‘Grease’ is the Word at Relay for Life Fundraiser

The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Women’s Club’s team has a 1950s-style fundraiser on tap in advance of the April 26 Relay for Life event.

Pull out those poodle skirts or slick back that hair. The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Women’s Club Relay for Life team is inviting area residents to a special screening of “Grease” on April 6. The event takes place at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., and will serve as a fundraiser for the team. The fun starts at 5 p.m. when a “Grease” costume contest gets under way. Dance lessons will be offered and vendors will be on site selling food and refreshments, according to a media release from the club.  The pre-show fun continues until 8 p.m. The movie starts at 8:15 p.m. Admission is free. Sponsors interested in helping the team raise money for the American Cancer Society are welcome and vendor space is still available…

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Concert For A Cure Rocks Land O’ Lakes

The annual event raises money for the Land O’ Lakes Relay for Life.

Looking for something to do this weekend? The Land O’ Lakes Sun Rays Relay for Life team might have the solution. They’re staging the fifth annual Concert for a Cure from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, Feb. 23, at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 U.S. 41. The event includes a long lineup of local bands, DJs, a children’s play area, silent auction and a Taste of the Town featuring local restaurants. “So grateful for ALL the blessings seen and unseen that are taking place for this concert,” organizers wrote on the event’s Facebook page. “We could not do this without all of your help and support.” Wristbands for the concert and food are $10 for adults. They cover the concert and five tickets for the Taste of the Town. Kids’ tickets are $5 …

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Sunlake Relay for Life Needs Teams, Volunteers

"We are making a lot of progress on our goals, but we also have a long way to go," chairman Jason Arigoni says.

Best of 2012: Relay for Life Raises $31,000

The community came together to support the American Cancer Society.

As 2012 comes to a close, Land O' Lakes Patch is taking a look back at the year that was. In April, the Land O' Lakes High Relay for Life raised nearly $31, 000 for The American Cancer Society. "Thanks to your commitment to the mission, ACS is able to provide much needed services right here in our own communities," American Cancer Society community representative Kristy Dalbec said. If you want to read the full version, you'll find it here: Land O' Lakes High Relay Raises Nearly $31,000 Stay tuned for more highlights from 2012 in the coming days.

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Patients Needed for Nationwide Cancer Study

The study targets men and women aged 30-65.

This just in from officials at St. Joseph's Hospitals: St. Joseph’s Hospitals are helping the American Cancer Society find “cancer fighters” in the Tampa Bay area who want to join a historic nationwide study about how genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors may cause or prevent cancer.  Men and women ages 30-65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer are encouraged to enroll in Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3), and can do so during three July events hosted by St. Joseph’s Hospitals: During the enrollment events, research participants will complete a questionnaire and give a small blood sample, along with height, weight and blood pressure information.  Participants don’t have to know all of the answers to the questionnaire at the …

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Strike A Blow Against Cancer

The monthly bowling fundraiser returns tonight.

Relay For Life won’t return to the Land O’ Lakes area until next spring, but that doesn’t mean area residents can’t strike a blow against cancer before then. The monthly Striking For A Cure bowling event returns to Royal Lanes tonight. The event provides a way for relay teams to get a jump start on their fundraising efforts while having fun in the process, said organizer Lilly Fontanez. The bowling event is open to all relay teams that want to take part, whether they sign on for the Land O’ Lakes High School or Sunlake High relay events. “It is amazing how much support we have received in Land O’ Lakes from so many Relay teams and this community,” said Fontanez. “People enjoy doing it and making a difference for Relay for Life in memory of…

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Get Ready To Rock '4 A Cure'

The concert will feature a variety of live music, a Taste of the Town event, a chlidren's play area and more.

The Land O’ Lakes Community Center will rock Feb. 26 during the Concert 4 A Cure. The annual production features live music, a children’s play area, a Taste of the Town event, home-baked goodies and more from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the event is $5 with each food ticket for the taste costing an additional $1. Money raised during the concert will go to the American Cancer Society for the Relay For Life at Land O' Lakes High School April 15. Lilly Fontanez, co-captain of the Land O’ Lakes Sun Rays relay team, is coordinating the event. She said the idea came from her son Juan Fontanez three years ago. The concert will have a little something for everybody so there will be two different places to listen to live music with a variety of …

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7 Stories You May Have Missed

Take a look at some of the biggest stories of the week on Land O' Lakes Patch.

With the kids back in school and the temperatures dipping low, it was an active week in local news. Just in case you missed them, here are some of the most popular stories that appeared on Land O' Lakes Patch:

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Fighting Cancer A Lap At A Time

Relay For Life supporters say every dollar counts.

Some walk to honor a loved one who has died. Many come to celebrate a victory against the odds. They all work together to raise money to battle a disease that knows no boundaries. “Our slogan is celebrate, remember, fight back,” explained Lizzy Mead, a community representative for the Pasco Unit of the American Cancer Society. With Relay For Life events planned at both Land O’ Lakes and Sunlake high schools, Mead said teams are already getting busy with their fundraising activities. Some teams are just now coming together and there’s plenty of time to get involved before the April relay season arrives, she added. The relay is a grassroots, localized fundraiser that brings people in the community together for an 18-hour event to raise money…

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They Don’t Walk Alone

Cancer patients in the Land O’ Lakes area have a place to turn for support when it’s needed.

Tucked inside a small office complex off State Road 54 is a community resource that many might not even realize is there. For those facing a diagnosis of cancer, however, it’s a friendly port in a storm. The American Cancer Society’s Lutz office serves as a home base for the nonprofit’s operations in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties. Employees and volunteers at the location work together to provide a variety of services, plan out fundraisers, such as Relay for Life events, and even deliver cosmetic support services to women undergoing cancer treatments. The office’s “Resource Room,” in fact, is the only one in Pasco County that is open for walk-ins five days a week. The Resource Room is open to any woman who is undergoing cancer …

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