A big thanks to everyone who stopped by the East Lake Patch launch celebration outside the Boot Ranch Yogurt Spot last Saturday.

It was great to meet everyone, even our four-footed furry pals!

We're looking forward to continuing to meet more East Lake residents. If you see me out and about, please say "hi"!

We also want you to know that there are plenty of ways you can become involved with East Lake Patch!

1. Sign up for the East Lake Patch newsletter

You'll get our top headlines, blog posts, announcements and the day's best local events in your email inbox — for free!

2. Post an event

Have something going on in East Lake that your neighbors need to know about? You can post all the details in our events calendar — for free — and have it appear on our homepage and in our email newsletter.

3. Post an announcement

Want everyone to know about your promotion, engagement or a death in your family? Looking for a volunteer opportunity, or in need of volunteers? Holding a yard sale? Have a kid who made honor roll or got a scholarship? Just have news to share? East Lake Patch is your site too, so post an announcement yourself and share it with the community.

4. Start a blog

Maybe you're an entrepreneur who wants to share your expertise or let people know what it's like to own a business. Maybe you have a passion or a hobby to share. Perhaps you're a food or wine conosseiur and want to review local restaurants. Maybe you want to weigh in on politics, local or national, this election season. Or maybe you just have something to say. Start your own blog on Patch and post as often as you like — we can feature it on our homepage and in our newsletter for your East Lake neighbors to see. If you already have a blog, you can republish your posts on Patch to reach a broader audience.

5. Upload a photo

Have a cool photo taken somewhere around East Lake? You can add it to our Pics & Clips galleryto share it with everyone. Show off your nature shots, family photos or pics of your local athletes in action. We highlight the best ones on the homepage! You can also add photos to any story on Patch, just by clicking on the "Upload Photos & Videos" button. And if you're an amateur or professional photographer who loves taking photos, you might also consider starting your own photo blog.

6. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

We post our top stories and live updates throughout the day on the East Lake Patch Facebook page and @EastLakePatch.

7. Start a conversation!

We love to hear from readers and help start a community dialogue. You can post a comment on any story, blog or other post on East Lake Patch, just by typing it in the comment box at the bottom. And you can always reach editor Sunde Farquhar, who also runs Palm Harbor Patch, by emailing her at sunde.farquhar@patch.com with your questions, suggestions and news tips.