1,000 Items Donated During Back-to-School Event

This past Saturday was scorching hot across Florida, but one place to cool off a little and learn about area businesses was the FishHawk Area Networking Group (FANG) Back-to-School Festival. 

There was Italian ice being served from several area businesses, along with ice-cold bottled water to keep fair-goers cool and hydrated.

"There were approximately 1,200 people that came out to support this year's event," said Marie Gilmore, FANG member and FishHawk Ranch resident. 

Each attendee was asked to bring along $10 worth of back-to-school supplies as admission to the event.

"We are able to donate about 1,000 supplies to the YMCA backpack program this year," Gilmore said.

The new Coffee House on FishHawk Boulevard was on hand providing hot and iced coffee as well as sampling pastry treats. Chick-fil-A Lake Brandon Village, one of the sponsors of the event, served breakfast sandwiches.

There were two bounce houses available for the kids and live entertainment provided by the Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center, Golden City gymnastics team and FishHawk Martial Arts Academy. The Theatre Arts and Dance Alliance in FishHawk Ranch also had performances by aspiring singers. Pure Power Productions provides the audio and video support.

Many of the local preschool and after-school providers were available to talk about their offerings and introduce a few of the staff members. Kids R' Kids, which opened at the beginning of June at its newest location in Circa FishHawk, was on hand as well as Open Arms Childcare in Lithia and the new Primrose Schools, set to open soon off Bloomingdale Avenue. 

The Drawing Point and Music Showcase allowed kids to express their creativity while the parents learned about new programs available for after school or on weekends. 

Abdoney Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentist staff handed out sample toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss to those attending. And Rob Z Fitness was on hand to promote its one-on-one fitness style.

"As a business owner, it was a great way to network with other companies and the community," said Leigh-Ann Reid, FishHawk Ranch resident and co-owner of Rock Paper Scissors Creative Media.

The FishHawk Ranch Publix handed out snacks and drinks for the parents and kids. 

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue and the Sheriff's Office representatives were there to give kids and parents information about fire safety and crime prevention. 

For information on next year's event, visit fangconnect.com.