Wesley Chapel/New Tampa News

Overpass Road interchange opens at Interstate 75

January 31, 2023 By Mike Camunas

Interstate 75 now has three exits to Wesley Chapel.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced on Jan. 18 that the new interchange with exits to I-75 at Overpass Road in Wesley Chapel were open. The new Overpass Road also now connects Old Pasco Road, all the way east to Handcart Road.

An aerial shot of the new interchange at Overpass Road in Wesley Chapel, which now features a ‘flyover’ ramp for westbound Overpass Road traffic entering southbound Interstate75. (Courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation)

The $64.4-million project began in Feb. 2021, with Overpass being closed completely as construction crews removed the previous two-lane bridge and installed the new four-lane overpass.

Located about halfway between the State Road 54 and State Road 52 interchanges, the new Exit 282 provides an alternative commuting option to area residents, especially those who live in older established communities on Old Pasco Road, as well as newer communities headed east on Overpass, such as Epperson Lagoon and Watergrass.

The interchange includes exit and entrance ramps to both directions of I-75 and features a “flyover” ramp for westbound Overpass Road traffic entering southbound I-75.

Drivers are advised to be alert to new traffic signals that are now active at the ramp intersections with Overpass Road. Workers also will continue to be in the area over the next few weeks completing the project, such as opening both lanes of the flyover and calibrating the digital road signs positioned before the interstate on ramps that give traffic updates.

Additionally, FDOT recently proposed a tentative five-year work program that includes about $433 million worth of roadway improvements in Pasco County.

That figure includes about $258 million worth of projects to expand roadway capacity, but also includes resurfacing, pedestrian and bicycle safety enhancements, and other work, too, according to Jensen Hackett, of FDOT.

One of the many projects in that budget proposal is adding lanes leading from the State Road 56

interchange heading south toward I-75 and toward I-275. When complete, the project will be similar to the lengthy exit from I-75 toward State Road 56. The idea is to make it easier for motorists to get over to I-75 or over to I-275. Right of way acquisition is proposed for fiscal year 2024 and construction for fiscal year 2026.

Published February 01, 2023

Applications now being accepted for Spotlight on Talent

January 31, 2023 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Faith Phaller was named winner of the $1,000 Pasco Heritage Scholarship during last year’s Spotlight on Talent. (Courtesy of Heritage Arts Center)

Spotlight on Talent, a regional talent competition that’s celebrating its 40th year, is accepting applications for this year’s contest.

The deadline to apply is Feb. 9. Auditions have been set for Feb. 25.

The event, presented by the Heritage Arts Center Association, gives young performers a chance to show off their talents, as well as to compete for cash prizes, trophies, and a scholarship that is awarded to the most outstanding senior.

Hundreds of performers will audition in front of a panel of professional judges, who select the finalists. There are singers, dancers and instrumentalists, and competitors can enter as solo acts, as part of a group, or both. The competition also is divided by age groups.

Finalists from the audition will perform in two shows, set for March 25.

The performances typically attracts audiences numbering into the hundreds.

Over the years, the annual competition has gone on — even in the midst of COVID-19, without a stage or audience.

This year, the event is scheduled to take the stage at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel, at 30651 Wells Road, in Wesley Chapel.

For more information, or to apply to compete, visit HeritageArts.org.

Published February 01, 2023

Interchange at Overpass Road and I-75 expected to open soon

January 17, 2023 By B.C. Manion

The new Interstate 75 interchange at Overpass Road, in Pasco County, is expected to open by the end of January.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley shared that news during the county board’s Jan. 10 meeting.

The new interchange is about 3.5 miles south of State Road 52 in Pasco County.

The new diamond interchange will include a flyover ramp for westbound Overpass Road access onto southbound I-75, according to information about the project included on the Florida Department of Transportation’s District 7 website.

Ridge Road will eventually be extended east, all the way to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes, and go through the planned town of Angeline. (Mike Camunas)

To accommodate the new interchange, Overpass Road has been widened from two lanes to four lanes between the interstate and Old Pasco Road, and six lanes between the interstate and Boyette Road. Blair Drive has been realigned to connect with Old Pasco Road. McKendree Road has been realigned to connect with Boyette Road.

At the same meeting, County Administrator Mike Carballa told board members that the bid for the next phase of the Ridge Road extension could go out as soon as this winter or spring.

