Dear Americans

      This year Lake Helen is delighted to share with Orange City, DeLand, DeBary, and Deltona to become the West Volusia Freedom Festival.

       All of these communities have voted financial support to cosponsor these events which include Saturday, June 29th, The Miss Lake Helen / Cassadaga Contest, the July 4th Parade at l0 a.m., the all afternoon Festival in Blake Park and evening in Royal Park with crafts, games, food and music and the traditional nighttime Lake Helen fireworks.

       Major corporate sponsors for these events include First Union/Wachovia Bank, West Volusia Pennysaver and News Journal, Quality Brands Beverages (Budweiser), First Community Bank, Fred Bondesen Chevy Olds Cadillac, Victoria Park/Arvida Development, DeLand Ford Lincoln Mercury and DeLand Honda, DeLand Nissan and Time Warner. Many ‘in-kind’ equipment services and staff assistance are being provided by Volusia County Government and Volusia County Sheriffs Department.

        Special recognition is due to our Police Chief Keith Chester,Teen Director, Rebecca Morris and members of the Lake Helen Teen Program for “overall coordination” of the July 4th events, fund raising, and just plain hard work on these events with assistance from volunteer extraordinaire Jane Crenshaw.

       This year’s theme recognizes our military veterans who have fought, been injured and died to protect our country, the police, fire, emergency and postal workers who have been courageous through the 911 attacks and subsequent terrorism prevention responses. This year’s Festival also focuses on our constitutional freedoms these heroes have protected.

       Recent news accounts have caused us to review closely our legal freedoms as U.S. Citizens and to realize these freedoms are “elastic” but hopefully permanent. They are redefined, questioned and upheld daily by our police officers, our elected officials and government workers and our court system. It is a fluid process which has made our county the greatest democracy on earth wherein each of us is individually endowed with “the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...’

       It is an evolving set of freedoms that have been worth fighting and dying for since 1776. We honor those who have gone before, we recognize those who struggle daily to ensure our continued safety and freedom and we expect our candidates for all elected public offices to continue this tradition of personal liberty long into the future.

       On behalf of the participating City Commissions and their citizens, I am deeply honored and proud to welcome you to Lake Helen to celebrate with us at the WEST VOLUSIA FREEDOM FESTIVAL!