mamas” – raise scholarship funds by collecting donations and hosting fundraisers during the week-long festival. For more information or to donate funds visit papalookalikes.com.

Filip is no stranger to helping others, having founded the Texas Sentinels Foundation, with his wife Jeanne. The goal of the foundation is to acknowledge the dedication of wounded American soldiers by providing debt-free homes and other life services to those whose personal sacrifices and heroic deeds are among the most vital steps necessary to ensure that freedom and security are available to all Americans. To learn more about Texas Sentinels Foundation’s services, fundraising events or to donate to the cause, visit texassentinels.org.

“We’re extremely proud that Richard’s persistence paid off to earn him the Papa title,” said Danna Furnace-Grimes, director of agent services and relocation director at RE/MAX The Woodlands & Spring. “And the Hemingway Look-Alike Society has gained a successfully avid fundraising couple in Richard and Jeanne. We can’t wait to see what the year ahead brings for our owners, agents and support staff who are always ready and willing to pitch in and help any worthy causes that come our way.”

About RE/MAX The Woodlands & Spring:
Each office is independently owned and operated. RE/MAX The Woodlands & Spring is one of the most successful real estate companies in Houston and ranks among the most productive real estate brokerages in the U.S., based on home sales data in the prestigious 2017 REAL Trends 500 survey. RE/MAX The Woodlands & Spring is located at 6620 Woodlands Parkway, The Woodlands, TX, 77382, and is a proud supporter of many worthy organizations, including Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Susan G. Komen and the Texas Sentinels Foundation.

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