10.27.2023

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Today’s Forecast

77º | Light thunderstorms and rain | 90% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:20 a.m. | Sunset 5:49 p.m.

How kidsPACK gives: Meet our Publix Giveback Giveaway winner

Hunger is considered an adverse childhood experience that is a risk factor for suboptimal early childhood development. | Photo provided by kidsPACK/Melissa Harp

Hey, LAL: We’re excited to introduce you to kidsPACK — the grand prize winner of the Publix Giveback Giveaway. Get to know this local nonprofit and learn about the important work they do for the community.

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There are disadvantaged children all around us who go hungry every day. For many children, breakfast and lunch at school may be their only source of meals during the week — and the weekend means no food.

That’s where kidsPACK comes in. Here is the good work this local nonprofit (plus hundreds of volunteers) does to ensure Lakeland kids don’t go hungry:

Who they are

kidsPACK partners with local volunteers, who dedicate their time, money, and resources to deliver an incredible 1,152,000 meals per year to students. These packaged meals are distributed via local schools every Friday throughout the school year.

Studies have found that household food insecurity is a powerful stressor for children, impacting vocabulary, memory, attention, problem-solving, analytical, and academic skills. kidsPACK works with the School Board in Polk County to identify and distribute food to the county’s most vulnerable students in an effort to get them through the weekend.

LAL-kidspack-10.27.23 — Volunteers are crucial to ensuring kids make it through the weekend.
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Photo provided by kidsPACK/by Melissa Harp

How they help local kids… by the numbers

4,000: The number of students kidsPACK weekly provides meals to — spread across 80 schools in Polk County + and two schools in Hillsborough County.
$400: The cost to ensure one student receives weekend food (two days of breakfast, lunch, and dinner) for 48 weeks.
$305,000: The dollar amount in food that kidsPACK regifted to local community organizations from June-September 2023.
19,480: The number of local kids served in the organization’s history.
5: The number of paid staff members at kidsPACK.
1,300: The number of volunteers it takes to make this happen.

How you can support kidsPACK

Disadvantaged students don’t get the support they need without the help of the community coming together in a big way. Here’s how you can be the change in your neighborhood:

Help end child hunger

Asked

How many local meals has kidsPACK packed + delivered in the organization’s history?

A. 1,782,434
B. 2,863,789
C. 4,246,953
D. 5,646,176

Take a guess

Events

Friday, Oct. 27

Halloween Bash: Galactic Invasion | Friday, Oct. 27 | 5-7 p.m. | Lakeside Village, 1479 Town Center Dr., Lakeland | Free entry | Have some out-of-this-world fun with trick-or-treating, a live DJ, and family fun on the Lawn.
Joinery After Dark | Friday, Oct. 27 | 8-11 p.m. | The Joinery, 640 E. Main St., Lakeland | Free entry | Dance the night away on The Joinery patio with music by DJ Barca.

Saturday, Oct. 28

CycleMania | Saturday, Oct. 28 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m. | Munn Park, 117 N. Kentucky Ave., Lakeland | Free | Take a community bike ride from Munn Park to Lake Morton, then ride back for a bicycle obstacle course and activities.
Fall Market at happyfastdelicious | Saturday, Oct. 28 | 10 a.m.-1 p.m. | happyfastdelicious, 3601 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland | Free entry | Stroll + sip while getting a head start on holiday shopping at happyfastdelicious’ Fall Market, featuring eight local vendors.*

Sunday, Oct. 29

Fox Squirrel Corn Maze | Saturday, Oct. 28-Sunday, Nov. 5 | Times vary | Fox Squirrel Corn Maze, 6151 Varn Rd., Plant City | $12 | Get lost in a 5-acre corn maze, create custom wildflower bouquets, and soar on the jump pad.
PAL-OWEEN | Sunday, Oct. 29 | 5-8 p.m. | PAL Complex, 325 W. 2nd St., Lakeland | Free | Visit trunk-or-treat stations and a photo area fit for the whole family.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Finance

Hedonova outperforming S&P 500 by over 200%

Graph showing that since late-2019, Hedonova has outperformed the S&P 500 by more than 200%.

Since late-2019, Hedonova has outperformed the S&P 500 by more than 200%. | Graphic provided by Hedonova

Investing in alternative assets can be complex and challenging to fund. That’s where Hedonova comes in.

