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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Joe Simmons

Elks Lodge opens drive-thru food pantry

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What Donna Moyer misses most is the children filing into the cafeteria, laughing, playing and sitting down to enjoy lunch.

“We have a big party,” said Moyer, past Exalted Ruler at the Elks Lodge 2731, in Zephyrhills. “It’s a big deal. This year with all this extra nonsense, we can’t.”

COVID-19 upended the typical Feed the Kids Program, a free summer lunch and literacy program.

A young girl wrote a handmade thank you card to the volunteers who distribute free lunches at the Elks Lodge. (Courtesy of Donna Moyer)

This year, Moyer, and 10 to 15 volunteers, wave to children in the backseat of cars as their parents pull into a drive-thru food pantry organized at the lodge, at 6851 Wire Road.

Five days a week from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the volunteers hand out about 100 free lunches prepared daily at Zephyrhills’ restaurant, Tubby’s Q and Smokehouse.

The restaurant is the first participant in Operation Feed Pasco, a collaboration between the Pasco County Commission, United Way of Pasco County, Thomas Promise Foundation and the Elks Lodge.

The initiative has a dual purpose: To bolster area food pantries and help restaurants that took a financial loss from the COVID-19 shutdown.

A nonprofit, Harper Valley Son’s Food Pantry based in Wesley Chapel, is independently providing boxes of vegetables, pre-cooked meat, fruit and milk to parents who come to the Elks Lodge.

Joe Simmons, left, executive director of the Thomas Promise Foundation, and Robert ‘Cowboy’ Harper, founder of Harper Valley Son’s Food Pantry, discuss food distribution standing beside a food truck Harper drove to the Elks Lodge. (Kathy Steele)

On Wednesdays, the Elks Lodge also gives out bags filled with craft activities and books to boost reading skills.

On Fridays, Thomas Promise provides meals to carry families through the weekend.

Thomas Promise’s mission is to feed hungry children in Pasco. It typically serves 1,600 students in more than 25 schools, but this year the need is greater because of COVID-19.

The nonprofit is a longtime supporter of the Elks Lodge, so coming together for Operation Feeding Pasco was a natural fit.

“I immediately thought of Elks Lodge because that’s exactly what we do,” said Joe Simmons, executive director of Thomas Promise.

When Moyer realized the Elks Lodge members had to reinvent an on-site program now in its sixth year, she stayed up nights wondering if they could pull it off.

But, Moyer said, “We just kind of got it all together.”

The Elks Lodge is one of many nonprofits and food banks that is helping families that are struggling to pay bills, put food on the table and stay safe during the pandemic.

Even as businesses begin to reopen in Florida, and more people are venturing out to shops and restaurants — a great need for help continues.

Before COVID-19, Feeding Tampa Bay distributed food in its 10-county region to about 600,000 “food insecure” individuals. Since the shutdown, that number has more than doubled, to about 1.3 million.

“The need is continuing to climb,” said Shannon Hannon Oliviero, external affairs officer for Feeding Tampa Bay.

Volunteers Harriett Hinton, left, and Ilene Nutting put together craft bags. Nutting, a former day care worker, organizes the giveaway for the Elks Lodge. (Kathy Steele)

The nonprofit began opening drive-thru food banks, known as “mega-pantries,” in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, Polk and Pasco counties.

One mega-pantry now operates at Pasco High School in Dade City.

Volunteers with Make a Difference, a nonprofit in Dade City, distribute food supplied by Feeding Tampa Bay every Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at 36850 State Road 52 in Dade City.

Oliviero said an early survey completed after the shutdown revealed about 70% of those coming to food banks were doing so for the first time in their lives.

Many had either lost their jobs or are on furlough, she said.

She said the help will continue.

“We’re going to be here for as long as needed. That’s what we’re here for,” Oliviero said.

About 700 food bags were given away at the first drive-thru at Pasco High, said Larry Guilford, founder of Make a Difference.

“One woman cried while driving through,” he said. “That’s when we know we’re doing the right thing. That’s telling us it’s needed.”

