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Bloomingdale High's Leo Club Welcomes New Leadership

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By BARBARA ROUTEN

Tribune correspondent

Published: December 17, 2008

BRANDON - At a meeting of the Brandon Lions Club Nov. 20, Susan Stathas, immediate past district governor, installed officers of the Bloomingdale High School Leo Club. The 20-year-old Leo club is one of three sponsored by the Brandon Lions. Others are at Brandon and Newsome high schools.

The aptly named new president of the student group is Stephen Leon. Tasha Lesher is vice president; Kristina Underthun and Taylor Tedesco are co-secretaries; Cally Bastin is treasurer; Travis Ragghianti is sergeant-at-arms; Kaleigh Farmer is historian; and Britt Stomquist and Andrew Fuentes are event planners. Tedesco and Lesher were absent for the ceremony; Jonathan Carmel served as Lesher's proxy.

The Leo Club's faculty advisers are Diane Huber and Sharrell McInerney. Because they were unable to attend as a result of parent/teacher conferences at school the night of the installation, Leon accepted a 20-year patch for the Leo Club from the International Association of Lions Clubs.

Lion Art Schmidt serves as the liaison between the Brandon Lions and Leo clubs. At the meeting, Stathas awarded him an "Everyday Hero" pin. Only District governors can present this award, which recognizes a Lion's ability "to create miracles through service," according to the award application. In addition to his work with the Leos, Schmidt helped coordinate vision and hearing screenings last year at more than a dozen Hillsborough County schools.

Because Lions clubs long ago made a promise to Helen Keller to help the blind, much of their energy is spent helping people with vision impairments. As a learning exercise at the Leo officers' installation, the Lions blindfolded some of the Leos and led them around the clubhouse, explaining to them how blind people navigate confined areas.

For information about the Brandon Lions Club, visit www.brandonlions.org.

Benefit Uncorks Aussie Style

VALRICO - The Australian-themed Corks and Forks Down Under fundraiser at the Campo Family YMCA, part of the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA, brought in about $35,000 for the facility's scholarship program.

On hand for the planning and execution of the festive evening were Campo YMCA board Chairman Tom Nicholson and his wife, Deb; Mark Bullard, board member; Cindy Sofarelli, executive director of Tampa area YMCAs, and her husband, Chris; and former state Rep. Sandy Murman. The Resort and Club at Little Harbor, one of the event sponsors, provided food and the service of employees Nancy Flowerdew, Matt Wood and Scott Wolfer.

The YMCA program began in London in 1844 to create a wholesome place for young people to gather to exercise their minds, bodies and spirits while learning faith, caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. The first Tampa YMCA opened in 1889 and now serves about 45,000 people.

Because not all who could benefit from YMCA programs can afford the membership fees, scholarships are available.

For information, contact Mags Oldman at the Campo Family YMCA at (813) 684-1371.

Here Comes Santa Via Fire Truck

SEFFNER - "Forever," according to volunteer fire Capt. Sam Grossman, is how long Santa has been throwing candy to children in Brandon, Mango and Seffner neighborhoods from a Seffner/Mango Volunteer Fire Rescue fire truck on December weekends.

The siren slowly works its way into kids' minds until they scramble outside to chase the truck and scoop up the treats from the street.

During the rest of 2008, when not chauffeuring Santa, the firefighters ran more than 2,000 calls from their station at 105 East Cactus Road - a house across from the Brandon Family YMCA in Seffner, according to Ray Yeakley, public information officer for the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Department.

Roughly 90 percent of the firefighters in Hillsborough County are paid. A small percentage of firefighters are volunteers, which saves a taxpayers' money in pay and benefits, Yeakley said.

Although the county supplements the volunteer units by providing vehicles, training and resources and will soon begin construction on a new fire station on Kingsway Road, these units depend on donations for their operating expenses.

Seffner/Mango Volunteer Fire Rescue holds two fundraisers each year, one in Seffner and one in Brandon, Grossman said. They also are now appealing to Brandonites for additional donations of $40 per residence, $150 per small business (fewer than 10,000 square feet) and $200 per large business to help keep the unit up and running.

"One hundred percent of this money will go toward the operation of this organization," Fire Chief Robert J. Van Etten and board president Christofer Thogersen said in a recent letter about the appeal.

The volunteers are bound by their articles of incorporation to be accountable to the community for their use of the funding and want to assure the public that donations are voluntary and will not affect the response of the team to a fire.

Donations may be mailed to Seffner/Mango Volunteer Fire Rescue, P.O. Box 6530, Seffner FL 33584.

Anyone interested in volunteering as a firefighter or board member may call the station at (813) 744-5614. Any youngsters interested in catching a glimpse of a candy-wielding Santa should keep their ears open this weekend.

Brandon Chai Group Holds Hanukkah Party

The Brandon Chai group of Hadassah invites members and guests to a Hanukkah party from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at a member's home. The festivities will include lighting the first candle of Hanukkah, eating latkes and enjoying other refreshments.

Call (813) 684-6611 for directions.

Get Gist Of The Bible In A Frenzied Way

RIVERVIEW - The Frenzie Life Theatre will present "The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged)" at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Barn Theatre at Winthrop, 11349 W. Bloomingdale Ave.

This play was written by Adam Long, Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, the same authors who created "All the Great Books" and "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare," with additional material by Matthew Croke.

Michael Mercer directs 62 characters played by three local actors, Tyler Comstock, Stephen Cosgrove and Pedro Amaral, in this amusing and sometimes irreverent race from the appearance of Adam and Eve to Judgment Day.

How irreverent is it?

"I am one of five children, raised in a Southern Baptist home," said Beverly Mercer, Michael's wife and co-founder of the theater troupe. "My father was a minister of music and youth. I find the show satirical, crazy and groan-inducing fun. Three out of four of my siblings would feel the same way."

The show is not recommended for children younger than 13; children younger than 5 will not be admitted.

General admission tickets are $15. Tickets for seniors and students with identification are $10. The box office opens an hour before show time. Tickets may be placed on hold by calling The Frenzie at (813) 655-0789. Only cash and checks are accepted.

For details, visit www. thefrenzie.com.

Send news and photos of community interest to Barbara Routen at The Tampa Tribune, 505 W. Robertson St., Brandon FL 33511, e-mail neighbors@tampabay. rr.com or call (813) 657-4531.

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