Family-friendly daytime event happens on April 16th
South Cape businesses are getting ready for Easter, gearing up for an afternoon of egg hunting & Easter Bunny fun! The South Cape Business Easter Egg Hunt will take place from 12 noon to 4 pm on Saturday, April 16th.
Hosted by the South Cape Hospitality & Entertainment Association (SCHEA), this free event was created to provide a fun and safe way for kids to celebrate Easter weekend.
“We wanted to bring Easter festivities to the downtown entertainment district,” says SCHEA Vice President, Alison Polo. “Why not offer a day where kids can bring baskets to businesses to have filled with eggs & goodies. It’s a great way for families to spend the day together and promote local businesses.”
So far, more than 30 businesses have pledged to be open, handing out Easter eggs, and SCHEA expects many more to sign up in the coming days. SCHEA will also be providing transportation via limo bus. And, there will be a photo booth held at South Cape Hub (909 SE 47th Terrace, #105) where you can take pictures with the Easter Bunny for FREE.
Parents can visit the SCHEA Facebook Event for full details, including a Google Map of all participating locations.
“On the day of the event, businesses will have designated event signage, so it will be easy to spot who is participating,” explains Polo.
The South Cape Business Easter Egg Hunt is just one of the daytime events SCHEA runs during the year. The organization also hosts the annual Trick-or-Treat & Fall Festival as well as Gift or Treat.
“South Cape has a lot to offer,” says Polo. “Most of the hundreds of businesses here are locally owned and help build the local economy.”
For full details, including a Google Mapof all locations, visit SCHEA’s Facebook event right here.
Three Lee County Parks & Recreation sites will offer opportunities for children to put their egg-hunting skills to the test in advance of Easter, which is April 17.
The days and locations for upcoming events are:
April 16, Lehigh Acres:
Veterans Park Ultimate Egg Hunt will be held 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at the park, 55 Homestead Road S., Lehigh Acres.
More than just an egg hunt, it’s the ultimate egg hunt. The cost is $5 per child.
Advance registration is required. Participants can register online at www.leeparks.org/register, at the Veterans Park Recreation Center or by calling 239-369-1521.
April 16, Estero:
Estero EGGStravaganza will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 16, at Estero Recreation Center, 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd. Preregistration is required by calling the recreation center at 239-533-1470 or online at www.leeparks.org/register.
The egg hunt, goodie bags, crafts, refreshments and the opportunity to meet the Easter Bunny are for children age 12 and under. The cost is $5 per child. Bring your camera and basket. The first egg hunt begins at 8:30 a.m. with 15-minute time slots until 10:45 a.m. EGGStraSpecial Egg Hunt at 11 a.m. – an adaptive division for any child with special needs. Each group has the chance to find a prize egg, which wins them an Easter basket full of goodies. This is an outdoor event, weather permitting.
For more information, call the Estero Recreation Center at 239-533-1470.
April 16, Boca Grande:
The Boca Grande Egg Hunt will be held 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, April 16.
This free event is sponsored by The Friends of Boca Grande Community Center. Activities include an egg hunt for ages 11 and under, and a photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny. Bring your camera. Please arrive by 9:50 a.m. Individually wrapped soft candy donations are welcome.
For more information, call 941-964-2564 or visit www.leeparks.org. The Boca Grande Community Center is located at 131 1st St., Boca Grande.
Five Lee County Parks & Recreation sites will offer opportunities for children to put their egg-hunting skills to the test in advance of Easter, which is April 17.
The days and locations for upcoming events are:
April 2, South Fort Myers:
The annual Easter Egg Hunt will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 2, at Wa-Ke Hatchee Recreation Center, 16760 Bass Road, Fort Myers.
Children up to age 12, their families and friends are invited to the egg hunt and visit from the Easter Bunny. Bring a camera. Participation is $5 per child (cash only); adults can attend for free.
For more information, call 239-432-2154.
April 2, Pine Island:
The Pine Island 6-8 Grade Golden Egg Hunt will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 2, at Philips Community Park, 5675 Sesame Drive, Bokeelia.
This free event is for children of middle school age. The first 100 participants will receive a candy bag. Partipants will have the chance to find golden eggs with special prizes.