That project will extend the transportation corridor from the Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41, in Land O’ Lakes.

The first leg of the extension now carries traffic from Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey to the Suncoast Parkway in Land O’ Lakes. The second leg, which is slated for completion in 2025, will extend Ridge Road over to U.S. 41, also known as Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

County officials have pushed for the Ridge Road extension for decades, but encountered legal challenges from environmentalists and faced permitting delays.

Pasco officials persisted in the quest to get the new road, describing it as a critical hurricane evacuation route and as another needed east-west transportation corridor for Pasco motorists.

Officials also have noted that the extension will improve accessibility to a rapidly growing area in Pasco County, as plans move ahead for Moffitt Cancer Center’s Pasco campus, which is expected to attract life science companies and researchers from around the globe.

The campus is in the center of a newly emerging area, known as Angeline, which will feature diverse housing styles, an extensive trail system, the latest in internet technology, schools, a community farm, wetlands and other features.

On other topics:

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey told her colleagues that the county needs to have an enforcement plan to respond to illegal used car dealerships and storage facilities. She’d also like the board to have a discussion on the issue of short-term rentals. Plus, she informed them of a planned celebration for international business at the board’s Feb. 21 meeting.
Commissioner Gary Bradford also informed the board that he had spoken at a groundbreaking ceremony for Fire Rescue Station No. 20, on Little Ranch Road. The old station had two bays. This one will have four.

In addition to hearing those updates, the county board:

Approved an agreement with Asphalt Paving Systems Inc., for the Lacoochee Industrial right of way improvements, segments one and two, for nearly $2.17 million
Approved a contract for $730,246 with Daikin Applied Americas Inc., to replace the chiller system at the East Pasco Government Center. The 22-year-old chiller HVAC system has outlasted its expected 15-year life cycle and for the past year a rented, temporary exterior chiller system has been used to cool the build. The price includes a 10-year warranty for parts and labor.
Approved spending up to $69,000 for a Staff Development Day appreciation celebration ceremony for all county employees, planned for Feb. 20
Approved a contract with Sunbelt Sod & Grading Company for a total of $1.75 million, for as-needed sod over fiscal years 2023 through 2025
Approved a contract with Daikin Applied for $304,490 for the purchase and installation of five energy recovery ventilators and the installation of a safety railing system in the Charlie Barracks of the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center

Published January 18, 2023

Pasco approves about 400 new residential entitlements

January 17, 2023 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Commission has set the stage for an additional 240 single-family homes, near an area known as the Villages of Pasadena Hills in the southeast part of the county.

The board voted unanimously on Jan. 10 to approve a request to change the county’s long-range plan to increase the development potential on 61 acres of land, at 59430 Billmar Road, in Wesley Chapel.

The land previously was designated for up to three dwellings per acre, but the county board changed the category to allow up to six units per acre.

However, the applicant has agreed to a maximum of 240 units, which works out to be an average of 3.93 units per acre.

County planners and the Pasco County Planning Commission each recommended approval of the request.

The development is perceived as a transitional land use between the Villages of Pasadena Hills and surrounding higher density residential land uses. The request also is considered to support the mission of the county’s South Market area, according to materials in the county board’s agenda packet.

The site abuts the Chapel Crossing master-planned unit development (MPUD) to the west and Avalon Park West, formerly known as the New Rivers MPUD, to the south.

The access to the site is on Billmar Road, a 13-foot-wide private residential dirt road. There is a proposed trail that will bisect along the south side of the project site named the Eiland Boulevard Trail.

There also is a proposed arterial roadway identified on the highway vision road map as Zephyrhills Bypass extension planned for future development that will provide additional access south of the proposed project site.

There are no roads or access located to the east side of the subject site.

A rezoning request for the Hamilton Oaks MPUD is associated with the land use change.

In another action the county board approved a rezoning to change an agricultural-residential zoning to a medium density multifamily district, allowing the development of 158 townhomes.

The 30.2-acre site, at the intersection of Chancey Road and Diana Drive, historically has been used for timber and grazing.

Published January 18, 2023

Saddlebrook Resort redevelopment inches closer to approval

January 10, 2023 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Planning Commission voted 5-2 to recommend approval of a proposed change to the county’s comprehensive plan — as a first step toward the redevelopment of Saddlebrook Resort, in Wesley Chapel.