Volunteers bagged up lunch meals prepared by Tubby Q’s and Smokehouse, a Zephyrhills restaurant participating in Operation Feed Pasco. (Kathy Steele)

The same community spirit abounds at the Elks Lodge. Volunteers arrive around 7:30 a.m. Duties include bagging the days’ meals, snacks and crafts. On some days they also prepare frozen meals, such as pancakes and sausage, meat subs and spaghetti. Those are kept in the freezers for use as needed, said Moyer.

On average about 100 meals are distributed for the summer program, but on one recent day about 150 meals were handed out, she said.

“Thank you,” is the phrase of the day, as parents and children accept the food bags.

“It’s an amazing resource,” said Kimberly Mahon, who drove through with her children, ages 3 and 7.

Brad Odell, a Wesley Chapel High School teacher, drove through with his family — but also took home food packages for neighbors unable to leave their home.

“It helps me,” he said, adding, “but I have neighbors that are elderly, and a woman with five children. I try to help out as many people as possible. It makes me feel good.”

Area food banks/pantries
Here is a partial list of food banks operating in Pasco. (Please call ahead to be sure the pantry is open and to find out its hours of operation):

Food Pantry at Emmanuel Ministries
12639 Candlewood Drive, Dade City
For information on hours, call (813) 713-0305.

Farmworker’s Self-Help
37240 Lock St., Dade City
Provides fresh fruit, meats, dairy and more
For information, call (352) 567-1432.

Neighborhood Care Center
5140 Sixth St., Zephyrhills
This nonregional, nonprofit offers free groceries and hot meals
For information, call (813) 780-6822.

Life Community Center
6542 Applewood St., Wesley Chapel
For information, call (813) 994-0685.

Christian Social Services
5514 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes
For information, call (813) 995-0088.

Suncoast Harvest Food Bank
5829 Ehren Cutoff Road, Land O’ Lakes
Open third Saturday of the month
For information, call (813) 929-0200.

St. Vincent De Paul
Serves various locations in Pasco
For information, call the district office at (727) 868-8160.

Father and Son Love Ministries
21418 Carson Drive, Land O’ Lakes
Operates a food pantry on Tuesdays, from noon to 2 p.m.; Fridays, from noon to 3 p.m.; and on Sundays, starting at 12:30 p.m.
For information, call (813) 383-8410.

Helping Hands, a food pantry at Atonement Lutheran Church
29617 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel
Call (813) 756-8866 to find out when it is open.

Daystar Hope Center
15512 U.S. 301, Dade City
Call (352) 523-0844 to find out when it is open.

Published June 17, 2020

Rattlesnake Festival makes gains despite ‘Nestor’

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The Rattlesnake Festival had its biggest year since The Thomas Promise Foundation took over, despite the appearance of Tropical Storm Nestor, event organizers say.

“We’ll be able to provide 100,000 lunches as a result of this years’ Rattlesnake Festival,” Joe Simmons, executive director for The Thomas Promise Foundation, said in a news release.

“That’s more than the last two years. Imagine what we could do if the storm hadn’t come through,” Simmons added.

David and Howard Bellamy performed for a sold-out crowd on Oct. 18 at the Rattlesnake Festival. It was their first performance at the event since 1968. (Courtesy of The Thomas Promise Foundation)

According to long-held tradition, The Rattlesnake Festival was held on the third weekend of October, which this year fell on Oct. 19 and Oct. 20.

Having the festival that weekend was decided in 1967, based on research by a weatherman that historically that weekend had the best weather.

Indeed, over the years the festival has enjoyed dry weather most of the time, according to the release.

But, not this year.

Tropical Storm Nestor crossed the Florida Panhandle and sent waves of heavy rain and tornado warnings on down the West Coast, the release reports.

Still, the weekend got off to a great start, with a successful Bellamy Brothers concert on Oct. 18, despite threatening weather. The band played to a sold-out crowd in the Dan Cannon Auditorium at the Pasco County Fairgrounds.

It was the internationally known musicians’ first time back to the festival since 1968 when they performed their first musical gig with their father at the festival in San Antonio City Park, which hosted the event for a half-century before moving to the fairgrounds.

“We so appreciate the Bellamy Brothers coming to the Rattlesnake Festival this year,” Simmons said, in the release. “It was the success of their concert that offset the bad day we had on Saturday and enabled us to have our best year so far.”

