Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Staff Writer

Each year the Special Olympics allow thousands of children across Florida to compete in athletics. In Pasco County, the games could not go on without its annual golf tournament.

“Last year we raised $11,000 at the event and this year I’d love to get $15,000,” said Judy Brunner, Pasco County Special Olympics co-coordinator. “The money goes to support Special Olympics events all year and right now we are getting ready for the state games May 14, 15 and 16 at Disney’s Wide World of Sport Complex.”

The 12th annual Pasco County Golf Tournament starts at 1 p.m. May 8 at Lexington Oaks Golf Club, 26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. Registration deadline is April 30.

For information on how to sign up, call (813) 794-6476. It costs $65 per person to enter the tournament, which is tax deductible and includes green fees, a cart for the event, range balls, a goody bag, a raffle ticket and a buffet dinner.

The golf event is the largest fundraiser each year for the Pasco Special Olympics. It costs $50,000 to $60,000 each year to have the games in the county, which includes things like uniforms, transportation, food and equipment. This year, Pasco will have 139 athletes competing in the 2010 state games in track and field, team soccer, soccer skills, bocce, cycling and tennis.

“We started the golf tournament because all the funds that we need are completely paid for by fundraisers and donations,” Brunner said. “We don’t charge the athletes or their families anything to participate.”

Brunner has been involved with the Special Olympics in Pasco for 29 years and is currently a physical education teacher at Woodland Elementary School in Zephyrhills. She co-coordinates the county games with Valerie Lundin.

Lundin, who was been a coordinator in Pasco for 26 years and is an adaptive physical education teacher at Cotee River Elementary School in New Port Richey, said the games started in the county in 1973. Lundin coordinates the games in the spring and summer, while Brunner handles the fall and basketball seasons.

“When I was in college I had a passion for sports and for exceptional students,” Brunner said. “What I do now is perfect for me and it’s a passion of mine. I’ve spent more than half my life with it. It’s so special and important to the athletes.

“It’s so heartwarming to see (the athletes) so proud of themselves,” Brunner continued. “Put them on a field or on a court and it’s beyond description.”

The need for fundraisers has increased as the number of students and schools grow in Pasco. For the first time the county games, which were in February, were split into two locations. The games were in New Port Richey and at Wesley Chapel High School.

“It was very exciting to host the games for the first time here,” said Wesley Chapel principal Carin Nettles, who was previously an exceptional student education teacher. “One thing I miss about teaching is getting out and working with the kids, so seeing the athletes during the county games was great. They get to show off their athletic abilities and they look forward to it.”

Brunner expressed her gratitude to everyone who participates in the golf event each year. Land O’ Lakes High girls soccer coach Vicky King has been a Special Olympics coach for 24 years and also thanks those who donate.

“I know we have to spend a lot of money on the transportation and other things to put the games on,” King said. “We wouldn’t be able to put the games together without the support of the public at fundraisers like the golf event.”

This year’s state games will be even more special for King and her Land O’ Lakes Special Olympics soccer teams.

“It’s the first time we’ve had two unified soccer teams make states,” King said. “The players are ready to get on the field and show what they can do against the best in Florida.”

A unified soccer team has Special Olympics athletes and student volunteers playing together. Each team has five players, three athletes and two of the volunteers.

“The games make the athletes and volunteers realize what they can really do,” King said. “The athletes are showing what they can do physically and the volunteers are seeing what a positive difference they can make.”

The golf tournament is a four-person scramble event. In the past, Brunner said one or two of the Special Olympics golfers have shown up for the tournament, but the volunteers run the event.

“I’m hoping for a good turnout,” Brunner said. “The more people who participate, the more we will be able to do for our athletes.”

If you go

• What: 12th annual Pasco County Golf Tournament
• When: 1 p.m. May 8
• Where: Lexington Oaks Golf Club
• Address: 26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd. in Wesley Chapel
• Cost: $65 per person
• To sign up, call  (813) 794-6476

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

Teachers and staff at Pine View Elementary and Middle will compete against each other to earn the title “Pride of the Parkway.”

The adult kickball game will be April 30 at 4:30 p.m. at the middle school, 5334 Parkway Blvd. in Land O’ Lakes, with the money raised going to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The school is inviting spectators to watch for $1 and they will also have a concession stand.

Students will have a chance to participate in the fun with student contests between innings, cheerleaders from both school helping to cheer and maybe even the middle school band performing.

“This will be a school-wide event,” said Karen Turman, physical education teacher at Pine View Elementary School. “I am hoping whole families will come out to watch.”

