BY LEAH HOLLINGSWORTH
Lions’ Pride Staff Writer

On Saturday, February 13 attendants were lured to the Food Fest of Pasco next to Saint Leo University’s Marion Bowman Center with sounds of music.

Performer Ashley Shannon, Florida’s Female Country Artist of the Year, wowed the crowd throughout the day. Shannon had also performed locally last month at Dade City’s Kumquat Festival.

The Food Fest exhibited more than sixteen businesses, many of which offered food for free or for a small fee. Among restaurants attending were local businesses City’s Edge and Beef O’ Brady’s.

City’s Edge offered chicken marsala. “It is a piece of heaven,” senior Brittany Castro said.

The chicken was served with rice and topped with a thin sauce.

“All the flavors came together and made every bite worth being in the windy weather,” Castro said.
Brought to us by the women’s basketball team, the celebration of Pasco’s culture also raised awareness for the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund. The WBCA, or Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, has been dedicated to fighting cancer since the establishment of their Cancer Fund in 2007. Multiple cancer awareness booths were set up at Pasco’s Food Fest; one of which was for the Pink Zone, another WBCA program, in order to raise breast cancer awareness.

Freshman basketball players Melissa Schmidt and De’Erika Brown were enthusiastic about the fest’s turnout.

“It was quite successful,” Brown said.

The Food Fest of Pasco will return in the year following.

“We’re hoping next year it grows,” Schmidt said.

For more information on the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund go to: http://www.wbca.org/kayyowwbcacancerfund.asp
For more information on the Pink Zone go to: http://www.wbca.org/pinkzone.asp
For more information on Ashley Shannon go to: http://www.ashleyshannon.com/fr_index.cfm