Rattlesnake Run organizers had to cancel the 5-mile and 1-mile runs because of a tornado watch that was in effect at the time the race was set to begin.

The rain-or-shine festival opened on time Oct. 19 but, because of heavy rains, some vendors and entertainment groups did not set up that day.

Weather began to clear at about noon and some festival-goers turned out, but organizers realized that Nestor had put a damper on their event.

“We were hoping to exceed the 10,000 mark on visitors,” Simmons said. “I believe that if the weather had been as nice on Saturday as it was on Sunday, we may have done so.”

By the evening of Oct. 19, the rain had stopped and “Rattlesnake Festival After Dark,” an event planned with adults in mind featuring local bands, was well-attended for a first-time event.

The following day, the even opened with sunshine, and the event went well.

“The weather is the weather, that’s true everywhere, but sometimes it seems especially true in Florida,” Simmons said.

“This is our third year running the festival and our second year at the Pasco County Fairgrounds. We’re already on the schedule for next year, which is Oct. 17 and 18, by the way. We planned a great festival and we’re glad that we were still able to have a better year than last year because it’s all about raising money to buy food to feed hungry kids.”

The Thomas Promise Foundation is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing weekend meals to food-insecure students in Pasco County Schools when breakfast and lunch programs are not operating. For more information visit TheThomasPromise.org.

Published November 06, 2019

Bellamy Brothers headline Rattlesnake Festival

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The Bellamy Brothers are returning to a local festival that launched the beginning of their iconic country music career five decades ago.

Darby natives and residents Howard and David Bellamy will headline a special concert at the 53rd annual Rattlesnake Festival on Oct. 18 at 7 p.m., at the Pasco County Fairgrounds’ Dan Cannon Auditorium, 36722 State Road 52 in Dade City.

The duo will be available to sign autographs at their merchandise tables following their hour-and-a-half long performance.

The concert serves as a prelude to the traditional festival days on Oct. 19 and Oct. 20.

The Bellamy Brothers are scheduled to perform a special concert at the Rattlesnake Festival on Oct. 18. It marks their first appearance at the festival in about 40 years, event organizers say. (Courtesy of Rattlesnake Festival)

The Rattlesnake Festival marked The Bellamy Brothers’ first official gig back in 1968 — where Howard and David performed on stage with their father at San Antonio Park.

The Bellamys continued to play the festival for several years prior to the the release of their 1976 chart-topping country pop hit, “Let Your Love Flow,” which spearheaded a career of 20 No. 1 hits and 40 million album sales worldwide.

In an exclusive interview with The Laker/Lutz News, Howard Bellamy said he’s looking forward to returning to the Rattlesnake Festival and host a concert for his hometown community.

“There’s no place we love better. We’ve toured in 72 countries and somehow we always come back to Darby, Florida,” Howard, 73, said.

“It’s a special place and special people around, so when they got this all together and asked us, we jumped right on. It’s very special and you get to see a lot of old friends you haven’t seen forever.”

He added, “We’re always grateful to be back home because this is where it started and this is where it will end.”

Howard and 69-year-old David Bellamy graduated from Pasco High School in the 1960s before embarking on their successful music career.

They spend any downtime amid their frenetic showbiz schedule on their 200-acre family ranch in Darby, just outside the Dade City limits.

When they return to town next month, The Bellamy Brothers will be fresh off an overseas tour that takes them to Norway and Sweden. They’ll immediately head out for a show in North Carolina following the Dade City concert. “We should be well-rehearsed,” Howard quipped.

Howard said the special concert’s set list “definitely” will include “Let Your Love Flow” and several other hit tracks. He noted there also will be some cuts from the band’s latest studio album, “Over the Moon,” which released in February.

“You know, we do as many hits as we can during the show, and we thank God we have enough of them that we have a choice, so people want to hear the hits,” Howard said.

Known for their busy ways, the Bellamys’ appearance comes in the midst of filming the third season of their reality television show, “Honky Tonk Ranch,” airing on the Cowboy Channel. Howard said the band is also working on several other projects with other artists.

“We’re always up to something,” he said.

