Summer is winding down, and the August edition of Business Buzz is dedicated to back to school and the community efforts behind it. The headline event is the 2026 Back2School Bash, hosted by NorthStar Family Resource Center in partnership with local hairstylists and Community Barbers. It runs Sunday, August 2 from 3:00pm to 6:00pm in the gymnasium at Richardson Community Center, 255 NE Coach Anders Lane in Lake City. The goal this year is to distribute at least 800 backpacks, with free school supplies, free haircuts, hot dogs, hamburgers, drinks, and music from DJ Heavy Smooth. Businesses and community members who want to help can donate through the link in the newsletter, and 100 percent of those donations go directly to students.
This issue also carries the 2026-2027 Columbia County School District calendar and points parents to the district website for bus schedules, paperwork, and other back to school needs. Our Outreach in Columbia County section features the Our Community Cares Coalition summer camp, which spent June 25 walking through several Lake City businesses including the Economic Development Department alongside Mayor Noah Walker, giving local youth a look at how business works from the inside. Looking ahead, Hunger Fight returns for its 11th annual Columbia County community outreach event on December 12 at Parkview Baptist’s gymnasium, where volunteers will aim to pack 75,000 meals in two hours.
Our Business Spotlight goes to Creamy Colada, founded in October 2020 by Ronald and Deneil Timmons with a handicap-accessible van and a simple mission to bring joy to their community one smile at a time. What started as a mobile business serving Italian ice, milkshakes, and premium ice cream through Columbia County neighborhoods has served more than 3,000 customers at birthday parties, corporate events, festivals, and community celebrations. This summer they put down roots, transforming the former Ed and Barb’s Doughnut Shop into their first brick-and-mortar location. More than 300 people turned out for the grand opening on July 11, 2026.
You will also find a look at Fresh Prints Miami, the family owned and operated shop in Lake City handling screen printing, digital printing, embroidery, banners, and promotional materials, plus a piece of local history on the Florida Agricultural College, founded in Lake City in 1884 as the state’s first land-grant college and recognized as one of the core predecessor institutions of the modern University of Florida.