To register and for more information, call 239-283-4110.
April 16, Lehigh Acres:
Veterans Park Ultimate Egg Hunt will be held 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at the park, 55 Homestead Road S., Lehigh Acres.
More than just an egg hunt, it’s the ultimate egg hunt. The cost is $5 per child.
Advance registration is required. Participants can register online at www.leeparks.org/register, at the Veterans Park Recreation Center or by calling 239-369-1521.
April 16, Estero:
Estero EGGStravaganza will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 16, at Estero Recreation Center, 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd. Preregistration is required by calling the recreation center at 239-533-1470 or online at www.leeparks.org/register.
The egg hunt, goodie bags, crafts, refreshments and the opportunity to meet the Easter Bunny are for children age 12 and under. The cost is $5 per child. Bring your camera and basket. The first egg hunt begins at 8:30 a.m. with 15-minute time slots until 10:45 a.m. EGGStraSpecial Egg Hunt at 11 a.m. – an adaptive division for any child with special needs. Each group has the chance to find a prize egg, which wins them an Easter basket full of goodies. This is an outdoor event, weather permitting.
For more information, call the Estero Recreation Center at 239-533-1470.
April 16, Boca Grande:
The Boca Grande Egg Hunt will be held 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, April 16.
This free event is sponsored by The Friends of Boca Grande Community Center. Activities include an egg hunt for ages 11 and under, and a photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny. Bring your camera. Please arrive by 9:50 a.m. Individually wrapped soft candy donations are welcome.
For more information, call 941-964-2564 or visit www.leeparks.org. The Boca Grande Community Center is located at 131 1st St., Boca Grande.
Bad Guys in American History – George Cantor. This is a very interesting book about 36 different bad guys or stories, from the Salem witch trials to Alcatraz. There are many names you will recognize & also many you will not. They are short stories with many surprises & twists that you have not been aware of. *****
Code Breaker – Walter Isaacson. About Jennifer Doudna & several bioscientists. She discovered how to do gene editing & a procedure known as CRISPER, eventually getting a Nobel Prize. It is unbelievably complex & complicated changing DNA & RNA to customize them to fight viruses’ or enhance physical properties. A tough but very interesting read. *****
Chasing The Thrill – Daniel Barbarisi.The story of a treasure chest being hidden by Forrest Fenn. The author searched for it and documents his search & the search by several others. Several people died trying to find the treasure. Several families divorced because of one partner searching for it. It was finally found after 10 years & shortly before Forest Fenn died. ****
Speed – Bob Gilliland & Keith Dunnavant. Bob Gilliand graduated from the naval academy & transferred to the Air Force when it was new. He flew almost every fighter jet, as well as other planes. He became a test pilot for Lockheed where he had more time in experimental jets fly at Mach 2 & Mach 3 than any other pilot. Several of his friends were killed testing experimental planes. ****
Proof Of Life – Daniel Levin. This is a page-turner thriller about trying to find a missing person in Syria. It covers intrigue, politics, & corruption throughout the Middle East. ****
Vision or Mirage – David Rundell. This is a good book on the history of Saudi Arabia. He covers the good & the bad & it seems to be slowly getting better in recent years. ****
The Tyranny of Big Tech – Josh Hawley. Missouri senator writes about the control big tech has acquired through social media & the enormous fortunes they have acquired. He argues that they should be broken up because they are monopolies that buy their competitors or force them out of business with their wealth. ***
Dark Quadrant– Jonathan Marshall.This one is about corruption at the national level from Truman to Trump. He also mentions FDR. He covers big business, foreign countries, politicians at national & state levels and organized crime. This is a depressing read when you realize how corrupt every level of government is. **
Demystifying Hospice – Karen J. Clayton. A couple of hundred narrations of Hospice visits between Hospice caregivers, Hospice social workers, patients, & patients’ caregivers. It gives one a good understanding of the various ways patients & caregivers adjust & cope with the final stages of life. **
The Real J.R.R. Tolkien – Jesse Xander. A good biography of Tolkien’s life. Shows how many characters in his life may have influenced him to create characters in his books about the Hobbits & Middle Earth. **
The Killer’s Shadow – John Douglas & Mark Olshaker.
