BY DAN HILDEBRAN
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS—A board member preparing for Keystone Heights’s 100th birthday told the Rotary Club that her organization wants to partner with other Lake Region community groups in celebrating the milestone.
Deirdre Murphy said planning for the event began in 2019 but was interrupted for two years due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
She added that the group’s first step was to organize a non-charitable nonprofit organization that could solicit funds for the celebration. The Friends of Keystone Heights, Florida, Inc. board members are herself, Tina Bullock, Kerry Collins, Dave Rodenroth, Debbie Beals, Kim Willis, Ginger Lee, Steve Hart, Fred Goetzman, and David Kirkland.
Murphy said that her organization wants to coordinate with other community groups in the Lake Region to observe the city’s 100th year. She explained that her group is hopeful that when other organizations produce events throughout 2025, they will incorporate the city’s centennial as the theme for those functions.
“So, to give you an example, the 4th of July, the theme would hopefully be…all about the heritage of Keystone,” she said. “So, when you hear: Oh, (their parade float) won closest to the theme, then you’ll know what we’re referencing.”
Murphy said her group is also looking to produce merchandise that will highlight the city’s centennial, like calendars and t-shirts. She showed the Rotarians a calendar featuring historic landmarks in Gainesville as an example.
“We want people to keep these as kind of memorabilia,” she added. “So, you know how you go to a rock concert and buy (a T-shirt)? We want that t-shirt to be the Keystone Heights logo and then on the back maybe the pavilion or the beach or something about historic Keystone Heights, and that people can, 10 years later, if you’re still wearing that shirt, you can recall: ‘Oh my gosh, that was when we had our hundredth anniversary.’”
Get involved— Attend the Friends of Keystone Heights, Florida’s next meeting at 10 a.m., Feb. 22, at the Keystone Heights Beach Pavilion or text Deirdre Murphy at 352-281-3026.