The schools were inspired to host the competition by Kevin Epifanio, physical education coach at Pine View Elementary School, who has a daughter with diabetes. Gabrielle Epifanio, a student at Pine View Middle School, goes to a camp every summer for kids with diabetes that is funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

“The camps are great because they realize they can still function no matter the disease and they know they are not the only one,” Epifanio said. “When you can bring the community together in a function with the school to raise money for a great cause, it is a no brainer.”

Casey Viera, Pine View Elementary School nurse, said recently type II diabetes is on the rise in children.

“It is important to raise awareness,” Viera said. “Children never had type II diabetes before, it used to be adult onset diabetes. A healthy diet and staying active is the best defense.”

The winner of the kickball game will get a trophy, a road sign stating they are the “Pride of the Parkway.” The coaches are hoping this will become an annual event with the trophy being traded back and forth each year.

“We also decided to have the principals make a wager,” Turman said. “The losing principal will have to do an hour of lunch duty at the other’s school. Both principals said they are scared of having to go to the other school.”

Courtney Gantt is the principal of Pine View Elementary School.

“I am really hoping we are going to win because then I won’t have to switch,” Gantt said. “I am a little nervous about having to switch and have lunch duty with a bunch of adolescents.”

Beth Neri is a language arts teacher at Pine View Middle School.

“I think it is a good idea to have a little competition between the schools,” Neri said. “We normally have a teacher softball team league, but we didn’t form one in time this year so we thought this is a great thing to do. We need people to come out and cheer us on and help us raise money.”

Both schools are looking for local businesses like physician’s offices and walk-in clinics to donate small prizes. For more information, call Pine View Elementary at (813) 794-0600 or Pine View Middle at (813) 794-4800.

Celebrates 10th anniversary

By Sarah Whitman

Senior Staff Writer

For 10 years the Zephyrhills Pregnancy Center has helped women and families through life’s most difficult times.

Robin Kohler came to the center three years ago pregnant with her daughter, Nevaeh, now 2 years old.

“I was having medical complications and the doctors suggested an abortion,” Kohler said. “The volunteers at the pregnancy center gave me guidance and were there for me to talk to. They helped me make the decision to have my daughter and I’m so glad I did because she was born without anything wrong with her.”
When the center opened in 2000, as a ministry of First Baptist Church of Zephyrhills, the idea was to counsel pregnant women on options other than abortion. Through the years, its mission has broadened to include family education and support services.
“We have seen some families through two or three pregnancies and our services don’t end when a baby is born,” said Terry Luna, center director.
The pregnancy center, now an independent nonprofit organization, offers services ranging from parenting classes to GED tutoring. More than 250 new clients have been helped in the last year, ranging from teens to 40-year-olds.
Moms and dads can take advantage of the programs for as long as they’d like.
“We are always here to help,” Luna said. “I had a woman come in recently that we’d helped six or seven years ago. She was having problems at home and needed a place to turn. She remembered us.”
Luna is one of the pregnancy center’s founders and its only paid employee. She relies on volunteers to keep the organization running. Currently, there are 10 to 12 regular volunteers.
Sami Sykes has been a part of the group since the beginning. The Zephyrhills resident is a former foster parent and counselor for runaways. She has seen many lives changed at the pregnancy center.
“It’s very rewarding to watch the families you’ve helped grow mentally and spiritually,” Sykes said. “We don’t just give people things to help them, we become a part of their lives.”
Three weeks before Nevaeh’s birth, Kohler’s husband passed away. Volunteers from the center stood by her side.
“They were very supportive,” Kohler said. “Some volunteers even came out and painted my house. They really do go above and beyond. I don’t have family, but they’ve become like family.”
Kohler attends the center’s weekly Tuesday afternoon Bible Study. The study includes lunch and is open to moms and dads. It is a Christian outreach but is not affiliated with a particular church. Churches throughout Zephyrhills volunteer time and support to the center.
When clients become involved with center programs, they earn points to take home free baby items.
“They have everything you could possibly need,” Kohler said.
Luna said the center relies heavily on donations to fill its baby store. Financial gifts are also accepted.
“The community has been so generous,” she said. “We are entirely nonprofit so donations are the reason we’ve been able to stay open. ”
The center will celebrate its anniversary beginning with a BBQ dinner from 5 to 7:30 p.m. April 30. Families are invited to pick up a take-out dinner for $6.50. Volunteers will cook up a meal that includes chicken, baked beans, potato salad, a roll and dessert. Families can also participate in a bowling tournament fundraiser beginning at 3 p.m. May 1 at Pin Chasers. The cost is $10 per person and includes three games, pizza and soda. Children can play too.
To close out the celebration festivities, the pregnancy center will host an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. May 2. Anyone in need of service or interested in volunteering can stop by for a tour. The center is located at 38021 8th Ave. For information, call (813) 780-6885.