John Douglas was the pioneer of criminal profiling in the FBI. This book is mostly about Joseph Paul Franklin, a serial killer (30+) who also bombed a few places. It describes the effectiveness of profiling in this case & a few others. It details the crimes committed & how they interview criminals in custody to assist in developing profiles. ***
The Light of Days – Judy Batalion.
This is the story of Renia Kukieka & several other Polish women working with the Polish resistance during WW2 after Germany invaded Poland. It is a detailed description of the hardships, killings, brutal beatings & torture the Polish Jews suffered during the German (& Russian) occupation. ****
Parenting Asperger’s – Michael Uram.
A handbook on how to treat children with Aspergers from 4 to 18. A good read to help one understand the symptoms associated with Aspergers. **
The Anthropocene Reviewed – John Green.
The anthropocene is the current geological age. He writes short chapters (essays) about his life experiences. Some are about animals, some about places, plants, friends, & cities. ***
Any Given Sunday – Matthew Sherry.
Good book for rapid pro football fans. He reviews the 100-year history of pro football, with the years 1920 – 1960 being quite interesting. He covers 20 of the most important games in great detail with inside stories about many players, coaches, owners, and others involved with pro football. ***
I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust – Valerie Gilpeer & Emily Grodin.
The story of raising a child with autism who could not speak. Well-written descriptions of the symptoms and acts of a child with autism & the emotions & trials that the parents experienced. ****
It’s not the Gun – Kathy Sterman.
Biography of life in the FBI. She was stationed in India & China during her career. She reveals many stories about relations with foreign governments & FBI protocols. She has many stories where she felt discriminated against just because she was a woman. **
The Bomber Mafia – Malcolm Cladwell.
The “mafia” refers to 5 bomber pilots trained at Maxwell Field. The most famous was Haywood Hansel, who believed in precision bombing using the Norden bombsight. He was replaced by Curtiss Lemay in the Pacific theater. Lemay used Napalm to bomb 60 Japanese cities which turned out to be instrumental in ending the war. ***
My Remarkable Journey – Katherine Johnson.
Her story of being a math genius. She worked with NASA before electronic computers calculating trajectories for space flights. She also writes about her personal life overcoming the prejudices because she was black & female. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. ****
Cheated – Andy Martino.
The inside story of the Huston Astros cheating by stealing signs. It traces sign stealing in baseball from 1900 to 2020. There are many, many details about various ball clubs & probably many players you’ve never heard of. It also details the investigation & results of it. The extreme details make it a difficult read. *
Family-friendly daytime event happens on November 27th
South Cape businesses are getting in the holiday spirit, gearing up for kids to visit participating locations in their pajamas!
The South Cape Business Gift-or-Treat will take place from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday, November 27th. Hosted by the South Cape Hospitality & Entertainment Association (SCHEA), this free event was created to provide a fun and safe way for kids to kick off the holiday season.
“The event gives families the opportunity to scope out South Cape in holiday attire and pajamas while visiting participating locations,” says SCHEA Board Member, Alison Polo.
“As we all know, shipping delays have become normal. Our goal is to build awareness of local businesses. Why not shop local this holiday season, and future seasons?”
More than 15 businesses have pledged to be open, handing out gifts, candy & trinkets to children dressed for the occasion. There will also be larger gift giveaways and gift cards for the parents.
SCHEA will be providing transportation via limo bus, sponsored by Zak’s Jewelry.
There will be a photo booth with Santa hosted at South Cape Hub (909 SE 47th Terrace, #105). Parents can visit the SCHEA Facebook Event for full details, including a Google Map of all participating locations.
“On the day of the event, businesses will have designated event signage, so it will be easy to spot who is participating,” explains Polo.
The South Cape Business Gift-or-Treat is just one of the daytime events SCHEA runs during the fall. The organization also hosts the annual Easter Egg Hunt, Trick-or-Treat & Halloween Fall Festival.
“South Cape has a lot to offer,” says Polo. “Most of the hundreds of businesses here are locally owned and help build the local economy.”