Despite the planning board’s positive Jan. 5 vote, members said they won’t support a needed companion zoning change unless it has a far greater degree of detail.

Saddlebrook opened in 1981 and achieved an international reputation for excellence in its tennis and golf facilities and programs. Through the years, premier athletes have flocked there to use the resort’s facilities — and its golf and tennis academies have helped prepare future champions.

There appears to be broad consensus that improvements are needed at Saddlebrook Resort, but residents and planning board members want myriad questions answered before a proposed redevelopment gains approval. (File)

Despite having a reputation as a crown jewel for Pasco County, there’s broad consensus that the 40-plus-year-old resort needs to be refreshed.

Mast Capital, based in Miami, is seeking approval to redevelop the property. But to do so it must gain approval from the Pasco County Commission to change the county’s comprehensive plan and also approval of a new master plan for Saddlebrook.

The planning board serves as an advisory board to the county commission.

Saddlebrook residents and attorneys packed the planning board’s public hearing, which lasted about four hours.

Residents expressed skepticism about Mast Capital’s intentions. They urged the planning board to protect Saddlebrook’s beauty, serenity, wildlife and legacy.

Greater clarity demanded
Two major sticking points centered on potential impacts from the proposed redevelopment and a lack of specificity in the plans.

Attorney Barbara Wilhite, representing Mast Capital, said her client has been meeting with Saddlebrook residents through the resort’s five homeowner’s associations.

Wilhite outlined Mast Capital’s proposal and said changes have been made, based on community feedback.

For instance, Mast Capital dropped a request to add 60 single-family residences and 100 townhomes on land the current proposal designates for golf course and golf course-related uses.

Wilhite also noted she’s working with attorneys on private deed restrictions, which will legally bind future uses of the land — a highly unusual step that her client is willing to take.

In broad strokes, the redevelopment plan has four parts: two areas are within Saddlebrook’s gated community and two outside, next to State Road 54.

The plan proposes combining the two 18-hole Arnold Palmer golf courses into a single 27-hole course.

“There are several holes that are plagued with terrible drainage situations that make them unplayable for significant amounts of time, throughout the year,” explained Eran Landry, a managing director for Mast Capital. “It’s going to take millions of dollars just in the golf course drainage improvements to change that.”

Landry said the company is in talks with two golf course designers.

Resident Patrick Hogan, who lives on Laurelwood Lane, told the planning board: “We’re on the Palmer course. It’s a Palmer course. There’s only one Arnold.

“It affects the value of our homes. That’s what we’re concerned about,” Hogan said.

Residents also want specificity regarding what “golf-related uses” would be allowed — and where the uses would be located.

They, and planning board members, also want to know where the tennis courts and driving range will be.

Mast Capital is seeking to increase the entitlement for commercial and retail uses from 100,000 square feet to 105,000 square feet; to 55 beds for the existing golf and tennis academy; to add a 12,000-square-foot clubhouse; to add 155 townhomes; and, to add 465 apartments.

The new development fronting State Road 54 will be a mixture of commercial and residential, in a walkable area featuring neighborhood parks, patio seating, a wide boulevard and other amenities.

Changes needed to reverse resort’s decline
“You want to create spaces that allow people to feel good, and obviously want to congregate and hang out, and enjoy their experiences at the resort. We intend to do that,” Landry said.

His company plans to spend millions to change the direction of the resort, which has been in decline, he said.

Mast Capital wants to add features such as a splash pad for kids; an ice cream shop for families; and, a coffee bar. It also wants to upgrade the pool area, which Landry characterized as “completely underwhelming.”

Plans call for a complete overhaul of existing resort rooms.

“Those resort rooms are just not competitive, relative to any other hotels nearby or other resorts. The occupancy and the rates have been in decline for a significant amount of time. We intend to change that,” Landry said.

A clubhouse is planned, too. Those are a common fixture at premier golf destinations, Landry said.

Wilhite said plans call for a dual left-turn lane and a dedicated right lane at the resort’s exit to improve traffic flow. A new right-in, right-out access onto State Road 54 also is planned to serve the project’s development along the state road.

Protect community’s character
Residents urged the planning board to protect the community they love.

“Driving home and entering the neighborhood has always felt like entering an oasis, a beautiful, quiet, natural haven,” said Judith Ranells, of Fox Hunt Drive, a Saddlebrook resident since 1988.

