CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)— WINK is returning to where it all began for the one-year anniversary of WINK Listens.
The station kicked off its first WINK Listens event on July 31, 2025. Since then, the team has traveled to more than a dozen different communities across Southwest Florida each month, listening to residents and sharing more than 300 stories in the past year.
WINK News will be at the German-American Social Club on Southwest Pine Island Road between Chiquita and Burnt Store roads in Cape Coral from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The process is straightforward for those attending. Come inside, fill out paperwork and explain your idea, problem or reason for visiting. After a few minutes, you’re taken behind the curtain for a one-on-one, personal conversation with WINK News Anchors and reporters.
Once the conversation ends, the team gets to work on the story. Past WINK Listens events have addressed various community concerns, from code enforcement issues to infrastructure problems left behind by Hurricane Ian.
Patrick Webb brought code enforcement concerns to WINK News in Fort Myers. Hours after WINK News Reporter Brinkley Hill reached out on his behalf, Webb received the 60-day extension he needed.
“$1,000 a day, you know, fine, that’s really kinda like outrageous,” Webb said.
Carol Scott stopped by the Matlacha WINK Listens event to shine a light on exposed wires left damaged since Hurricane Ian. Weeks later, dozens of damaged relays all over the island were removed.
“Well, if it wasn’t for Wink Listens, this wouldn’t have been done,” Scott said. “I feel like I was not getting traction, and I was making the phone calls to the right people, but nothing was getting done.”