The Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club is known for the community’s Fourth of July parade. The Lutz Civic Association is known for its annual Lutz Guv’na campaign.
And now the Lutz Citizens Coalition wants to kick off its own signature event.
Beginning Sept. 6, the coalition will sponsor Lutz First Fridays, a food truck rally on the first Friday of each month, aimed at helping to raise money for the community organization and to give residents a place to eat and mingle.
The rally, which will be professionally managed by Generation Food Truck, will have at least 26 trucks, said Jeremy Gomez, who owns the company along with his wife Candy.
The food trucks will offer diverse selections, including everything from kangaroo to gourmet popsicles, Gomez said. He thinks it’s safe to estimate that the monthly event will draw a couple thousand people out for dinner.
Food truck rallies are popular because people like to try new foods, he said.
“People like the variety. They know the trucks aren’t storing stuff in a freezer,” Gomez said. “I don’t even know a food truck that owns a microwave. Most of the foods are locally sourced.”
He also thinks the rally is a natural fit for the community.
“Lutz has always been good for outdoor events,” Gomez said.
Sam Calco, vice president of the Lutz Citizens Coalition, said the monthly gathering will help the coalition raise not only money, but the organization’s profile in the community as well.
“We’ve been an organization for about a year. We derive most of our money from family memberships, $25 a year,” Calco said.
The organization also receives donations from businesses.
The best way to raise money is to get the community involved, Calco said, like the coalition did with its Lutz Biggest Yard Sale in May.
“We learned a lot of things of what to do and what not to do,” Calco said.
With the food truck rally, the coalition will receive a fee from each participating truck and it will handle the drink concessions, Calco said.
He thinks the food truck rally will be a popular community event. It gives people a chance to mingle, to take a break from cooking dinner and to enjoy themselves at a family-friendly event.
Final details are still being worked out, including what time the event will begin, but would likely start around 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., Gomez said. It will end around 10 p.m., unless people come over after a local football game and it needs to stay open longer, Calco said.
The location for the event is still being pinned down, too, but both men expect that to be determined soon.
The Lutz Citizens Coalition was formed about a year ago. Its mission is to preserve Lutz and protect it from unwanted growth, Calco said.
