Serving Over 20,000 Families! Lake Mary Health & Wellness Magazine is a bi-monthly Health & Wellness magazine advertising for Lake Mary, Heathrow, Longwood & Sanford communities in central Florida.

Great turnout this morning for the SunRail groundbreaking in Altamonte Springs. The Sentinel estimated the crowd at about 500. I’ll let them tell you about the event – click that link to read the article – and I’ll show you some photos.

Altamonte Mayor Pat Bates was there (that’s her in the pic below – scroll down, okay? – with State Sen. David Simmons and Altamonte City Commissioner Gardner Hussey) along with County Commission Chair Brenda Carey, Commissioner Carlton Henley (that’s him at the microphone), Longwood Mayor Joe Durso, Orlando Mayor...

Don't miss the ground-breaking ceremony for SunRail this Friday -- a major milestone in the long and winding track SunRail has traveled so far.

It'll be a while (2014, by state DOT's estimates) before we can buy tickets to ride, even on the first segment of the project, but we can see shovels go into the ground this week. Some 200 people have already RSVP'd , per DOT Public Info Officer Steve Olson.

A who's who of regional dignitaries will also be there, including Altamonte Springs city officials, Carlton Henley and others from the Seminole County Commission, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, U.S. Reps. John Mica Corrinne Brown, Florida Transportation Secretary Ananth Prasad and officials from counties along the route from Volusia to Osceola.

Here are the basics:

• When: 10 a.m.
• Where: Future home of the Altamonte Springs SunRail station, corner of State Road 436 and Ronald Reagan Boulevard
  
• RSVP: 407-487-4035

Check out the invitation/image for additional details, including driving directions, or...

The latest gastronomic trend recently rolled into Lake Mary, at least for a trial run: food trucks.

Shortly before Christmas, a collection of culinary coaches opened their windows and offered their wares in the city’s downtown park. Decising what to eat was no easy task (below).

Among the vendors was Bryce Balluff of Fork in the Road. The classically trained chef – he studied at the French Culinary Institute and has worked in some of the finest kitchens from New York to south Florida – is shown (up top) with one of his creations: truffle mac-n-cheese on a stick. Big hit with the dining public.

Other participants included Kona Dog and Baxter and Tilly’s Cafe on Wheels.

Is Lake Mary ready for regular occurrences of the gastro-sensation that draws fervent crowds in Apopka, Maitland, Winter Park, the UCF area and elsewhere?

Bob Jones, one of the...

From all of us (and a friend) at Topper Publications!

If holiday treats and gift-giving can’t get you in a festive mood, I don’t know what can. Maybe a chorus -- like this one from Seminole High School, under the direction of Bob Maguire.

The Heathrow Women's Club held its annual holiday get-together recently at Heathrow Country Club. Participants brought unwrapped toys for donation to Friends of Abused Children of Seminole County – and there was a satisfyingly large pile of thoughtful presents that will bring smiles to the faces of youngsters who need a little kindness in their lives.

Over the past few years, Heathrow Women’s Club Charities Inc. has donated $500,000 to charities benefiting women and children in Seminole County.

Fields Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram near the mall in Sanford is opening its doors with a party in the parking lot this weekend.

The kids are loving the Power Jumps (a bungee-trampoline combo that lets you safely jump two stories high), the bounce house, the kiddie train and the climbing wall, said General Manager David Simoni (that’s him standing in front of his brand new building).

Also on hand: food trucks! Local faves are there, including Firehouse BBQ, Tree House Truck, Gastro Truck, Monsta Lobsta, Yum Yum Cupcake Truck, The Batter Bowl and Jeremiah’s Italian Ice.

Participants...

...speaking of Families in Transition (you did read my last blog post, didn’t you? If not, here it is), more than 60 golfers turned out at Mayfair Country Club in Sanford for the first annual FIT Golf Tournament.

Not bad for the first year, said Danny Trosset, who organized the event. Funds raised will go toward enrolling a homeless child in community sports and paying for registration fees, equipment, uniforms and other sports necessities.

And that’s FIT Liaison Beth Davalos in the photo with County Commissioner John Horan, who golfed in the event, and Trosset.

We’ll have photos on...

Did you see that piece that 60 Minutes did on homeless kids in Seminole County? (If you didn’t, click the link above for the video.) It did a great job of telling the story of kids and their families who live in cars and of showcasing Families in Transition, an organization that works with homeless students to make sure they get their education – and have a childhood. Updates here and here.

Our December-January issue of Lake Mary Health and Wellness also looks at the issue of homelessness here in Seminole County. We’re not talking bums on park benches. You can’t just look at someone and say with any certainty, “Oh, he’s homeless.” Or, “She lives in her car.”

People without a space to call their own are in line with you at Walmart. Their kids go to school with your kids. And the problem is growing, especially here in Florida, home – ironically speaking – to one-third of the homeless families in the nation.

Our fantastic writer, Kristin Harmel, introduces us a family...

Congratulations to Dr. Lawrence Vallario, winner – for the second year running! – of the Iron Heart Cookoff.

The friendly culinary competition, which pitted a quartet of heart docs and their helpers against each other, was held at the Westin Lake Mary. The task before the cardiologically inclined chefs was to create a heart-healthy meal of either chicken or salmon in half an hour or less.

While they slaved over a hot skillet, guests enjoyed appetizers and drinks delivered by local celeb “waiters,” including Dr. Todd Husty, shown below with Kathryn Breazeale and Seminole County Commission Chair Brenda Carey.

Judges included “Biggest Loser” finalist Hannah Curlee (that’s her in the middle in the photo below) and Shula’s 347 Grill Exec Chef Isaiah Simon Jr.

The finished dishes were both attractive and tasty, if the “yum” noises coming from the judges’ table were any indication. With that kind of competition, what put Vallario’s dish over...