The Bellamy Brothers’ last appearance at the festival came about 40 years ago, according to Joe Simmons, executive director of the Thomas Promise Foundation that puts on the Rattlesnake Festival.

Simmons said he tried to book The Bellamy Brothers for the event a few years ago, but they were on another road tour at the time.

The event organizer went about getting in touch with the band’s manager earlier this time around, to try to work the Rattlesnake Festival into the band’s lineup that includes roughly 150 tour dates every year.

Simmons’ friendship with David Bellamy’s son, Noah, also helped get things rolling.

“I tried to put a bug in his ear about talking to his dad about them being able to come out to the festival,” Simmons said. “We’re just appreciative that everything worked out to where we could bring them back to the festival. You know, everybody loves The Bellamy Brothers.”

Simmons acknowledged The Bellamy Brothers’ forthcoming appearance has generated extra buzz for the weekend long festival.

“Everybody’s excited,” he said. “Everybody loves it when the Bellamys come back home and play and, for us to be able to accommodate that and bring them back, it was a win-win situation.”

All proceeds raised from the Rattlesnake Festival will go toward the Thomas Promise Foundation, which provides meals and other programs to food-insecure children. It is the nonprofit organization’s largest fundraiser of the year.

The Bellamy Brothers concert is described as an “intimate affair,” with 528 total seats available.

Beer and wine will be offered inside the auditorium during the concert. Proof of age is required. Food will be available from vendors outside the auditorium.

General admission seats are numbered for reservation and tickets come in two tiers: closer seats cost $75 and seats further back cost $40.

Corporate tables are comprised of eight seats and include unlimited beer and wine, and are available for $1,500 per table and must be bought as a full table. Businesses purchasing tables also get their logo on the festival banner.

Tickets may be purchased by visiting RattlesnakeFestival.com, or by calling (813) 312-7119.

53rd annual Rattlesnake Festival

When: Oct. 18, Bellamy Brothers Concert; Oct. 19 and Oct. 20, festival activities

Where: Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36722 State Road 52, Dade City

What: Food, arts & crafts, live music, wildlife, children’s games, and local history are highlighted each year. Family fun and entertainment are a main focus of the event.

Cost: $5 public admission, free for ages 2 and under; Bellamy Brothers concert tickets sold separately.

Info: Visit RattlesnakeFestival.com, or call (813) 782-0000.

Published September 25, 2019

Snakes, scorpions and tortoises, oh my

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Whether it was to learn about snakes, check out a Wild West Show, do a bit of arts and crafts, shopping or listening to music — visitors to the 52nd annual Rattlesnake Festival had plenty of choices. A crowd, estimated at over 9,000, visited the two-day show with near-perfect weather this past weekend at the Pasco County Fairgrounds in Dade City.

Pam Mendenhall displays a common black snake. Part of the show involved teaching the audience the difference between poisonous and nonpoisonous snakes. (Fred Bellet)

The lineup for the festival, which moved this year from San Antonio, featured reptile shows, Croc Encounters, Gopher Tortoise Races, nonprofit wildlife exhibits and performances by several local bands, including Jesse and Noah Bellamy. There were also bounce houses, a petting zoo, carnival rides, and barbecue and other food vendors.

“Moving to the fairgrounds gave us twice the space to expand the festival, plus room to grow in the future,” said Joe Simmons, who headed up the event. “We had more to offer, including moving the wildlife shows inside fair buildings, and adding more businesses and arts and crafts exhibitors.”

Simmons also said the move allowed the organization to offer free parking that was close to the event.

All money raised at The Rattlesnake Festival, after expenses, supports The Thomas Promise Foundation, a nonprofit that provides weekend meal packages for 1,200 underprivileged children who attend 27 Pasco schools.

