AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER
TODAY, IT IS NATIONAL HIV
TESTING DAY.
A TAMPA MAN HAS TURNED HIS
PASSION FOR DESIGNING SHOES
INTO A WAY OF HELPING THOSE
WITH HIV AND AIDS.
GAYLE GUYARDO SHOWS US HIS YEAR-
ROUND GLOBAL MISSION.
Reporter: YOU CAN SPOT HIS
HIGH-FASHION HIGH HEELS ON THE
RED CARPET.
NOW, A TAMPA MAN HAS TURNED HIS
PASSION FOR DESIGNING SHOES
INTO A WAY TO HELP HIV AND AIDS
PATIENTS YEAR-ROUND.
BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE MTV
AWARDS, ANOTHER STAR IS BORN.
IT IS AN OVERWHELMING AND
HUMBLING HEALING.
Reporter: THE SHOE DESIGNER
WAS SELECTED TO BE PART OF THE
MTV SECRET ROOM EVENTS GIFTING
SUITE WHERE STARS WERE WOWED BY
EXOTICS BY CEDRIC HEELS.
WITH SLEEK DESIGNS AND NEWLY
PATENTED SNAKESKIN OUTSOLES, A
GRASSROOT EFFORT IS SEEN ON THE
RED CARPET.
BASICALLY, I STARTED MY OWN
LITTLE ONLINE PAGE, I BOUGHT A
FACEBOOK SPONSORED AD, SO I SAW
ALL OF THE DIFFERENT, JUST THE
INTERESTS IN THE HEELS.
AND I SAID THIS IS SOMETHING
BIG.
IT WASN'T MEDIOCRE, IT WAS A
MASSIVE INTEREST.
Reporter: HIS TAGLINE IS
LIVE LIFE THROUGH YOUR SOUL.
AND GIVING BACK.
A PORTION OF THE MONEY GOES
TO HELPING HIV AND AIDS
RESEARCH.
FOR EXAMPLE, THIS ONE, I WAS IN
A VERY DARK PLACE AT THAT TIME,
THAT IS WHERE THE DEEP BOLD RED
COMES IN.
I PLACED A SMALL BLACK ROSE ON
THE SIDE OF IT BECAUSE THAT
REPRESENTS MY VICTORY AS WELL
AS MY TRIUMPH OVER THAT
PARTICULAR SITUATION.
Reporter: HE IS NOW IN STEP
WITH THE AIDS FOUNDATION TO
FIGHT AIDS GLOBALLY.
THAT IS WHAT MAKES CEDRIC
McDONALD A GR8 INSPIRATION.
YOU CAN LEARN MORE ON WFLA.COM.
OUR RESIDENT CANDY
CONNOISSEUR GOT A SWEET GIG
TODAY.
ANTHONY ALLRED IS LEARNING HOW
TOFFEE IS MADE INSIDE A SOUTH
TAMPA SHOP THAT MADE IT ONTO
OPRAH'S LIST OF FAVORITE
THINGS.
Reporter: IT IS NATIONAL
CANDY MONTH, AND SO BECOME I
THOUGHT I WOULD DO IT WITH ONE
OF THE BIGGEST AND BEST IN THE
BAY, THOSE AREN'T MY WORDS,
THEY CAME FROM OPRAH WHEN SHE
NAMED THEM ONE OF HER FAVORITE
THINGS.
LET'S TALK ABOUT NATIONAL CANDY
MONTH, IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD TIME
TO EAT TOFFEE.
THERE IS NEVER A BAD DAY TO
EAT TOFFEE, ABSOLUTELY.
BUT LIKE YOU ARE BUSY ALL
MORNING MIXING AND STIRRING.
THERE ARE ONLY A FEW
INGREDIENTS, IT'S THE TECHNIQUE
OF STARING IT AND KNOWING WHEN
TO TAKE IT OFF THE STOVE AND
HOW TO POUR IT.
IT'S NOT AN EASY CANDY TO MAKE.
A LOT OF CANDY MAKERS DO NOT
MAKE TOFFEE.
I'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO
MAKE IT.
Reporter: YOU ARE MAKING A
SAUCE AS WELL?
YES.
WE USE THAT ON TOP OF ICE CREAM
OR CHEESECAKE OR FRESH FRUIT.
WHAT MAKE AND YOU BRANCHED OUT
INTO DESSERTS?
WE HAVE.
WE MOVED FROM HERE, OUR
PRODUCTION FACILITY IS IN
PINELLAS PARK THAT WE'VE HAD
THIS SITTING EMPTY.
WE ARE THRILLED TO HAVE THE
DESSERT SPOT AT TOFFEE TO GO.
YOU SIT DOWN AND HAVE A CUP OF
COFFEE OR SOME ICE CREAM AND
CHEESECAKE, YOU COULD BUT
TOFFEE SAUCE ON EVERYONE.
YOU CAN ALWAYS COME IN AT JUST
PURCHASE YOUR TOFFEE AND LEAVE,
WHATEVER YOU PREFER.
Reporter: ONE MORE THING,
THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO TALK TO
YOU ABOUT, OPRAH, TELL ME, HOW
HAVE YOU GUYS FELT ABOUT
GETTING THAT AWARD FROM HER?
IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE.
WE LOVE OPRAH AND APPRECIATE
EVERYTHING THAT SHE DID FOR US
IN CHOOSING TOFFEE TO GO.
IT STILL AFFECTS OUR BUSINESS
DAILY.
PEOPLE STILL COME UP AND SAY
HOW WONDERFUL IT IS.
Reporter: YOU ONLY HAVE A
COUPLE DAYS LEFT FOR NATIONAL
CANDY MONTH, BUT I HAVE TO TELL
YOU, EATING THIS TOFFEE, YOU
CAN EAT THAT ANY DAY.