LUTZ — With the economy on life support, organizers of this year's campaign for Guv'na of Lutz tried to tamp down expectations for what the annual community fundraiser might bring in.
"We would have been happy if we had raised $5,000 this year," said Eleanor Cecil, who did much of the work on the campaign for the Lutz Civic Association.
But the four candidates for Guv'na managed to bring in nearly $12,000, which is close to average. So last week the civic association handed out grants to schools, Scout troops and community service groups that said, thank you, we can really use the money.
At Maniscalco Elementary School, administrators planned to use their $300 grant on science equipment.
"With all the budget cuts and the recession that we've been through, this is really valuable, and it's going to help our babies, our children, do what we need to do," principal Annette Gaddy said.
For Cub Scout Pack 212, the association's $300 will go to a scholarship fund the pack established to help families who cannot afford a uniform or other scouting expenses.
The need for such a fund became clear last spring when the pack planned a sleepover at the Kennedy Space Center, but one scout's family didn't have the $170 needed to send the scout and his mother, according to Cubmaster Bill Coats, who is also a former St. Petersburg Times reporter. Other parents stepped forward to help pay, but the pack decided it needed a scholarship fund.
"Until tonight, it had about $120 in it, and you folks have just about quadrupled it," Coats told the association. "Thank you."
Other grants went for Boy Scout camping gear, maintenance and equipment at the Lutz Volunteer Fire Department, and insurance and groundskeeping at the Old Lutz School.
"It keeps us going," Phyllis Hoedt said on behalf of the school.
Joshua House, the 60-bed home offering therapeutic residential group care for abused, abandoned and neglected children, planned to use its $402 to buy scientific calculators for its teens.
"It's so important," said Nanci March of the Friends of Joshua House Foundation, "because it's from our community."
Richard Danielson can be reached at Danielson@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3403.
Guv'na allocations
The Lutz Civic Association last week distributed money raised by this year's candidates for Guv'na. Each could designate how a percentage of the money she raised was used.
$2,500 each to the Lutz Volunteer Fire Department and the Old Lutz School. Each also received $209 from candidate Kay Taylor.
$300 each to Boy Scout Troops 12 and 339; Girl Scout Troops 1036, 634 and 508; Cub Scout Packs 212 and 339; the Junior Master Gardeners; Lutz Patriots; Learning Gate Community School; Friends of the Lutz Library; Lutz and Maniscalco elementary schools; Lutz Leaguerettes; Joshua House; Little Women of Lutz; and the Civil Air Patrol. Learning Gate also received $603 from Guv'na Suzin Carr. Joshua House also received $102 from candidate Michelle Mitchell.
$250 EACH to the Lutz-Land O'Lakes Women's Club, Sports Support Association and Lutz-Land O'Lakes Lions Club.
$100 to Martinez Middle School from candidate Shael Morgan.
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