Birthday bash

BIRTHDAY BASH  

Kiddie Academy of Lakewood Ranch held a special birthday celebration for Dr. Seuss March 2. Parents read children Dr. Seuss stories, and children also enjoyed green eggs and ham, crafts and a surprise appearance by Cat in the Hat.

PURIN PANDEMONIUM  

East County families joined hundreds of others to experience “Purim Pandemonium” March 1, at Temple Emanu-El. The event was a celebration of the Jewish holiday of Purim, which commemorates the victory of the biblical Queen Esther over Haman, who sought to destroy the Jews.

The event featured a Purim service, a costume parade, a play performed by the temple’s seventh-graders and a carnival. 

 Mill Creek resident Marni Mount served as the event’s chairwoman. She organized the carnival and oversaw the baking of hundreds of hamentashen, the three-cornered cookie traditionally eaten on the holiday.

East County resident Sabrina Silverberg, who serves as Temple Emanu-El’s director of religious education, wrote and directed the Purim play and assisted with other festivities.

East County seventh-graders included Natalie Mount, Cooper Zion and Rebekah Spiegelman.

MINUTE TO WIN IT

Two mother-son teams emerged as the fastest and zaniest Feb. 20, during Freedom Elementary School’s Minute to Win It mother-son competition.

In the junior division, Caden and Kristen Parker took top honors. The finale was a minute-long cupcake-eating contest. 

In the senior division, Amanda Hirst and her son, Clay, took first place. Senior division contestants had to eat whipped cream pies with chocolate sauce in a minute.

Judges ranked the plates from most gone to least gone.

“We covered the stage in plastic and even gave every contestant a garbage bag poncho,” PTO President Chrissy Fairey says.

DODGIN' FOR CHARITY

Lakewood Ranch High School’s Student Government Association raised more than $500 for charity during its annual dodgeball tournament Feb. 25.

Fourteen teams competed in this year’s event.

SGA donated proceeds to TOPSoccer, a youth sports program offered by the Braden River Soccer Club. It targets athletes who typically do not fit into the club’s competitive and recreational soccer programs due to physical or emotional disabilities. 

TOPSoccer serves up to 50 individuals ages 4 to 24.