Avalon Park Sun Wesley Chapel June 2024

Celebrate Fourth of July at Avalon Park Wesley Chapel!

Kick off your summer with a bang and celebrate the Fourth of July at Avalon Park Wesley Chapel! From 5-9 pm, enjoy a variety of fun activities including a wet/ dry bounce park, a bike parade, live performances, and an apple pie bake-off. The evening will culminate in a spectacular fireworks show at 9 pm.

Apple Pie Bake-Off

Think you have the best apple pie recipe? Enter the Apple Pie Bake-Off by registering online before July 3rd. The top three pies will win cash prizes, announced at 8 pm on the performance stage. Show off your baking skills and compete for the title of best apple pie!

Patriotic Bike Parade

Decorate your bikes, strollers, or wagons in red, white, and blue and join the patriotic bike parade around Downtown Avalon Park. The parade starts at 5:30 pm, and prizes will be awarded for the most creative and best group entries. Participation is free, but please register online by July 3rd.

Evening Festivities

Enjoy an evening filled with entertainment, including community performances, a wet/dry bounce park, food trucks, vendors, and music. It’s a celebration for the whole family!

Fireworks Display

End the night with a dazzling fireworks show at 9 pm. Find a spot with your family and friends and watch the sky light up in celebration of Independence Day.

Food Truck Nights

Throughout the summer, join us for Food Truck Nights at the Avalon Park Amenity Center. Enjoy a variety of delicious dishes and desserts from local food trucks. Check the menus online to see what’s cooking!

For the latest news and event updates, visit AvalonParkWesleyChapel.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @avalonparkwesleychapel. Join us for a fun-filled Fourth of July celebration at Avalon Park Wesley Chapel!

Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in Avalon Park

June is upon us, and with it, we celebrate many wonderful things in our community. This month, however, I want to bring attention to something very close to my heart and vital to our community: Alzheimer’s Awareness Month.

Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that affects more than 55 million people worldwide and over 6 million people in the United States. While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, studies suggest that a healthy lifestyle can help mitigate the risk. Eating well, staying physically active, and engaging in mental exercises are all beneficial. On a personal note, my exercise routine is an essential part of my life. I find it not only keeps me physically fit but also mentally sharp and emotionally balanced. Whether it’s a session on the rowing machine, a run, or a bike ride, I believe in the power of staying active—not just for Alzheimer’s prevention, but for overall well-being.

Living in Avalon Park, we are fortunate to have numerous opportunities to embrace a healthy lifestyle. ISI Elite training, access to trails nearby, and community pools, offer us plenty of ways to stay active and engaged. I encourage everyone to take advantage of these resources, not just for their own health, but to set a positive example for our youth and our community.

Volunteering is another powerful way to make

PUBLISHER

Beat Kahli

EDITOR

Stephanie Lerret

MANAGING EDITOR

Marielle Fernandez

ART DIRECTOR

Kenzie Farrish

a difference. I encourage you to look for a local memory care community where volunteers are welcome who want to support and learn more about those living with dementia. Your time and care can bring joy and comfort to many, and the experience can be incredibly rewarding.

The statistics surrounding Alzheimer’s are sobering. In 2024, the disease and other dementias are expected to cost the nation $360 billion, not including unpaid caregiving. Medicare and Medicaid will cover $231 billion of this, with out-ofpocket spending projected at $87 billion. By 2050, total payments for health care, long-term care, and hospice care for people living with dementia are expected to nearly reach $1 trillion.

The total lifetime cost of care for a person living with dementia is estimated at $392,874. Those with Alzheimer’s or other dementias have twice as many hospital stays per year as other older adults. They are also more likely to have chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and kidney disease. Additionally, older adults with Alzheimer’s or other dementias experience more skilled nursing facility stays and home health care visits than their peers.

Here in Avalon Park, we are a community that supports one another, and this Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, I urge you to be part of this support system. Whether through adopting a healthier lifestyle, volunteering, or simply spreading awareness, every action counts.

Together, let’s continue to make Avalon Park a place where health, compassion, and community thrive.

Avalon Park Sun is published by Avalon Park Group.

LEARN

CHECK OUT OUR june EVENTS! THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE, AND WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU SOON. VIRTUAL OPTIONS AVAILABLE AS WELL.

WORK

Pasco Tax Collector’s Five Offices Will Feature the State Veterans Nursing Home in Pasco as June’s Charity of the Month

The five Pasco County Tax Collector’s Offices will be featuring the State Veterans Nursing Home as its June Charity-of-the-Month. Beginning June 1 and running throughout the entire month, the State Veterans Nursing Home will be the recipient of donations made at our offices, through the mail and online. The nursing home was built for veterans who need long-term skilled nursing care, with about 50 % of the beds dedicated to veterans with dementia and related memorydisorders. The funds will be used to improve the recreation area, dollars that are not provided by any source other than through donations.

“It is truly inspiring to serve our veterans who sacrificed so much in protecting our freedoms,” comments Administrator Marlies Sarrett. “By supporting them as the Charityof-the-Month, it is a fitting way to honor their service to our country. By donating, you are ensuring the residents of the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home have a refurbished outdoor recreation area to use. It is a way to honor their service!”

“The State Veterans Nursing Home provides the long-term care men and women who have served in the military and sacrificed so

much of themselves for our great nation,” remarks Tax Collector Mike Fasano. “Pasco County is a beautiful county, with the outdoor recreation area giving the veterans great joy and pleasure. Your donation will help these brave veterans, who put their country first, be able to enjoy their golden years to the fullest.”

For more information you may speak to your customer service representative in any of our five offices. For those who would like to give online, the tax collector’s office’s charitable giving arm Pasco TC Gives has a webpage through which donations for the State Veterans Nursing Home (Charity of the Month) can be made: https://www.govhub. com/fl-pasco/tc-gives/donate Donations may also be mailed to: Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office, P.O. Box 276, Dade City FL 33526-0276.

For more information about the charitable giving programs at the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office please contact Assistant Tax Collector Greg Giordano at (727) 847-8179. For more details about the State Veterans Nursing Home please contact Program Director Rebecca Corley at 813-558-5000.

PLAY

Coming together to create a healthy community