Editor: A big thank you to the residents, nonprofit groups, volunteers, police department, fire department and city employees who all made the 41st Annual Seafood Festival, organized by the Cedar Key Lions and the Cedar Key Lioness, a wonderful and successful event for Cedar Key during a time of economic challenges. Enthusiastic, positive feedback from visitors, vendors, restaurants, and businesses attest to the success of a city working together toward making the Cedar Key Seafood Festival the "Go To" place on the third weekend in October. Thanks to the festival`s draw of many thousands of visitors to our island city over the weekend, our Cedar Key nonprofit, school, church and civic groups selling food in the park report their highest grossing festival in recent memory, with a combined gross food sales of over $53,000 in support of their causes. Hundreds of volunteer hours as well as donated time and money went into the planning and subsequent success of the Seafood Festival. The Lions Club, for its part in support of the festival, paid $1,100 for the rental of the large tent in the park for the public, $1,000 for the weekend of music in the Park and $1,000 for hosting the Seafood Festival parade. All these activities helped draw a record crowd to our island community and contributed substantially in these hard times to the tourism sector of our local economy. Sincerely, George Sresovich President Cedar Key Lions Club |