The Lakeland Flying Tigers return home for a three-game series beginning Thursday, April 19 at Joker Marchant Stadium.  Lakeland will host the Clearwater Threshers (Phillies) April 19-21.  Tickets for all home games are available by calling the Flying Tigers at (863) 686-8075.  Box seats are $6 and reserved seats are $5 and seniors 55 and over and children 14 and under receive a $1.00 discount.  Saturday tickets are an additional $1.  Wednesday All-You-Can-Eat tickets are $10.  Monday tickets are $1.  Parking is FREE.

Thursday, April 19 vs. Clearwater Threshers @ 6:30 p.m. (Gates open at 5:00 p.m.)
Taste of Lakeland
The Flying Tigers will be hosting their annual Taste of Lakeland.  Area restaurants will serve up delicious food samples from 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. or while supplies last.  Budweiser will be providing beer samples and there will be live music.

Tickets to the Taste of Lakeland are only $10 (must be purchased in advance of the game) and include free food samples, free beer samples, live music and a ticket to the Flying Tigers game. Parking is free.  Tickets can be purchased in advance through the Florida Restaurant Association by contacting Dannette Lynch at (727) 642-3404 or dannette@FRLA.org.  $5 tickets are available the day of the game but do not include a game ticket.   Proceeds from the event will benefit the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association.  Confirmed restaurants include Texas Cattle Company, Hooters, Outback Steakhouse, Bob Evans, Longhorn Steakhouse, Abuelo’s, Carrabba’s, Red Door Wine Market, US Foods and the Florida Dept. of Citrus.

2-1 Beer Night
Fans can enjoy 2-1 draft beer and $1 soda every Thursday home game.  Beer sales will begin at 5:00 p.m. and end at the conclusion of the 7^th inning.

Friday, April 20 vs. Clearwater Threshers @ 7:11 p.m. (Gates open at 6:00 p.m.)
7-11 Friday’s Presented by 7-11 Socrum Loop

“Pink in the Park 3” Presented by Allen & Company
·        The Flying Tigers are going “pink” to support the Mary Kay Foundation.  The Mary Kay Foundation proudly supports research dedicated to finding cures for cancers that affect women and programs committed to ending domestic violence.  Flying Tiger players and
coaches will be wearing pink jerseys during the game.
·        Pre-game pink Cadillac parade.

T-Shirt Giveaway sponsored by Auto-Owners Insurance
The Flying Tigers will be giving away pink T-Shirts to the first 350 paid adults (ages 15 and over) in conjunction with Pink in the Park.

Saturday, April 21 vs. Clearwater Threshers @ 6:00 p.m. (Gates open at 4:30 p.m.)
Fireworks Extravaganza following the game (weather permitting).

Bright House Customer Appreciation Night
Bright House Networks will be inviting and recognizing customers as part of their annual night at Marchant Stadium.  There will be special prize giveaways throughout the game.

Girl Scout Night
Special group ticket and food packages for Girl Scouts and their families.  There will be a special pre-game parade on the field in celebration of the 100 year anniversary of Girl Scouts.  Each scout will receive a special patch from the Flying Tigers.

The Flying Tigers are a Class A Affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.  For more information please visit the Flying Tigers online at www.LakelandFlyingTigers.com or call (863) 686-8075.

Lakeland April 17, 2012 - Because of votes of individuals throughout our community, we are pleased to announce that Lakeland Regional was named as a LIVESTRONG Community Impact Project award recipient. The project, Pillars4Life, was created by the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the non-profit founded by the cancer survivor and champion cyclist to serve people affected by cancer and empower them to take action.

“We are thrilled to be named as a LIVESTRONG Community Impact Project award recipient,” said Carol Fox, RN, MSN, CPHQ, CPMSM, ACM, medical affairs director at Lakeland Regional. “This award will directly impact our ability to support those in our community who are affected by cancer. We want to offer our appreciation to those who voted in support of this program. Together, were making a difference in the lives of cancer survivors and their families in our area.”

“By investing in these bold and innovative cancer support programs, the Lance Armstrong Foundation is providing inspiration and empowerment to area residents so they can band together as a community to face cancer head-on,” said Doug Ulman, the Lance Armstrong Foundation president and CEO.