“The beauty within Saddlebrook is simply spectacular,” agreed Joann Barbetta, who lives on Fox Hunt Drive, too. “The expansive and dense collection of trees, the winding roads, the spacious driving range were all thoughtfully laid out.

“The homes are spaced far apart and there’s a lot of privacy and large, open spaces.

“The peacefulness and serenity of that can’t be overstated.

“Saddlebrook is also a place where you regularly interact with the best elite athletes in the world,” she added.

Her husband, Larry Barbetta, helped to form the Save Saddlebrook Coalition. The coalition seeks to protect the interests of residents throughout the community.

“We want to encourage investment enhancement in this community. We definitely do. But I cannot accept, and the coalition cannot accept, a complete lack of detail. There’s no idea where the (golf course) holes will go. There’s no idea where the driving range will go. That’s not written anywhere.

“This is really important to us. It’s incredibly important to us. It’s our lives,” he said.

Nancy Foster has lived on Saddlebrook Way for more than two decades.

“While living here, I’ve been privileged to watch pro tennis players practice and train.

“We have courts that provide for these players to play at Wimbledon, the French Open, the Australian Open and, of course, at home, at the U.S. Open. That’s why they come here.

“Keeping tennis courts and golf courses are important to the resort,” she said.

Foster cherishes the resort’s wildlife, too.

She described it this way: “There is a hawk who announces his arrival, as he flies over my house, every day. A coyote visiting my back porch, taking a nap. A bobcat checking out my backyard. Then the deer arrive. The many wild turkeys with their young, marching through. Let me not forget the otters, turtles and especially the owls keeping a watch over my pet bird, which is fortunately living in the house.”

Residents and planning board members raised question after question — and made it clear they want them answered before the next phase of the process, which involves the rezoning request.

After the planning board hears that request, both the land use and zoning change applications will be heard on the same day by the Pasco County Commission. That date has not yet been set.

Published January 11, 2023

Pasco County steps closer to creating a regional park in Two Rivers

January 3, 2023 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Commission has approved a contract with Coastal Design Consultants Inc., involving work associated with the co-location of a county park and Pasco County school sites, within the Two Rivers master-planned unit development (MPUD).

Two Rivers is a new community in Wesley Chapel, off State Road 56 and Morris Road. Plans for the development envision a 3,405-acre community that offers a mixture of housing types, work opportunities, shopping, recreation and schools.

Pasco County Schools was out on winter break, but in previous interviews, Chris Williams, director of planning for the school district has said the school district likely would co-locate a future school site in Two Rivers with a regional park.

During that discussion, Williams said the district had identified a potential site, but had not purchased it.

Co-locating the facilities would allow sharing of athletic fields and parking, Williams said.

The county’s contract with Coastal Design indicates the proposed site for the co-location of the school and park facilities is at the future intersection of State Road 56 and Coats Road.

The contract with Coastal, in the amount of $75,900, was approved as part of the county board’s Dec. 6 consent agenda. Items on that agenda are approved in a single motion, without discussion, unless someone pulls an item to be placed on the board’s regular agenda.

The board previously approved a professional services agreement for architectural, engineering and related services for improvements to parks and recreation facilities, with Coastal for environmental engineering and consulting services.

The recently approved task order involves grading and drainage master planning services that are needed for the co-location project. The site is approximately 180 acres, with the school site making up 73 acres and the county park making up 107 acres, according to the agenda materials.

The services being provided will aid in preparation of a mass grading plan to calculate the cut/fill quantities to determine if the site will provide excess fill, balance out or require fill.

The school board has agreed to reimburse the county for 50% of the task order amount after the work is completed, the agenda materials say.

The completion date for the project is set for 120 days from when the notice to proceed is issued.

Published January 04, 2023

Santa Parade brings holiday cheer to Lexington Oaks

December 20, 2022 By Steve Vinik

Santa, also known as John Kostialik, made his annual stop in Lexington Oaks on Dec. 10 — starring in a parade aimed at bringing seasonal spirit to Central Pasco community.

With no reindeers in sight, Santa (John Kostialik) rides from stop to stop, in a golf cart driven by his elf helper, Addison Jones. (Courtesy of Steve Vinik)

The annual Santa parade, sponsored by the Lexington Oaks Security Patrol, including appearances by Santa (Kostialik) and Mrs. Claus (Julie Kuhn), fire trucks, a marching band and decked-out golf carts.