Published October 24, 2018

Conner Heimes gets a close view of a corn snake as he peers through a glass cage housing the slithering snake. It was part of the ‘live’ display of snakes at The Rattlesnake Festival at the Pasco County Fairgrounds. The 4-year-old was at the event with his mom, Christina Heimes, his brother, Hunter, 10, and grandmother, Rebecca Heimes, all of Zephyrhills.
Inflating a balloon to be snapped by a bull whip, Mike ‘Lefty’ Remmert, of Tampa, readies the target, still in his mouth, as Cowboy Tom Glasco, of San Antonio, cracks the whip during his Cowboy Tom Wild West Show.
A large wooden rattlesnake head is controlled manually by Pam Mendenhall to open its mouth to show what the snake’s fangs look like. Pam, and her husband, Jim, presented the Mendenhall Snake Show displaying a variety of snakes.
Bernice DellaPorte, of Brooksville, works on a ‘Tree of Life’ sculpture, part of her Copper Forest Design line. She makes the piece from copper wire. Each Sculpture uses 170 strands of copper, which are each 16 inches long. The sculpture takes a day to create.
An Asian Water Monitor climbs off the shoulder of reptile exhibitor John Anderson, of Brooksville. The 2-year-old critter’s name is ‘Precious.’ The J&T Reptile exhibit was a popular feature at the Rattlesnake Festival.
Pythons like to climb to the highest branch, which is why this snake made its way to the crown of Courtney Graham, Miss Pasco County. Derek Dykstra, who is with the Rattlesnake Conservatory, brought the snake to the Rattlesnake Festival. (Vic Anthony)

Pasco County Fairgrounds gears up for Rattlesnake Festival

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The Rattlesnake Festival, a community tradition for more than a half-century, has moved to a new locale — the Pasco County Fairgrounds.

The move from San Antonio City Park — its venue for 51 years — comes as the event’s host, The Thomas Promise Foundation, decided it was time for a roomier setting.

The Crabgrass Cowboys perform at the San Antonio Rattlesnake Festival & Run, celebrating the festival’s 50th anniversary. The festival is now called The Rattlesnake Festival. (File)

While shifting to the fairgrounds, many of the event’s traditions will continue.

For instance, Tony and Carol Noble, are set to open their kettle corn stand; the popular gopher tortoise races will be offered; Cowboy Tom will be there; and there’ll be a snake show, too.

The two-day event is set for Oct. 20 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The admission charge is $5, with free entry for those age 2 and younger.

Tony Noble, who was raised in San Antonio, reflected on what made the festival special to him as a kid, such as the races and the grilled barbecue chicken dinners.

The festival has evolved over time, but many of activities he grew up with will be offered this year, he said.

Jim Mendenhall’s snake show is one of those longstanding festival features. The Squamata Reptile show provides a chance for people to learn about snakes and other reptiles, and to see them in action, too.

The Croc Encounters crocodile show, will be there, too, and so will Florida Fish and Wildlife’s demonstration. There will be a petting zoo and pony rides for the kids.

Cowboy Tom will saddle up on his horse for his Wild West Show, and children will have the opportunity to compete their wooden turtles in the Gopher Race.

A $15 wristband will allow visitors unlimited fair rides, and individual tickets can be purchased for one-time rides.

Vendors will offer food, crafts and other items for purchase.

Miss Pasco County Courtney Graham will open the festival with the national anthem Saturday at 9:45 a.m.

Other live performances will include Jesse and Noah Bellamy, Johnny Shelton and the Showstoppers.

The 40th Rattlesnake Run will remain at San Antonio Park and take place on Oct. 20 at 8 a.m.

Participants can choose the 1-mile or 5-mile run and are welcome to bring their dogs.

Proceeds from the festival and run will go toward The Thomas Promise Foundation, which distributes more than 1,200 food bags to Pasco County students on Friday, so children don’t go hungry over the weekend.

The organization decided to take over the annual festival after the San Antonio Rotary Club celebrated the festival’s 50th anniversary in 2016.

“We were very successful last year,” said Joe Simmons, executive director of the foundation. “We raised enough funds to be able to provide over 40,000 meals to kids within our program.”

The Thomas Promise Foundation will co-host this year’s run with the Zephyrhills High School cross-country team and the I Play Track Foundation.

A portion of the funds collected from the run will go toward a member of the school’s cross-country team who is suffering from bone cancer.

Rattlesnake Festival
Where: Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36722 State Road 52 in Dade City
When: Oct. 20, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Oct 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: $5 admission; free for those age 2 and younger
Details: Vendors, live performances, animals and food
Info: Contact Joe Simmons at (813) 782-0000 or , or visit RattlesnakeFestival.com.

PUblished October 17, 2018