Maitland City Talk

April events in Maitland!

Maitland provides family-oriented events every month in our community. April will bring a wide array of exciting events for every member of the family.

Maitland Relay for Life – April 30 – Orangewood Presbyterian Church

I am priviledged this year to be the honorary chairman of Maitland's Relay for Life.

The American Cancer Society began its first Relay in 1986 in Tacoma, Wash., and it has grown to become an international event involving 1.3 million people in more than 19 different countries.

Besides raising funds to end cancer one day, the Relay for Life provides an opportunity to remember loved ones lost to the disease, to celebrate survivors who have battled and won, and to support all who are dealing with the hardships in their lives.

Cancer knows no bounds, and affects each and every one of us in one way or another. We are always looking for corporate, community, school and individual teams to make the event a success. Please get involved, join a team, or contribute to the cause. For more information, please visit www.relayforlife.org/maitlandfl.

Florida Film Festival – April 9-18

Earlier this year, the Enzian Theater, located in the heart of Maitland, turned a spry 25 years old. It was in 1992 that the Florida Film Festival was born. The Florida Film Festival, held April 9-18 this year, showcases and celebrates the finest in American Independent and foreign films. The Festival provides continuing education and support for the emerging Florida filmmaking community and greatly enhances the region's cultural identity, providing exposure to film art of varying genre.

What's impressive about this year's event is that it is growing to become a city-wide event with showings at not only the Enzian Theater, but at Winter Park's Regal cinemas, and also at the new downtown Orlando Plaza Cinema Café. The Florida Film Festival is even partnering with the Downtown Development Board to bring Film Festival life and excitement to downtown Orlando!

The Florida Film Festival's future is bright. With all that Central Florida has to offer and with the world acclaim we have as a tourist mecca, this can easily become one of the finest, most well-known events throughout the world! Why not aim for the stars! For more information, visit www.floridafilmfestival.com.

Maitland Spring Festival of the Arts – April 17-18

The 22nd Annual Spring Festival of the Arts will take place at beautiful Lake Lily once again on April 17-18. This incredible show put on by the Maitland Area Chamber of Commerce will feature hundreds of artists, along with games for kids and arts and crafts for all to enjoy. Bring the family, enjoy the day and enjoy everything that Maitland has to offer along the way!

For further information regarding this event, please contact the Maitland Chamber of Commerce at 407-644-0741 or visit their Web site at www.maitlandchamber.com.

Friends of First Response Kick Ball Tournament – Sunday, April 25 at noon

In challenging times, angels sometime descend to show everybody there is hope. The Friends of First Response is an all-volunteer group whose sole mission is to raise awareness and dollars to help first responders in need. Their primary goal is to assist first responders in times of personal crisis, but secondary goals include greater involvement in the community and assisting wherever possible.

Last year's kickball ball event raised enough money to provide every Maitland firefighter with sharp, crisp, dress blue uniforms. This year's event is shaping up to be even greater. Twelve teams have already committed and with a new silent auction, will provide enough funds to assist police officers, firefighters and emergency personnel in times of need for years to come.

For additional information, please contact Mark Round at [email protected] or directly at 407-629-7091.

And don't even think about missing the following:

April 11: "Days of Remembrance" at 4 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, where our country commemorates the victims of the Holocaust.

April 16: The "Art of the Vine" at 6 p.m. at Fields BMW, which will raise money for New Hope for Kids.

April 17: Maitland's Movie in the Park at 8 p.m., which will feature "Night at the Museum Part 2."

April 26: The Inaugural Swearing In Ceremony for Bev Reponen and Howard Schieferdecker on the Maitland City Council.

My sincere thanks go out to the countless volunteers and members of staff it takes to put on each of these April events. Please consider getting more involved in raising awareness and funds for those less fortunate, or just come on out and enjoy a movie or two, or three.

I look forward to seeing you at the next exciting Maitland event!