FRI 5/13
Walk this way, jog that way, and crawl into your sleeping bag for a nap. As long as a member of your team stays on the track (and you've collected enough donations), no one will lose this eighteen-hour relay. To celebrate the fortitude of cancer survivors and raise funds for research, participants (like you!) will give up comfy beds to spend tonight at a local track for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. The event begins at 6:00 and runs until noon Saturday at Miami-Dade College North Campus, 11380 NW 27th Ave., Miami. (The relay will also take place at other Miami-Dade locations; visit www.cancer.org.) Call 305-779-3325. -- Lyssa Oberkreser
Party on an Island
And tasty tropical beverages for all!
SAT 5/14
Summer is around the corner and the weather is beginning to get sticky. Before being outside becomes unbearable, enjoy the cool bayside breeze at this weekend's Florida Keys Island Festival. There are a variety of events for youngsters and the young at heart. Check out the six-foot-tall sandcastle, take a tethered ride in a hot air balloon, or build a kite with an expert. Park your pet at the doggie fun zone; then browse the boat show and the arts and crafts booths. Sunday will be a fattening day, as the fourteenth annual Taste of Islamorada kicks into high gear. At least twenty of the island's best restaurants will be dishing out goodies. Bill Wharton, also known as the Sauce Boss, will delight festival attendees with blues and gumbo as he simultaneously sings and cooks. Head on down to Founders Park, mile marker 87 bayside on Plantation Key. Admission is free. Call 305-664-4503, or visit www.fla-keys.com. --Patrice Elizabeth Grell Yursik
Kickin' It
Old School
THUR 5/12
Remember back in elementary school when you had the hots for the girl with the pigtails? Aside from pulling her hair, the way to impress her was to show off your prowess at recess on the kickball field. Face it, at that age it was the only way to score. For the folks at the World Adult Kickball Association, that method of mingling with the opposite sex is still the best way to get to third base. WAKA's coed season begins June 16, with weekly games scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Bayfront Park (301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami), but those who want to play need to register by mid-May. Registration is $66 per player and covers kickballers for the entire season (eight to ten games). The fee also pays for equipment, T-shirts, and discounts at local bars. Call 866-350-1710, or visit www.worldkickball.com/flcoastal to register. -- Kris Conesa
