Wanted: Wood pallets for barbecue
By B.C. Manion
Most of the time, these guys are prepared to put out fires, but as the Fourth of July approaches, they’re gearing up to start one.
A barbecue fire, that is.
Members of the Lutz Volunteer Fire Association Inc., get up in the wee hours of the morning every Independence Day to cook up barbecue dinners for the hungry masses at the community’s Fourth of July celebration. It’s a tradition that’s been going on for more than 50 years.
Proceeds from the chicken dinners they serve help to cover expenses for the volunteer fire department.
But cooking more than 1,100 dinners, like they did last year, requires lots of wood to stoke the grill.
They figure they need about 100 more oak pallets to do the trick.
If you can donate pallets, please call Jay Muffly, president of the volunteer association at (813) 949-2224.
Other organizers also are gearing up for the annual celebration. This year’s theme is “Lutz: Home Sweet Home.”
Lutz Fourth of July Info
For information about the parade, the 5K race, booth rentals, the cake decorating contest and other general information, please call the following people:
5K Race Sponsorship and Entry: Terry Donovan, (813) 949-6659
General parade information: Phyllis Hoedt, (813) 949-1937
Float information: Shirley Simmons, (813) 949-7060
Booth rental: Annie Fernandez, (813) 784-4471
Cake decorating, contest entries: Terri Burgess, (813) 690-5790
Volunteers: Suzin Carr (813) 453-5256
Lutz community meeting
The public is invited to a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. to discuss parks and recreation issues in Lutz. Hillsborough County Commissioner Victor Crist and Mark Thornton, director of the county’s Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department are expected to be there. The meeting will be in the Lutz Community Center, 98 First Ave., N.W.
