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There was snow at Lehigh’s Fourth of July celebration

By Staff | Jul 6, 2009

Ravyn Clark

Between 150 and 200 people turned out on the Fourth of July at Veterans Park for the Freedom Family Rally. Some of those who attended saw snow for the first time while others filled themselves up with hotdogs and burgers and watched a variety of shows on the giant outside stage at the park.

It all began at noon and was to end at 5 p.m. despite rains throughout the community. Ravyn Clark, shown at left, gave an outstanding performance when she sang The National Anthem on the outside stage.

“We had been expecting 500,” said Rae Nicely, executive director of Lehigh Community Services and a member of the committee, headed by Fred Elliott, to put on the Fourth of July program.

The committee decided not to have fireworks this year because the money was more needed in the community to help folks,” Nicely said. The lack of fireworks, however, may have drawn people away from Lehigh to places like Capitva, Cape Coral and Fort Myers Beach which did have fireworks.

Thousands brought their own fireworks to Fort Myers Beach and set them off before the City of Fort Myers Beach began its program at around 9:30 p.m. After it was over, the town was bumper to bumper for motorist trying to get out of town.

These are some of the people who attended Lehigh's Fourth of July celebration.

Despite Lehigh not having fireworks, there were other attractions and they included not only the snow mountain but two water slides and a bounce house. The cost for a kid to get a wristband was cheap and he or she could run up and down Snow Mountain and up and down the water sides for hours.

Several local people with talent performed on the outside stage.

Two of the most stirring performances were by the Children’s Choir of Lehigh, under the direction of Candance Sundby, and the rendition of The National Anthem by Ravyn Clark who was this past year’s runner-up at the Spring Festival Junior Idol Festival Contest. The Children’s Choir also sang The National Anthem, among other favorites.

For Nicole Foster of Lehigh and her two daughters, Desiree, 10, and Arianna, 5, it was their first time to attend the Fourth of July celebration, which started in 2005. They said they loved it at the park.

There were no pie eating contests and no water melon eating contests like in past years, but there was plenty of food being sold by local vendors.

State Sen. Dave Aronberg is shown with Rae Nicely on the outside stage at Veterans park on the Fourth of July.

If you didn’t want a hotdog or burger, you could buy a piece of New York Pizza.

The Snow Mountain was a delight to a lot of younger children and even some teenagers who said they had never seen snow.

It was a pile of sliced ice that came as close to snow as possible here in Florida. It was a strange site with palm trees in the background. For many adults from up north, it resembled a snow bank along the sides of streets after a snow storm.

But the kids loved it and it didn’t take long for them to learn that snow makes snowballs and snowballs are fun to throw at your friends.

Even Rae Nicely, who heads up Lehigh Community Services, took a turn climbing the mountain at one point.

Enjoying Snow Mountain

“I had to,” she said, “just to get cool. I am so hot out here.” She was on her way to check the 20 volunteers who had agreed to help at the celebration.

For Joan Patterson, it was more fun than she had planned. She got to shake hands and talk with her friend, State Sen. Dave Aronberg, who is running for Florida’s attorney general in the next election. Aronberg had been to Estero and other place and came to Lehigh.

“These are the people who I won over in my first election. I won in every precinct in Lehigh,” he laughed.

Aronberg was the center of attraction for many as he shook hands with several at the park and was even introduced by Nicely on the outdoors stage.

Patterson said seeing Aronberg was better than having fireworks at the park.

Enjoying the water slides at the Fourth of July celebration in Lehigh Acres.

“I think the day was great. I enjoyed everything. I was sorry we didn’t have fireworks, but I certainly understand with the way the economy is. People don’t want to see money burning up in the sky.”

Entrance to the park was free but members of the Lehigh Soccer Association were asking for $3 donations. That was a last minute decision by the committee which had not planned to charge for parking.

“A lot of people came through and were confused and said they thought it was free. We told them it was, but if they wanted to donate to the soccer league, it would be a great help in buying uniforms, etc.,” said a soccer mom at the entrance.