During the online voting campaign, which took place over a two-week period, more than 450,000 votes were cast and Lakeland Regional was among its award recipients.

Pillars4Life is a patient and caregiver support program that has been proven to enhance the quality of life for cancer patients and it allows hospitals and their social workers to more efficiently triage and attend to the psychosocial needs of a much greater number of patients.

“We are excited to connect this new resource to patients and families, throughout our community, who are affected by cancer,” said Fox.

Additional information, including how patients and families can access this resource, will be released in the weeks and months ahead.  For more information about the LIVESTRONG Foundation and Pillars4Life, please go to www.LIVESTRONG.org.

The University of South Florida Polytechnic’s Blue Sky business incubator program will present “Effective Negotiations” April 19 at Blue Sky West (116 S. Kentucky Avenue, Lakeland). Networking begins at 8 a.m. and the seminar starts at 8:30 a.m. There is no cost to attend.

Business owners, senior managers, and others wishing to take their negotiating skills to the next level should attend this fast-paced and engaging workshop. It’s designed to improve your negotiating skills, giving you a competitive advantage now and in the long term.

Presenters T. L. Johnson and Larry Dobbs are successful businessmen and speakers who have studied and applied proven negotiation skills. Their presentation style and content is focused, practical and immediately applicable. You’ll learn the art of effectively planning and executing successful deals in real world settings.

“Negotiation is the basis of all business success,” says Wendy Plant, Blue Sky’s business development manager. “Every time a contract is signed, a sale secured, or a deal concluded, the effectiveness of those behind the negotiations play a major influence on profitability. There is no other business skill with greater power to help you achieve better results, especially in these difficult and challenging economic times. Our objective is to provide you with the tools necessary to create game-changing outcomes that will positively impact your bottom line and the future success of your organization.”

“Effective Negotiations” will help you:
• Negotiate better deals and contracts
• Increase sales — even in competitive environments
• Reduce costs with vendors
• Overcoming conflict and handle objections with difficult negotiators
• Strengthen your negotiation position
• Create value in your negotiations
• Adjust your negotiation style for different situations
• Learn secrets of negotiating with confidence and avoid being cheated
• Properly and effectively prepare and plan for every negotiation
• Improve business results, outcomes, and profitability
• Improve organizational and personal performance through improved relationships
• Negotiate more effectively with customers, suppliers, contractors, colleagues, and even family members
• Learn how to say “no” and still get to “yes” in a negotiation
• Enhance your communication and influencing skills to achieve successful results
• Obtain an inventory of tactics to draw upon, including a toolbox of things that can be traded

To RSVP or get more information, contact Eddie Hill at (863) 904-6654 or eddiehill@poly.usf.edu.

The Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Team at Southeastern University continues their successful “It Makes Cents!” workshop series on April 10 with a presentation and discussion on budgeting and financing for small business. Dr. Lyle Bowlin, Professor of Finance, will lead the evening.

Tuesday, April 10 | 5:30 p.m.

Southeastern University, College of Business & Legal Studies, Room A114

About Dr. Bowlin: Dr. Lyle Bowlin has 12 years in the grocery industry and taught finance and entrepreneurship for 15 years at the University of Northern Iowa. At Northern Iowa, he was also the Director of the Small Business Development Center for seven years and the Assistant Director of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center for three years. In addition, he worked with start-ups and did strategic planning for firms in the Midwest and started an online bookstore in 1997 that enjoyed national and international publicity.

Dr. Bowlin has refereed publications in the Journal of Portfolio Management, the Journal of Economics, and theJournal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship as well as numerous conference proceedings. He has also refereed publications in the Journal of Education for Business and in Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education. Dr. Bowlin has also completed reviews for several corporate finance and investment textbooks.

Dr. Bowlin teaches the following courses: Corporate Finance, Managerial Economics, Quantitative Analysis, and Current Issues in Risk Management and Corporate Governance. His research interests are asset pricing, derivative use for off-balance sheet financing, scripture in business, and market efficiency anomalies.