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Courtesy photo Lakeshore Mall will host a Sebring 100th birthday bash starting at 5 p.m. on Oct. 20.

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published: Sunday, August 12, 2012

Mall to host huge birthday bash to wrap up Centennial

We are having a huge birthday party and everyone is invited! The finale to our Centennial Celebration week is a huge Birthday Bash on Saturday, Oct. 20, beginning at 5 p.m. This will be the biggest birthday party Sebring has ever seen - a party so big, that it will be held at the Lakeshore Mall!

Yes, Lakeshore Mall is hosting a huge birthday party to celebrate our Centennial year and rival the mall's grand opening in Sebring 20 years ago. Plans are to have the biggest birthday cake possible for Sebring, entertainment for all ages with live bands, a bounce house, games for children and much more. There will be tons of prize giveaways, combined with $1,000 in mall gift cards.

From the start, the Lakeshore Mall's main goal has been to provide quality retail shopping in a family-friendly environment. On Feb. 5, 1992, the Lakeshore Mall opened its doors to the public. It was an exciting day in Sebring, for the first time residents had a mall to shop in with more than 50 stores, places to eat and a movie theater.

Some locals recall being at the mall during their Grand Opening in 1992, and say it was like a stampede when the doors opened because residents could not wait to get inside. Before the mall, people had to drive to different locations throughout Highlands County to shop at various stores. The Lakeshore Mall has made a great impact on Sebring and keeps a lot of people shopping local.

According to Jenny Cheek, general manager for the Lakeshore Mall, they have some new businesses such as UR Coffee Shop and New York Fashions. Gold Buyers Direct is relatively new to the mall, and Bath & Body Works has recently revamped the entire store and have introduced a new line of merchandise. Kmart is a strong store in the mall that always ranks as one of the top Kmarts in its region.

The mall has some terrific restaurants; the Cancun Grill serves up delicious Mexican food and desserts and the USA Deli features sub sandwiches and ice cream. The Lakeshore Mall was developed and is run by CBL Malls & Associates and has more than 150 properties, including 88 indoor malls.

Cheek said that at CBL's Annual Conference, Lakeshore Mall won an award for 2010 for the highest sales increase for malls less than 750,000 square feet, with the Lakeshore Mall having about 500,000. You can visit www.LakeshoreMall.com for more information about the mall.

This huge birthday party at Sebring's Mall is for all of the community to enjoy and also to participate. Churches, schools, businesses, organizations and clubs - put together a story board to have on display at the mall. This is your opportunity to show the story of your years here in Sebring.

Have a gift you'd like to offer as a prize given away during the party? Give Cheek a call, let her know what you have in mind and take part in this fantastic celebration party. Share your ideas, excitement and love of Sebring and find out how you can be a part of creating tomorrow's history. Jenny wants all of the community to be involved, this is not to be focused on just the mall; this party is to celebrate our community together. Please join in, share your stories with the good folks of Sebring and be a part of this wonderful opportunity.

Remember, this blowout birthday party is the grand finale of our Centennial week-long celebration. Be sure to take part in it, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all of us, so let's enjoy it! Thank you to the Lakeshore Mall for being a Centennial Gold Sponsor and for hosting such an exciting birthday celebration for our City.

Mayor George Hensley urges all citizens, groups, clubs, societies and businesses to join in the celebration. We still have openings for the Centennial Float Parade and after party in Downtown Sebring, the Boat Parade on Lake Jackson at City Pier Beach and Rotary Park, the Centennial Bed Race on West Center, and much needed sponsors for our City's 100th Birthday.

Stop by the Greater Sebring Chamber of Commerce and get your coffee table book "The One-Hundred Years of Sebring" and your hat, T-shirt, lapel pin, grocery tote bag, cup or bumper sticker, all sporting the official Centennial logo. For more information on any of the events, or for sponsor opportunities.

Call 863-655-5554, email events@Sebring100.com, we are active on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SebringCentennial, or Sebring100.com. A special thanks to the News-Sun for the opportunity to help us keep everyone informed on Sebring's Centennial Celebration. Stay tuned for updates, just reference this article every Sunday and you won't miss a thing!

Jen Brown Member of Sebring's Centennial Committee and a Sebring Historical Society board member.