Join Us for the 10th Annual Valentines Celebration and Support Rotary of Wakulla County

The Rotary Club of Wakulla County will host their 10th Annual Valentines Celebration on Saturday, February 9, 2008 at Hudson Park in downtown Crawfordville.  This exciting event begins bright and early with the Breakfast in the Park at 8:00 a.m., followed by the Winn-Dixie Sweetheart Parade at 10:00 a.m.   Festivities including arts and crafts vendors, delicious food booths, great live entertainment, and fun carnival rides will continue throughout the day at Hudson Park. 

The activities will culminate at 3:00 p.m. with the announcement of the winner of our $1000 cash raffle!  Tickets for the raffle ($1 each) will be available for purchase throughout the day, and can also be purchased ahead of time from any Rotary member.  Rotary members will also be selling tickets during the evenings at Winn-Dixie in Crawfordville; look for their table just inside the door.

The Rotary Valentines Celebration has definitely become a Wakulla County tradition, and is easily one of the biggest events of the year.  Over the past six years alone, the Rotary Valentines Celebration has allowed our local Rotary club to donate over $100,000 to help local charities improve the lives of people right here in Wakulla County.  During the past 7 months, Rotary of Wakulla County has donated funds to many different local organizations including Wakulla County Habitat for Humanity, Flu Vaccines for Veterans through the Wakulla County Health Department, Refuge House, Keep Wakulla County Beautiful, Florida Wild Mammal Association, Wakulla County Historical Society, Needy Families at Christmas, Ronald McDonald House, United Way, the Wakulla High School Interact Club, Wakulla High NJROTC, and Big Bend Hospice.  (Pictured above:  President JoAnne Strickland and Sergeant at Arms Don Henderson give check to Laura Glenn of Big Bend Hospice.)

One exciting new event the Rotary has become involved in is our Dictionary Project.  The project, spearheaded by Rotary member Garth Smelser, will provide every third grader in Shadeville, Crawfordville, Medart and COAST Elementary Schools with their own personal dictionary.  The books were purchased by the Rotary Club of Wakulla County and distributed to each classroom by Rotary members, along with a presentation on what it means to be a Rotarian.

The club also purchased 24 books each for both Wakulla Middle School and Riversprings Middle School to be distributed to teachers for their classroom libraries.  The books were chosen by a representative from each school, and are all on the "Accelerated Reader" list.  Literacy is the main focus for this year's club president, JoAnne Strickland, and the club plans to make both literacy projects an annual event.  (Pictured above:  President JoAnne Strickland presents teacher Angie Gentry of WMS with books for teacher libraries.)

Another very exiting project the club has participated in this year is the "Shelter Box Program", which provides much needed necessities for victims of natural disaster.  The boxes, which cost $1000 each, contain all the supplies a family would need to survive immediately following a natural disaster, such as a flood or earthquake.  Some of the supplies include a 10-person tent, sleeping bags, gas stove, basic tools, basic cookware, and even drawing supplies and toys for small children.  These "Shelter Boxes" are often the first relief that makes it through to victims in many disaster situations, and are personally distributed by a team of Rotary members from all over the country.

So, please make it a point to come out and join us on Saturday, February 9th at Hudson Park in Crawfordville for one of the largest events of the year in Wakulla County.  It's a fun-filled way for the entire family to spend the day, and you'll be supporting a wonderful cause in the process. 

If your club or organization is interested in participating in the parade, simply click here for the Parade Form and contact info .  Also, if you would like to participate as a vendor on the day of the celebration, click here for the Vendor Form and contact info .

See you in the park on Saturday, February 9th!

- Mary Katherine Westmark 

This article originally published on January 29, 2008.

Written by :

mkwestmark

 

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