Hedonova makes it easy to invest by serving as a single access point to a diverse portfolio of alternative assets, including media royalties, pre-IPO startups, wine, and fine art. Since late 2019, Hedonova has outperformed the S&P 500 by 200+%.

This SEC-regulated fund has captured the spotlight, securing the best multi-strategy hedge fund award at the 2023 Hedgeweek European Awards.

Start investing with just $5,000

News Notes

Development

The Polk Museum of Art’s 14,000-sqft expansion is picking up speed. Scheduled for completion in the fall of 2024, the two-story addition will add six exhibits, more display areas, and plenty of natural light. (The Ledger)

Environment

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is investigating a potential liner tear at a Mosaic phosphogypsum stack in Mulberry. If the liner did tear, it’s possible that water pollution from the stack could have been released, but Mosaic says it would not impact offsite groundwater. (WTSP)

Coming Soon

Crave Hot Dogs & Barbecue is set to open in mid-November at 2250 Griffin Rd. In addition to its creative menu and favorite items from the Crave food truck, the restaurant will offer virtual axe-throwing and a self-pour beer tap wall. (The Ledger)

Traffic

Last night, crews began a week of construction on the I-4 interchange at County Road 557, east of Polk City. Expect late-night lane + ramp closures through Thursday, Nov. 2. (The Ledger)

Biz

Freight transportation company XPO has broken ground on a Lakeland service center near I-4. The center is set to open in Quarter 2 of 2024 and employ around 75 people. XPO currently operates 10 service centers in Florida.

Edu

The PCPS principal and assistant principal of the year have been announced, but who will take home the other top prizes? See the finalists for teacher and school-related employee of the year. Winners will be announced at the Inspire Awards on Thursday, Nov. 9. (The Ledger)

Civic

Residents near the site of a newly approved subdivision in the Lake Hatchineha area have filed for the 10th Circuit Court in Bartow to overturn its approval. The Polk County Commission approved 1,800+ homes for the area in September. (The Ledger)

Number

500,000. That’s how many construction workers Florida must add by 2026 to meet demand. Lennar Construction is hoping to entice future workers with construction site visits, recently inviting 300 students to a Plant City development. (Fox 13 News)

Seasonal

Could the old Polk County Jail really be haunted? Find out for yourself on a haunted jail tour. Visit tonight or tomorrow, 6:30-10:30 p.m., for a walk-through experience and block party. Tickets benefit United Way of Central Florida. (WFLA)

Community

Looking to support local? Start right here: With the LALtoday news team. We live, work, and play all things Lakeland so we can bring you the kind of news you actually care about. Directly support us by becoming a LALtoday member — you’ll keep this free newsletter hitting inboxes.

Feel Good

👋 Do the Dreadnaught Wave

Do the Dreadnaught Wave for kids at Lakeland Regional Health

Lakeland High School football team players and a coach pose with a child in a Lakeland Regional Health hospital room

LHS players bring smiles to kids during every home game. | Photo by @lakelandregionalhealth

The Lakeland High School Dreadnaughts are letting children at Lakeland Regional Health know that they’re on their team. Football players and coaches recently visited the kids in the pediatric department, but that’s not their only show of support.

The Dreadnaughts play their home games at Bryant Stadium, which sits across from Lakeland Regional Medical Center. During each game, the fans and team shine their flashlights and wave to the kids and their families in the hospital. It’s a small notion that brightens the Friday night lights for everyone.

Want to be part of the next “Dreadnaught Wave?” Lakeland High School plays the Kathleen High School Red Devils tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Bryant Stadium (1125 N. Florida Ave.). Wear orange or red to cheer on your team, and wave to Lakeland Regional Health to show your support for the pediatrics department.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Connor

From the editor

The Florida Man Games are set for February in St. Augustine, with competitions like the Evading Arrest Obstacle Course and Mullet Contest. Could a Lakelander win big?

Answered: 5,646,176. Since its inception, kidsPACK has packed + delivered 5,646,176 meals to ensure children in Polk and Hillsborough Counties don’t go hungry on the weekends. Bonus: By Summer 2024 that total number is projected to increase to 6,800,000.

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