News Briefs

Fly-In Breakfast

AVON PARK - The Fly-In Breakfast held by the Civil Air Patrol 314 and EAA Heartland Chapter 1240 will resume in October through the spring. For more information, call 453-5046.

Becci Davis Scholarship Poker Run

SEBRING - The Becci Davis Scholarship Foundation will host a poker run on Saturday, Sept. 6. The run begins at Flex Bon Paint on U.S. 27 in Sebring with sign up at 11 a.m. and ends at the Elks Lodge in downtown Sebring. Anyone who cannot make the run but would like to participate should be at the Elks at 5 p.m.

The scholarship was set up in honor of Becci Davis who passed away at age 21 in 1999, just shy of graduating from South Florida Community College. Since the inception of the scholarship in 2000, the foundation has given $20,500 to qualifying students in Highlands County.

The cost of the poker run is $10 and includes one poker hand and dinner. There will also be an auction, 50-50, and door prizes. Participants are asked to donate school items such as paper, pencils, markers, notebooks, colors to be given to local schools to help students in need. For more information, contact Pat Alexander at 382-4520 or 385-2556.

Orchid Society Will Meet

SEBRING - The Orchid Society of Highlands County will hold this month's meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 25, at the Agri-Civic Center, located at 4509 George Blvd., Sebring. Guests are welcome and you don't have to be knowledgeable of orchids to attend.

This month, Martin Motes, a premier hybridizer and grower of Vanda Orchids, will be the speaker. He is a second generation orchidist who has been growing orchids for 50 years. He is the president of Motes Orchids in Homestead and is a major breeder of Vanda orchids. He is also an accredited American Orchid Society judge. Dr. Motes has recently published a book "Florida Orchid Growing Month by Month," which will be available for purchase at the meeting.

For more information, contact Ed Fabik at 465-2830 or by e-mail at orchidman124@yahoo.com or go to the Web-site http://orchidsocietyhighlands.org/.

Heartland Horses And Handicapped To Hold Gala

AVON PARK - Heartland Horses and Handicapped Inc. will be holding its third annual Denim and Diamonds Gala on Saturday, Sept. 13 at the Quality Inn of Sebring. All proceeds raised will benefit the program which offers free equine interaction and horseback riding for children and adults with a mental, physical or developmental challenge.

There will be dinner, auction, live entertainment, prizes and dancing. Cost is $60 per person and reservations are required.

For more information about sponsorships or to make a reservation, call the HHH office at 452-0006 or Kathi Tavaniere at 385-1577

Florida's Blood Centers Blood Mobile To Visit Lake Placid

LAKE PLACID - The bloodmobile will be at the following location this weekend:

Saturday, Aug. 16, CVS from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

There is no upper age limit to donate blood and most medications and conditions are ok.

Visit www.floridasbloodcenters or call 382-4499 with questions.

Benton To Speak To NAACP

AVON PARK - Highlands County Sheriff Susan Benton will be the guest speaker at the Highlands County Branch NAACP meeting on Monday, Aug. 18.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at Hopewell Academy, 100 Ernest E. Sims St., in Avon Park.