- June 3, 2026
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When Tyler Laplaca was in eighth grade, he moved to Florida and started attending a new school, Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy.
As he settled in, he searched for community service opportunities, and specifically for an organization that be belonged to in New York, the Leo Club, which is the official youth service organization of Lions Clubs International that is designed for those ages 12 to 30.
After sending a message to the Bradenton Lions Club inquiring if there was a Leo Club he could join in the area, he was informed there was not. He was surprised.
“I looked around and saw there weren't many clubs that were necessarily run by teens,” LaPlaca said. “If a community doesn't have something like that, it's a big vacancy.”
LaPlaca, now a rising junior at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy, was glad to take the opportunity to give back. He was told he would need 20 members in order to found the Lakewood Ranch Leo Club. Leo stands for leadership, experience and opportunity.
After texting 40 of his friends, who in turn texted more people, he was able to get those 20 members within four days. The club became official Jan. 24 and on April 19 it had its inaugural dinner.
“We had been looking into (starting) a community Leo, but we just didn't have the contacts because of our age,” said Jan Kunka, the secretary of the Bradenton Lions Club. “When we got a contact in (Tyler), we said, 'We're all in.'”
Now the club has approximately 30 members who go to schools such as Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy, Lakewood Ranch High School, and Florida Virtual School.
LaPlaca hopes to double the members in the near future, with an emphasis on attracting younger members in middle school.
“Having a youth branch of our organization in Lakewood Ranch means our mission of serving the community will carry forward with the next generation,” Kunka said in a press release about the club's formation. “If Tyler is any indication of the young people who will be part of this club, the future of our community is in very good hands.”
Blair “Chip" Kunka, the public relations and membership chair of the Bradenton Lions Club, said he appreciates LaPlaca's willingness to approach the club about forming Leos. He said he isn’t sure he would have had that confidence at his age.
“It gives me hope for the future that there are young people who are willing to begin a life of service,” Blair Kunka said. “We hear so much about the bad kids and not enough about the good ones and I can't wait to watch these young people as they develop into adulthood.”
LaPlaca was heavily inspired by older siblings, Travis and Chelsea, who both served as presidents when they were in the Leo Club in New York. He would volunteer before he was old enough to be in the club.
Julie LaPlaca, Tyler’s mom, said out of her three children, Tyler is the “spitfire,” the most outgoing, a comedian, and a go-getter. He has no problem speaking up for himself and has always been commended for being articulate. He loves to advocate and represent people.
“My older kids learned leadership, they learned to follow through, they learned how to organize, and they learned how to rally kids,” Julie LaPlaca said. “Tyler's going to get the same from this and more with the logistics, because he's starting it from the ground up.”
The leadership includes LaPlaca as founder and president, with other teenagers serving in the positions of vice president, secretary, treasurer, public relations chair, membership chair, service chair and historian.
Laura Salerno, an incoming junior at Lakewood Ranch High School and the secretary of the Lakewood Ranch Leo Club, said she is confident the club can make a difference under the LaPlace's leadership. A self described “shy person,” she has broken out of her shell and is looking forward to the opportunities.
Salerno is excited for future events and fundraisers and hopes to do a car wash. Like LaPlaca, she also hopes to attract younger members.
“I want to see them get involved, because they're obviously the future of Lakewood Ranch,” Salerno said. “The more the younger generation gets involved, the more they can prosper.”
Ethan Zimmerman, the vice president, said a couple of years ago he didn’t enjoy volunteering and found it boring. Since then, he has found it is a meaningful experience that means far more than checking off a certain number of service hours or looking good on a resume.
“We have that perfect balance of academics and family,” Zimmerman said. “We're all laughing, talking, and everybody's just having a good time, but it's also serious and we're trying to help the community.”
Julie LaPlace said the Leo Club gives the kids an opportunity to hone their skills no matter what their strengths might be.
“Not everybody's outspoken, not everybody's good with being in front of the camera,” Julie LaPlaca said. “Tyler is very outgoing and the whole idea is to find out where everybody's comfortable and give them an area for them to pursue. You can be a leader.”
