Fireflies to Fireworks, Handstands to Lemonade StandsArea Residents Invited to Contribute to a Collection of Childhood Memories:Americana in the SummertimeCLEARWATER -- Remember shedding your shoes and running barefoot through the sprinkler on your front lawn? The first time you hit a home run? Chasing fireflies at dusk and keeping them in a jar? Swinging on the tire swing your Dad put in the willow tree? Spending three hours squeezing lemons and four hours in the hot sun for $1.13 in profit and the most fun you’d ever had? Regency Oaks has announced an amateur writing contest designed to capture childhood memories of summertime in America in the form of poetry, prose, or even a letter to a long lost pal. Winning entries will be compiled into a special collection to be published by Regency Oaks for a celebration of Americana planned this July. "No season evokes stronger feelings of personal freedom than summer," said Judy Stump, director of community relations for Regency Oaks, 2720 Regency Oaks Blvd. Stump said her retirement community decided to issue the homework assignment to people of all ages in the Clearwater area, as a fun and creative way to evoke and share happy memories. Previous writing contests at Regency Oaks have included Favorite Road Trips, and What Makes America Great? “Each time we announce a contest like this, we receive a great many fantastic entries and we hope to do so once again with this year’s theme,” said Stump. “We believe happy summertime memories can come flooding back from the scent of a peach, the site of a pond, the sound of a train or spray from the ocean surf," she added. "Our goal is to collect as many different memories as we can for this project, even if they’re only one paragraph long!" Typed or handwritten submissions will be accepted through July 4th. Hand deliver to Judy Stump, 2720 Regency Oaks Blvd, or email to jstump@horizonbay.com. For more information, call 727-252-0546.
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