5 Things To Know This Weekend: Relays For Life, Brooke Coats Benefit, ‘Rocky Horror’ and More

A huge fundraising weekend gets underway in the Greater Brandon area with the kickoff of the 2011 Relay For Life season, a benefit bull ride in memory of Riverview High School student Brooke Ann Coats and the Southern Funeral Care’s Annual Barbeque to benefit the Riverview Boys & Girls Club.

Also on tap is the Aliquity networking group’s chili cook-off fundraiser at the Winthrop Pole Barn and the opening weekend run of “The Rocky Horror Show,” brought to the stage by the Brandon-based Frenzie Life Theatre.

Details:

• The gets underway with the Blooomingdale Relay For Life, at Bloomingdale High School, and the FishHawk Relay For Life, at Newsome High School. The overnight relays start March 25 at 6 p.m. The Riverview Relay For Life, at Riverview High School, kicks off March 26 at 2 p.m.

• The Benefit Bull Ride for Brooke Ann Coats is scheduled for March 26 at 7 p.m. at the Crosstown Rodeo Arena. The Greater Brandon arena is where Coats, 16, a Riverview High School honor student, died Feb. 18 following a bull-riding accident. Proceeds will benefit he Coats family. Memorial T-shirts and a raffle are scheduled for the event as well. The arena is on U.S. Highway 301 South, just north of the Crosstown Expressway.

• Southern Care Funeral is hosting its annual chicken and pork benefit barbeque dinner on March 16, from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., at 10510 Riverview Drive in Riverview.  Proceeds from the event will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Riverview. Featured as well will be a bounce house, face painters and a rock wall. Several raffles are scheduled as well.

• Chili Fest 2011 is scheduled for March 26, from noon to 3 p.m., at the Winthrop Pole Barn in Riverview, off Bloomingdale Avenue, between Watson and Providence roads. All proceeds will benefit the charity of the chili cook-off winner’s choice. The event is hosted by Aliquity, a networking group that aims to connect businesses to community interests in the Greater Brandon/Riverview area. 

• The Frenzie Life Theatre returns to the stage with “The Rocky Horror Show.” Based in Brandon, the community theater troupe is known as one of the Tampa Bay area’s more “edgier” acting troupes. Show dates for the adult-themed rock musical are March 25-26 at 8 p.m, March 27 at 4 p.m., April 1 at 8 p.m. and midnight and April 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for seniors, military and students with identification. Note, this is not “shadow theater,” meaning this is a live production and audience participation is not allowed. Also, this show is not recommended for children under the age of 13.