Suncoast spot for safe trick-or-treating
The eighth annual Safe Trick-or-Treat will be held at the Suncoast Community Center, 2241 Case Lane on Wednesday, Oct. 31.
The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and runs until to 8:30 p.m. with free hot dogs, punch, popcorn and candy while they last.
“We also have a local band called the Eight Second Ride Band to provide music,” said Suncoast Outreach Resident Coordinator Susan Gillespie. “Come and join the fun. Keep area children safe.”
A safe Halloween night is important to the area, said Gillespie. “It’s no sidewalks, no streetlights (in certain areas) – it’s a safer environment for children because of the economy. And many people in the area may have dogs for security, and you never know who is on the other side of the door. So we created a safe trick-or-treat for the holiday.”
The event is free and open to the public.
If you want to make a donation, you can bring socks, either to the event or drop them anytime at the center. “The youth of the Suncoast Jr. Task Force have a project collecting socks for soldiers called S.O.S. – Socks on Soldiers,” said Gillespie. “Bring us a pair or bring us a pack. Help keep their feet warm, till they get back.”
Socks can be dropped off at the Community Center, the place for the Halloween event, at 2241 Case Lane in North Fort Myers.
For information call 731-9838.
Halloween-themed charity and networking night
Last week, one of the best-selling children’s authors on amazon.com and many other local authors appeared at a special Art & Book Fest in Cape Coral to benefit the children of Suncoast Estates in North Fort Myers.
Today, Oct. 24, another Halloween-themed fund raiser to benefit Suncoast will be held by two groups.
Woman’s Life Chapter 701, and The Bridge Networking Group, with over 400 members including those from both North Fort Myers and Cape Coral, will hold the event at Hilton Garden Inn, 12600 University Dr. in Fort Myers.
“The upcoming event is actually three events in one,” said Michelle Andre of the Bridge Network. “We will have three rooms – one for our Wellness Expo, the second for an auction for the Suncoast Food Bank and the other a ‘psychic room’ with two psychics giving readings, both from Naples.”
The event will also include a Halloween costume contest.
There also will be two raffles, one with a drawing for a $250 WalMart card and another for $250 worth of premier design jewelry where you get to pick the jewelry.
“There will also be local artists that have donated original pieces, antique jewelry and more,” Andre said. “It will also be a drop off location for canned food donations.”
There will also be the regular businesswomen networking by the group.
The Wellness Fair and Halloween event will run from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It is free admission and open to the public.
At the recent Book Fair event in the Cape, one of amazon.com’s most popular children’s authors, Jan Britland, made a live appearance with her famous Rodger Dodger mascot of “Adventures of Rodger Dodger fame”.
Other authors included Michele Sfakianos, Jerry Summer, Donna Shirley, Laura Nonemaker, Tom Williams, Sharon Sapp and Joy Rocco. Laura Nonemaker read her children’s book with puppets at the event, to the delight of many children.
Woman’s Life Insurance is making some matching donations.
Of the event, Woman’s Life Insurance president Jodie Andre said, “We know children in the community need things, but don’t have the means to get them. We want to help the children and even if it is something small it can make such a difference.”
“They already donated $500 toward a holiday party at Suncoast Community center for the kids,” said North Fort Myers Tucker Eye Center’s Suzi Hobson, who is also extremely active with the Bridge Networking Group.
Hobson is on the board for Suncoast Task Force Inc.
“I’ve been involved with them for about 13 years,” she said.
She is now in her second term as treasurer, also on the board for the Junior Task Force.
“It (these fund raisers) are important to me because I am from North Fort Myers. The people that come through there are friends, neighbors that I have known and I am very passionate about my community.”
For information, call 225-5019.