Your Town

+ Campaign trail

The Lakewood Ranch YMCA has a new spin on the presidential election: Zoe for president.

Oh, wait. That’s for 2064.

The sign for “Zoe for President,” in front of the YMCA, is part of a national campaign highlighting the potential the YMCA sees in all children to grow up and change the world if nurtured and supported along the way.

Zoe even has her own website, at which users can contribute to her campaign. It’s zoeforpresident.net.

+ Facebook following

Do you have 5,000 Facebook friends?

Eighty-two-year-old George Lewis does.

“Last week, I had to get rid of my daughter,” he told fellow club members at the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch meeting March 17. He was joking, of course. Lewis builds his friends list to promote Rotary International’s clean water and sanitation initiatives.  He also has sold or donated 320 paintings over the last two years to raise money for humanitarian efforts.

+ Rooftop view

After Freedom Elementary students collected $1,600 in one week during their Penny Wars challenge, Principal Jim Mennes and Assistant Principal Laura Campbell received a special reward. Mennes and Campbell spent March 17 on the roof of the school, overlooking the playground. Using a ladder, they climbed onto the roof around 9 a.m. and didn't leave until 2 p.m.

The money students collected by asking relatives and friends for loose change or bills, is going toward the $8,000 the school needs to raise to re-vamp its outdated TV production studio.

+ Light it up

Music on Main is going blue.

Lakewood Ranch Main Street is asking event-goers for the April 1 Music on Main to wear blue — whether a tie, scarf, shirt or other item — to show their support and honor individuals with autism. April is Autism Awareness Month.

The Light It Up Blue event is part of a global autism awareness campaign across 90 countries.

Blue-wearing persons can visit the Lakewood Ranch Information Center booth to win gift cards and prizes.