This elf is certainly not on a shelf! Lincoln Luna was busy during the parade in Lexington Oaks, distributing Santa’s candy.

Each year, the parade wends its way along Lexington Oaks Boulevard and stops in front of the village entrances to greet families with good Christmas cheer and candy.

This year, Fire Rescue Station 13 supplied some red plastic fire helmets to give out to kids.

Stacey Russo, a parade spectator, recapped some observations on Facebook.

She said this year’s event “was my favorite parade so far.”

Russo loved seeing “all the fire trucks, Santa and Mrs. Claus, Frosty, all the golf carts decked out,” an “amazing decorated jeep,” she wrote on Facebook.

She also enjoyed seeing the kids getting fire hats and candy and watching the marching band featuring members from Wesley Chapel and Cypress Creek high schools.

“How many smiles were made,” Russo commented.

Santa said the toughest part of getting ready for the parade is allowing his beard to grow during Florida’s hot summers.

He was pleased by this year’s event.

“Thank you to all who helped and all who came to watch,” he said. “See ya’ll next year!”

Published December 21, 2022

Mrs. Claus (Julie Kuhn) hands out goodies —helping to raise spirits high, during the Lexington Oaks Santa Parade.

Fire Rescue Station 13, led by Capt. David Garofalo and firefighter Kessler Dixon, provided lots of noisy excitement, and plastic firefighter hats for the children.

Aly Jacinto gives Santa (John Kostialik) a hug, in a tender moment during the parade.

Saddlebrook request to get extra public hearing

December 13, 2022 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Commission wants the community to have another chance to hear about proposed changes at Saddlebrook Resort, in Wesley Chapel, and to have the opportunity to weigh in on them.

The county board voted to continue the request to the public hearings portion of its Feb. 7 meeting, in Dade City.

Saddlebrook Resort includes a hotel, spa, tennis and golf complex. It also is home to Saddlebrook Tennis Academy, Saddlebrook Golf Academy, Saddlebrook Preparatory School and two 18-hole, Arnold-Palmer designed golf courses. Some big changes are being proposed to the resort and the Pasco County Commission wants to be sure that residents understand those plans before the issue is brought to the county board for a vote. (File)

In the interim, though, it directed its staff to arrange for the issue to go before the Pasco County Planning Commission for another hearing on Jan. 5, before returning to the county board in February for a vote on the request.

Both meetings will begin at 1:30 p.m., and be held in the board chambers at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, at 37918 Meridian Ave., in downtown Dade City.

Jack Mariano, the newly elected chairman of the Pasco County Commission, urged his colleagues to send the issue to the planning board for a hearing, to ensure that the community has an opportunity to hear the proposed plans and to voice any concerns.

The applicant did hold community meetings within Saddlebrook, but those were organized by individual homeowner associations, said Barbara Wilhite, the applicant’s attorney.

Mariano said he wants anyone who is interested to be able to hear the same presentation and he wants that to happen before it reaches the board for a decision.

Based on documents in the planning board’s Sept. 22 agenda packet, the request calls for amending the county’s future land use map on about 420.5 acres on a site that is south of State Road 54, east of Service Road.

Saddlebrook has an existing master-planned unit development (MPUD), which has existing entitlements, development and infrastructure.

But a substantial modification has been requested to add acreage to the existing MPUD and to convert one existing golf course and the driving range into commercial/retail, multifamily, single-family, dorm rooms, clubhouse and restaurant uses, according to documents in the planning board’s Sept. 22 agenda packet.

Saddlebrook Resort includes a hotel, spa, tennis and golf complex that opened in 1981 and is home to Saddlebrook Tennis Academy, Saddlebrook Golf Academy, Saddlebrook Preparatory School and two 18-hole, Arnold-Palmer designed golf courses.

Saddlebrook currently contains a number of different uses including commercial/office, multi-family, single-family, recreational and hotel/convention center uses.

The proposed use calls for converting the area that is the golf driving range into the town center for Saddlebrook, the background materials say.

The request must gain approvals from the county board, to clear the way for the proposed project.

At the initial planning board meeting, the request had been included on the consent agenda — meaning it could be approved without discussion, but planning board member Jon Moody pulled the item for discussion.

