CAMPO Y NEW SPLASH PAD

LOCAL 9-YEAR-OLD SELLS LEMONADE TO HELP KIDS IN HOSPITALS

By Sara Battaglia

Leonora Brandt and her toy donations.

Local 9-year-old Leonora Brandt has a rare genetic disorder called panhypopituitarism as well as a Chiari malformation, but this hasn’t stopped her from wanting to make a diference in the lives of other kids. At just 8 years old, she made her first lemonade stand, fundraising over $3,000 to get toys for children in hospitals.

Brandt said, “I wanted to start the lemonade stand because I know how boring hospitals can be and I don’t want any kids that have to be there to be bored.”

The toys were donated to Lakeland Regional Health, and she plans the next dropof to be at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. Also, she now creates shirts, bracelets and stickers with her favorite line, “Happy is Best.” Her next big plan is to create a cookbook full of recipes that make others happy.

Her mom, Elysia, said, “Any recipes — from anybody. We’ve been doing Zoom calls and baking or cooking with whoever. … It helps with Brandt’s OT and is what she loves to do.” The family lives in Lakeland but is partnering with Brandon area nonprofit, Dancing for a Diference, as a drop-of location for toys and hosted a lemonade stand at the studio’s recent recital. The community can help by donating toys, supporting Brandt’s lemonade stand, purchasing shirts, helping with recipes or donating monetarily. Her mom said they are planning a date for her upcoming lemonade stand fundraiser soon. Brandt was also interviewed by Special Books by Special Kids, a very popular YouTube channel. Brandt and her mother have a heart for helpLeonora Brandt and her frst lemonade ing others. stand. “I just want to see Leonora’s dream of blessing children to continue to come true,” said Elysia. Brandt’s mom also has plans to open a salon geared towards families with special needs in the near future. For more information on Brandt and her upcoming fundraisers and adventures, please visit their Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/ growingleonora/.

CAMPO FAMILY YMCA CELEBRATES 20 YEARS, NEW SPLASH PAD

By Amy Shecter

For two decades, the Campo Family YMCA has provided an avenue for health, wellness and all-around family fun. On May 31, along with the Greater Riverview and Valrico Fishhawk chambers of commerce and members of the community, the Campo Y celebrated this milestone anniversary with a ribbon-cutting for its much-anticipated splash pad.

With the new attraction in the background and Diana Ekonomou, daughter of Ray Campo — for whom the facility is named — looking on, the GRCC 2022 chair of the board, Michael Broussard of The Flying Locksmiths, proclaimed May 31 Campo Family YMCA Day, noting, “It’s time to make a splash!” To celebrate the event, GTE Financial presented a check for over $10,000 as a charitable donation from its employee fundraising efforts in April. Additionally, Tammy Holmberg along with Chicks for Charity donated $2,500 from their Top Gun: Maverick movie night to benefit finan-

cial assistance for summer day camps. The new splash pad isn’t the only thing gushing, as staff and patrons cannot get enough of it. Aquatics director Heidi Blair said, “The new splash pad has been fantastic. Our first day open, there Photo Courtesy of Gerardo Luna Photography. were over 60 Chicks for Charity presents $2,500 donation to Campo YMCA. people there enjoying it. To have something new and exciting has been amazing.” There really is no comparison. Children can enjoy fun splashing in the water and parents can choose to join in, catch a tan or escape into the shade. In addition to the brand-new splash pad, the Campo YMCA offers a traditional gym with free weights, weight machines and cardio equipment, basketball courts, workout classes, lap/open swimming and swim classes, sports leagues and on-site child care. As a nonprofit, it works year-round to raise funds so that no one is turned away. Health and wellness are for everyone, and the Campo Y seeks to strengthen the community through the services they offer. To inquire about membership assistance or learn more about the Campo Family YMCA, visit its website at www. tampaymca.org, follow it on Facebook, or call 813-684-1371. The Campo Y is located at 3414 Culbreath Rd. in Valrico.