Backpack giveaway at Town Hall draws 100s of families

    The backpack giveaway presented by Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid and the Giving Gators charity drew more than 250 students to Town Hall who were outfitted with school supplies on June 24, organizers said.  

    Shown in the photo, from left are Denis Brenes, president of Giving Gators; Rey Garcia, a Giving Gators volunteer; Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid; Miami-Dade Commissioner Sen. Rene Garcia; Mario O. Pinera, vice chair, Education Advisory Board: Hector Abad, chair, Education Advisory Board; Councilman Tony Fernandez and Maurits Acosta, student representative, Education Advisory Board.

     Sponsors included Headquarter Toyota; Miami-Dade County and the Miami-Dade County Public Library System; Virtutem Populo; Ana G. Mendez University; the Miami Lakes Education Advisory Board, Special Needs Advisory Board and Public Safety Committee; HOPE Mission, which gave out bike helmets; Mathnasium; Specialty Smiles; Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids; GiGi’s Playhouse; Air Cooling and Project UP-START. Photo courtesy of Giving Gators.