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

Since they were children, the technicians and manager of the newly opened Repair Zone have been taking electronics apart to see how they work.

Their skills are paying off now at the one-stop-shop for repairs at 24724 SR 54 in Lutz. The business repairs cell phones, computers, laptops, game consoles and sells, trades and buys used games.

Jose Baluarte, manager of the store, said they can fix just about anything.

“If you need advice, we can help since we know a little about everything,” Baluarte said. “Even if we don’t know how to fix it, we will find a way.”

Baluarte fixes computer software and hardware. He went to school for technology while living in his native Peru and he is currently enrolled at ITT Technical Institute in the electronic engineering program.

“When I was a kid I used to open stuff and see inside,” Baluarte said. “I used to try to open up my TV and see where Superman was. I always wanted to figure out how things work.”

Baluarte said he is willing to go to companies and to people’s houses to fix their computer problems.

“I can help with networks, installation and maintenance,” Baluarte said. “I can also give advice. I want to try to explain everything to make it easy for people to understand. If I don’t know something, I will find the way to fix it.”

Rinaldo Hoyte, technician, has an associate’s degree in computer science from Remington College and a bachelor’s degree in business technical management from DeVry University. His specialty is fixing game consoles and cell phones.

“I went through 10 Xboxes before I got one that worked right,” Hoyte said. “Now I know when something goes wrong exactly how to fix it.”

Ryan Aumiller, technician, has an associate’s degree in electronic engineering from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. His specialty is computers and audio/visual equipment.

“I was always fascinated by electronics,” Aumiller said. “All electronics are millions and billions of switches working in tandem. I always wanted to figure out as much as I can about it.”

The store also has a game room featuring a high definition projector with 5.1 surround sound. The consoles available are Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360. People can pay a fee to play in the game room or use the room to check out the used games for sale at the store.

“The game room will be nice for kids who want to come out with the idea of trading or selling games,” Baluarte said. “It is nice because the kids will be able to test the games before they buy them. Kids will also be able to bring in a game and play it with their friends.”
Vanessa Myers of Lutz is a mother of three children. She said she called Repair Zone when her computer got a virus.

“They came to my house and picked up my computer which was a big help,” Myers said. “They were able to get rid of the virus and save everything I needed. They were very knowledgeable and they went above and beyond to help me. It is the best repair place I have ever been to.”

For more information call (813) 406-4835 or visit www.RepairZonecenter.com.

By Suzanne Schmidt

Staff Writer

When father Dino and son George Constantinou opened The Hungry Greek in Tampa four years ago, they were sure it was going to be a hit.

Since then they have opened their Wesley Chapel location, 2653 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., and now the co-owners are looking to offer franchise opportunities.

“We are getting the paperwork approved,” said George Constantinou, the owner who runs the Wesley Chapel location. “We had so many people come to us that want to own one so we figured why not. We want to make sure it is run the proper way with the freshest food and the best quality.”

The most important thing to the co-owners is the quality of the food.

“All the Greek food is homemade with my Grandmother’s recipes like the baked mousaka and the baked pastitsio,” Constantinou said. “We don’t care about the price of the food, it is more important to us that we have the highest quality ingredients. I even go to the market myself to get the vegetables.”

The fresh food is not the only draw according to Constantinou. He said many people also love the family-friendly atmosphere.

“We treat everyone here like they are family,” Constantinou said. “We also serve big portions at good prices. Everyone who sees the portions is always surprised.”

The restaurant serves Greek meals like Greek salad, chicken soulvaki, gyro’s, avgolemono or lemon-rice chicken soup and spinach pie. The restaurant also serves desserts like baklava, rice pudding, tiramisu and a variety of pies.

Brigitte Langford of Zephyrhills is becoming a regular at the restaurant and she said she likes to bring people with her to try it out.

“Everybody I have brought here loves it,” Langford said. “Every time I come I get something different and I have never had anything I didn’t like. The help is super nice and the service is fast.”

Peggy Baker of Zephyrhills joined Langford.

“It is my first time and I loved it,” Baker said. “I love Greek food and this is good.”

Joseph Dipippo of Lutz is a retired psychiatrist. He said a part of enjoying his retirement is to come to The Hungry Greek every week to have chicken Greek salad and other delicious Greek food.

“The people here are very friendly,” Dipippo said. “When I look for a restaurant I look for friendly staff and quality food which is why I come here every week.”

For more information, visit www.thehungrygreek.com or call (813) 345-8526.