The Lee County Partnership for Children (LCPFC) celebrated its 15^th year anniversary. To commemorate the triumphs and challenges and to honor our young children, the LCPFC Board of Directors hosted two events to mark this milestone. The first event was a celebration dinner at The Flame Restaurant in Sanford.  Former board members and board chairs attended, as well as current board members, childcare providers, friends, and local partners. Special guest, Mr. Hal Siler regaled us with his rendition of “nuggets and wisdom” using his wit along with his writing and artistic talents. With the help of former board chairs, attendees took a look back at all the work that has been done to benefit young children of Lee County and their families during the past 15 years.  Executive Director, Lyn Hankins, then gave us a glimpse into what we might expect during the upcoming years, noting the challenge to be faced by many communities in garnering resources to supplement diminishing state dollars. The evening concluded with a drawing for a week at the beach donated by a board member. The lucky ticket holder was board member, Gaynell Lee.

The second event was a family-fun celebration in Depot Park on Saturday June 16^th from 9:00am- noon. All children and their families were welcomed and enjoyed a variety of activities, including bounce houses, a fossil dig, cupcake decorating, games, hat making, face painting and much more!  The Temple Theater Teens and David the Magician gave outstanding performances captivating the audience of young children and parents. The Lee County Arts Council helped children make Father’s Day presents and the Lee County Public Library put on a puppet show. Kids of all ages had a ball!

The Lee County Partnership for Children would like to thank the following sponsors for support of these events: First Bank, United Way of Lee County, Penny & Mikeal Basinger, Matt & Jessica Jackson, Karla & Jim Hancock, Lyn & Jim Hankins, Systel, The Flame Steakhouse, Lee County Arts Council, Lee County Public Library, and Aurora Fossil Museum.