Family Science Night at Foster Park

Three lifelong friends who grew up in Hallandale Beach, Aeden O’Neill, Julian Demian and Simon Toro who are scholarly seniors attending St. Thomas Aquinas, American Heritage and Cardinal Gibbons respectively galvanized our adult service groups to sponsor a program offered by the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science with the proceeds benefiting Gulfstream Academy.

Aeden’s mother has been an educator at neighboring Stirling Elementary School in Hollywood for many years and had successfully implemented this program in her school witnessing students reap the benefits and piquing their curiosity.

Kenny Cohan has been an invaluable asset to both the Police Athletic League and Kiwanis who previously skillfully organized an Anti-Bullying Program at Gulfstream Academy a few years ago that received rave reviews and formed a committee that would ensure the success of Family Science Night that included the three seniors, Arturo O’Neill who has served on civic boards and as a past president of the Kiwanis Club Of Hallandale Beach and Proprietor of the Successful Real Estate Management Company, ManageXchange along with his brother Jonathan, PAL Program Director, Jonathan Carrillo, Mari O’Neill who has worked as a lifelong educator at Stirling Elementary School and Steve Cummings who was a charter member of the Kiwanis Club of Hallandale Beach in 1994.

The Museum of Discovery and Science set up fifteen separate tables for the children attending grades K-8 where adults supervised games and learning stations watching the young minds fascinated by the challenges as huge smiles gleamed across the room bolstered by their unabashed enthusiasm for learning.

As the children strolled from table to table, they received a stamp in their personal passport book which upon successful completion would entitle them to an event t-shirt and a bag filled with incidentals such as a mini calculator and a magnifying glass.

Carrillo added to the revenues by selling hot dogs, chips and beverages to the families and acknowledges the hard work of the mothers from the PAL Leadership Academy that were in charge of the food.

Jonathan also solved the logistical parking dilemma shuttling folks from OB Johnson Park to Foster Park due to a limited parking capacity.

Cohan is grateful to the three major financial sponsors making this program feasible that included United Way, Project Empower and FPL.

The city is blessed to have so many wonderful altruistic volunteers such as Hallandale Beach Police Sergeant, Greg Hippolyte who manned a learning station and demonstrated his skillful rapport with children and Noemi Lopez who has grown to be a fixture at every volunteer opportunity in Hallandale Beach displaying an indefatigable energy.

Additionally, Hallandale Beach Mayor, Joy Cooper, Hallandale Beach Commissioner Joy Adams, Kiwanis member Steve Cummings and Arturo O’Neill from local business ManageXchange contributed funds toward this worthy cause.

The positive feedback from the attendees has prompted Kenny Cohan to publicly announce at the evening’s conclusion that a subsequent Family Science Night will be placed on the agenda in January.

We urge our local businesses to support the continued education of our youth through programs that will steer them in a positive direction.

Please contact Steve Cummings at: (954) 907-2392 with your assistance.