The Miami Lakes Town Foundation announced eight grants totaling $9,400 awarded to applicants for education and community projects.
The 2023 Miami Lakes Food & Wine Festival raised a total of $32,500, and proceeds were used to fund the grants.
Projects must be completed by April, per the board.
This year’s recipients are:
• $1,500 Rukayat Adebsi, a Legal Studies Academy teacher at Hialeah-Miami Lakes High Senior School.
The school’s Model United Nations/Social Studies Honor Society wants to train area middle school students. “The purpose of this conference is to help foster the critical skills of public speaking, policy writing, diplomacy and civil discourse,” Adebsi wrote in her application.
• $1,000 Emily Ramos, choir director, Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School.
Ramos will use the grant toward a bus and hotel rooms for 30 high school choir members to the University of Central Florida’s National Choir Festival.
Attendance would allow the students to participate in master classes, perform solos and get one-on-one time with conductors, according to her application.
• $1,100 Justin Correa, senior patrol leader and Rebecca Munden-Correa, adult Eagle Scout project coach.
His “Honoring our veterans and saluting our flag” project has several parts: Teaching students and scouts about flag etiquette, veterans and the American Legion; building an arts display at Barbara Goleman Senior High School with work to honor fallen U.S. Army Sgt. Ofren Arrechaga and other student creations; apply to Town Hall to paint a purple heart in the veteran’s parking spot there and Vista Memorial Gardens cemetery, clean the 9/11 memorial, flag poles and granite benches in a section for veterans’ graves.
• $1,000 Maurits Acosta, student at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School, executive director of Virtutem Populo, Inc.
For the Town of Miami Lakes vs. City of Hialeah charity basketball game that happened Dec. 5. Acosta said the event would help raise funds for civics education.
• $1,300 Gabriel Diaz, Bionomics Club secretary for Barbara Goleman Senior High School.
An art event entitled “Coloring Your Future” will help enhance environmental awareness through an improved school recycling program, his application said.
• $1,000 Julio Echemendia, assistant principal at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Adult & Community Education.
To help bolster its education and training program.
• $1,000 Mayri Martinez, dance coach of the Bobcats at Bob Graham Education Center.
The money will be used to fund the dance team’s trip to the Contest of Champions Nationals.
• $1,500 Tessa Santillan, sponsor of the Sapphires dance program at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School.
The grant will be used to install mirrors for the dance team at the school to help with practice.
The Miami Lakes Town Foundation Board of Directors are Town Manager Edward Pidermann, president; town Chief Financial Officer Kay Grant, treasurer; Town Clerk Gina Inguanzo, secretary; town spokeswoman Clarisell De Cardenas and Fred Senra, partner at Miami Lakes AutoMall who are both foundation directors.
This year the Miami Lakes Food & Wine Festival will take place on Feb. 3 at Optimist Park. Proceeds from the event will fund next year’s grants. To purchase tickets visit www.mlfoodwinefest.com.