Moody doesn’t believe that large-scale projects should be included on the consent agenda.

He also expressed concerns about the county’s public notice requirements for such requests.

“My particular concern in Saddlebrook is that a great number of the property owners, adjacent to the golf course, to which this comp plan amendment applies, live out of state, many of them live out of country, so they didn’t see the sign posted,” Moody said during the planning board meeting.

Mariano said the planning board needs to take up the issue again because “I don’t feel that the planning commission got a good hearing,” he said.

Wilhite said her client had a series of public hearings and has been listening.

“We have been making changes,” she said.

But Mariano said: “The Planning Commission, I feel, needs to hear a complete presentation.”

“I think it should be all at once, everybody hearing the same thing,” he said.

Mariano said he knows that Saddlebrook residents want more communication.

“They feel that their voices weren’t heard from the get-go,” Mariano said.

Wilhite responded: “We have been making changes. We have been listening,” she said. “I’m very confident that the things that my client is doing, that we’ll have a lot of buy-in, actually, as we go forward.”

Published December 14, 2022

This prom gives people with special needs a ‘Night to Shine’

December 13, 2022 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Grace Community Church in Wesley Chapel is hosting a “Night to Shine,” an event aimed at giving people with special needs a prom of their own.

Churches around the world will be hosting the event simultaneously on Feb. 10, 2023, according to a news release from Jeff Olsen, pastor of Grace Community.

The event will be held at Cypress Creek Middle School, 8845 Old Pasco Road, Wesley Chapel, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

This is the first time the Wesley Chapel church has joined the worldwide event sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. Organizers at Grace Community are encouraging those wishing to attend to register early, before the event reaches capacity.

“Every guest of ‘Night to Shine’ enters this complimentary event on a red carpet, complete with a warm welcome from a friendly crowd and paparazzi,” according to Olsen’s release.

“Once inside, guests receive the royal treatment including corsages and boutonnieres, a catered dinner, karaoke, prom favors, a dance floor… all leading up to the moment when each guest is crowned king or queen of the prom,” the release says.

“Grace Community Church is excited to be a part of this movement that God is using as a catalyst to change how cultures embrace people with disabilities and to rally the church to honor their local community of people with special needs, ensuring they know that they are valued and loved,” the church’s news release adds.

Night to Shine launched in 2015 with 44 host churches and 15,000 volunteers honoring more than 7,000 kings and queens of the prom, according to the release.

In February 2020, 721 host churches and 215,000 volunteers came together to celebrate 110,000 honored guests with special needs.

“Over the past two years, Night to Shine innovated and endured through the pandemic with the first-ever virtual Night to Shine, celebrating thousands of honored guests through unique adaptations, including a complete virtual video experience and socially distanced Shine Thru drive-thru events,” according to the release.

Tebow weighed in on the upcoming event, in the release.

“I’m so excited Night to Shine 2023 will be back in-person! All around the world, individuals with special needs are going to be celebrated like they should be,” he said. “We’ve been able to adapt over the last couple years but we can’t wait to be back together in person to cheer for every guest as they walk the red carpet, dance the night away with their friends, crown them as a king or queen of the prom and most importantly, tell every single one of them that their life has purpose and they are loved by us and the God of this universe.”

Lexus of Wesley Chapel is the Title Sponsor for the inaugural Night to Shine event in Wesley Chapel.

For additional information on the Night to Shine at Grace Community Church, visit NightToShineWesleyChapel.com.

For more information on the worldwide event, visit TimTebowFoundation.org/night-to-shine.

Published December 14, 2022

‘Building’ holiday spirit, one bear at a time

December 13, 2022 By Mary Rathman

Cindy Ross, of RP&G Printing in Wesley Chapel, knows the importance of every child experiencing the joy of the holiday spirit.

For the last six years (2016 to 2022), Ross has been hosting a Build-A-Bear fundraiser — donating all the stuffed animals to the ABC Program to be distributed to local underprivileged students.

Guests were invited to visit the Build-A-Bear store at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel, choose an animal, have it stuffed, pick an outfit and even give it a name. The store’s staff then printed out a ‘birth certificate’ for the child recipient. Monetary donations also were collected, which were put toward building more bears.

The total haul this year for the ABC Program was 161 stuffed animals, said Ross.