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Recently featured in the Tampa Tribune and Fox13, Whitzend kidZone is a Town & Country-based, teacher-owned, students-inspired, drug-free , alcohol-free , smoke-free , bully-free and label-free preteen and teen hangout exclusively for ages 10-16, a demographic too old for Chucky Cheese and too young for everything else. Friday night is for ages 10-13 and Saturday night, 13-16.
As you enter the lighted alcove just past Nanny Jeans Children’s and Maternity Consignment shop, you can’t help but notice the handwritten white and blue words filling Whitzend’s two glass windows: coexist and be the change you want to see in the world. Enter the building and you are surrounded by bright white walls lined with current movie posters and colorful framed positive affirmations hung in a crooked fashion. Immediately, you sense there is something special about this place.
Though the 800sq ft space, donated by Nanny Jean, stayed empty through months of planning, Owner/Teacher Deb Kelley reached out online and was pleasantly surprised by the reception. Friends, family and parents of students, together with the Craigslist, Facebook and Freecycle community, have been unbelievably generous. Whitzend has over a dozen Angel Sponsors on its website who have donated everything from furniture to musical instruments, to the manpower and supplies needed to build the 8ft performance stage.
Whitzend is a self-described anti-fancy, old-fashioned living room-like hangout; a tree clubhouse without the tree. Whitzend has a seating area for kids to hang out, play board games and video gaming with an Xbox 360 and Wii, a computer area and Wi-Fi, a game area for foosball, mini arcade basketball, an 8 foot pool table which can be flipped to become an air hockey table, a photo area for green screen photo shoots, a stage with karaoke machine, keyboard, amp, microphones, electric and acoustic guitar (or the kids can bring their own musical instruments and play), and a monstrous oversized bean bag chair, an all 0.75 cent snack/soda vending machine, a hand-painted Twisted (Whitzend version of Twister) on the floor, and enough surround sound to shake the walls.
September 18th kicks off the 7pm grand opening followed by every Friday and Saturday night from 7pm-11pm. Registration is required and costs only $20 for 4 hours of SUPERVISED activities or what equals to $5 an hour. Most caregivers (for the younger set) charge more than that, money given for mall trips average $20 or more, and movie tickets before large popcorn/soda start at $6.50-$9.50 (add $3 for 3-D) depending on the age. Once a child is stamped and signed in with parent’s identification, he does not leave the premise until signed out by parent/guardian with identification.
Whitzend is proud to showcase preteen and teen DJs, singers and bands with their information on dedicated page on the Whitzend website. On Saturday’s Opening Night, our first student DJ ZJA is a 13 year IB student from Hillsborough High who has been spinning since age 7.
On Sunday, October 3, Whitzend is excited to host the TRUTH from 3-5pm for a specialFREE event for kids. The TRUTH, an all youth movement promoted through grassroots advocacy and a youth-driven advertising campaign about choosing not to smoke, has been on tour all summer, recently at Vans Warped Tour in St. Pete. They will making a special stop with the TRUTH truck and its awesome DJ in Tampa to visit Whitzend and play games and give away TRUTH gear to our fabulous kids! Join us on for some good, clean fun! Look for the big orange truck!
Other upcoming special events include an old-fashioned Halloween party on Friday, October 29 and a talent showcase, WhitzendIdolsGotTalent TBD, November. As part of the registration fee, pending interest, Whitzend will offer classes in graphic design, green screen digital photography, yoga, fun food art, and other creative arts instruction.
The mission statement of Whitzend reads “to provide a place where kids are encouraged to be themselves and have fun in a safe environment that promotes and inspires creativity in preteens/teens ages 10-16 through play, music, performance and socializing, free of bullying and labels.”
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Be the change you want to see in this world.” We are the change. In here, you have friends you just haven’t met yet.
Learn more at www.whitzend.com or call 813.416.2068
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Thank you for a wonderful story. We've made slight changes to the prices. After listening to the kids' feedback on Opening Night, Saturday night, we've permanently reduced the cost to $15 for 7-1030pm. We also now allow age 12 when accompanied by older child and age 17 when driven by parent, guardian, or transporter. Thank you again for getting the word out.
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