Kissimmee Rotary Poker Tourneys Raise $30k For Local Groups
The Kissimmee Rotary recently presented checks totally $30,000 from funds raised through its annual poker tournaments.
Each organization received $7,500 through the fundraising events: Hope Partnership, the Osceola Council on Aging, HOME and Help Now of Osceola County.
Next year’s tournaments will be Feb. 7, March 7, April 4, May 2, and June 6 finals, if you want to mark your calendars to play cards and help good causes.
ELC of Osceola awarded Orlando Magic Youth Foundation grant
The Early Learning Coalition of Osceola County announced Tuesday it’s been awarded a Orlando Magic Youth Foundation grants. Out of $1.6 million distributed by the Magic, the team awarded $25,000 to ELC of Osceola County for its Transition to Kindergarten Initiative.
That initiative aims to prepare children in Osceola for kindergarten through investing in early education professionals with professional development and personalized coaching. The ELC of Osceola will also provide families more interactive educational events in their communities, and equipping them with tools and resources to support early literacy and play-based learning at home.
“The DeVos family is helping turn vision into reality, and we are deeply grateful,” said ELC of Osceola CEO Amanda Kelkenberg. “We need more key players in our communities to invest in our children and their futures. Investing in children is one of the greatest returns on investment anyone can make.”
Kelkenberg noted the state’s reduced early education budget has greatly impacted the ELC of Osceola’s ability to provide offerings.
Watch for new Ball Park/Dyer Blvd. signal
A newly installed traffic signal will soon function at the intersection of Ball Park Road and Dyer Boulevard in northwest Kissimmee.
With construction and installation complete, the signal is expected to be fully operational in early September—soon after Labor Day, city officials said.
Traffic data for the area shows 68 crashes at that intersection between Feb. 27, 2024, and Feb. 27, 2025. It’s part of a $1 million traffic improvement project within the city to address safety concerns.
