Lisa D’Cato

Poinciana Writer

Memorial Day is a day set aside by our country to honor our foreign heroes. Memorial Day is meant to recognize those who lost their lives while in defense of our country. It is always celebrated on the last Monday in the month of May. Take a little time during this busy holiday weekend to keep that in mind and be grateful for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

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Anniversaries are more than commemorating the amount of time spent or invested in something. It is a way to look back and appreciate what has been accomplished and how far we have come. Two anniversaries are upcoming and of importance to the Poinciana community.

In May, the Association of Poinciana Villages, Inc. (APV) will be celebrating its 40th anniversary. APV was founded May 26, 1972 and has grown to be one of the largest and most successful homeowner’s association in the United States. With that date as a marker, APV will host their first of three events to celebrate that milestone on Saturday, May 26, 2012.

This celebration will begin at 10 a.m. at Vance Harmon Park. This event is free and will feature a variety of music (live music and a D.J.) and a variety of vendors including merchandise and culinary delights. The celebration will be a health fair as well, with a consortium of health care professionals and services.

The event will be attended by thousands. Plan on spending your Saturday celebrating Poinciana’s 40th anniversary. You are sure to see old friends, make new ones, and appreciate the community that is Poinciana.

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Liberty High School is celebrating its fifth year and there have been many great accomplishments since it opened. One such accomplishment has been the creation of the Liberty Ambassador Scholarship. This is the only high school in Osceola County which has a scholarship program established for students by students.

The Liberty Ambassadors began in the fall of 2007 and had a goal to promote leadership and encourage student ownership within the Charger family. Under Kimberly Fontanez, chairwoman of the Liberty Ambassadors this year, the organization decided to commemorate the anniversary of Liberty High School by creating the first student financed Valencia College scholarship. With the help of the Education Foundation of Osceola County, the scholarship will help fellow students who have financial need and show excellence in their academics.

In the first campaign toward the scholarship program, the Liberty Ambassadors and the McDonald’s of Bellalago partnered together to hold a McCharger night that successfully raised money for the endowment. The Liberty Ambassadors are looking forward to next year’s fundraiser and are already looking for local businesses to help. Anyone wishing to help the Liberty Ambassadors with the scholarship program can contact Erin Yerkey, at 407-933-3910, Ext. 60661, for more information.

Poinciana Professionals, an online based group networking that offers once a month meetings in a local Poinciana business, has a goal of building a community one business at a time. This group also appreciates the importance of building pride and appreciation of the youth in Poinciana. With that in mind, Poinciana Professionals is presenting the Miss Poinciana 2013 Pageant.

The Miss Poinciana 2013 Pageant is the first ever in the community. Poinciana Professionals is proudly working with the Association of Poinciana Villages (APV) and will include this pageant with the 40-year anniversary festivities taking place in Poinciana. This is a wonderful way to compliment the festivities.

The Miss Poinciana 2013 pageant will be July 27. Prior to that, contestants will have several meetings together including interviews with the judges. These meeting dates will begin the week of June 17. Contestants will be notified by mail.

There are three age divisions in the Miss Poinciana 2013 pageant. Miss Poinciana age is 18 to 25, Miss Teen Poinciana is ages 13 to 17 and Little Miss Poinciana participants must be between 6 to 12 years of age. Miss Poinciana 2013 winners will be presented to the community at the second 40th anniversary celebration, a Back-to-School festival at Harmon Park on Aug. 11.

The registration deadline for Miss Poinciana 2013 is June 8. Application packets are available at Poinciana Starbucks, the Poinciana Community Center and the Boys and Girls Club Poinciana Teen Center. Applications also will be available at the Poinciana Professionals booth at the first 40th anniversary celebration on Saturday, May 26, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Harmon Park, located off Cypress Parkway (Country Club Road). For more information, see www.poincianapros.com or phone 321-437-6750. Follow Miss Poinciana 2013 on Facebook.

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If you have any Poinciana news or information that you would like to share call Lisa D’cato at 407-846-7122 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .