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In the very near future, I’ll be ready to activate the David Williams Botanical Garden. Miami Gardens has a beautiful garden area with fruits, like jackfruit, soursop and star fruit, that provide medicinal benefits. This park is where we will have healthy programming for the community.
Community Initiatives
We want this space to be a staple in the City so that even people who don’t live in Miami Gardens will find it appealing. EatWell Exchange — the organization I used to do What’s Cooking with Councilwoman Julian with, is going to help me plan a Mango Fest there. And Ashley Carter, one of the very few African American or Black registered dietitians, will teach people how to prepare foods from their culture in a healthy way.
I started offering Councilwoman Linda Julien’s Emerging Business Award last year. We scout small businesses in Miami Gardens monthly and ask them to apply. They tell us why they feel that they’re worthy of this award and how they have helped the community. You can display the award at your business, and we also give the winner a $1,000 check. Because these are Miami Gardens businesses, the money they’re getting will be poured right back into our community.
Oftentimes, my office receives calls from seniors saying that they lost their home or they got taken advantage of. So, back in March, I collaborated with an attorney who specializes in estate planning and had a Lunch and Learn at the senior center. More than 200 residents turned out, a majority of them seniors, and we talked to them about the importance of estate planning. On July 21st, there will be a Dinner and Learn for the people who were at work and weren’t able to make it.
The Success of Formula One
Our first of 10 Formula One races alone utilized City services, from permitting to police department, in excess of $600,000. Two studies found that the noise level of the race was equivalent to the sound of the washer and dryer in your home. 14 Black businesses and restaurants in Miami Gardens were provided the opportunity to be vendors for the entire weekend, keeping all the money they made. Some of our residents offered their backyards for parking, and people paid. One resident was able to catch up on their mortgage just from this event. Michelle Obama, Tom Brady and Timbaland were there. So many people who normally would not come to Miami Gardens came. We are really positioning ourselves to be the entertainment hub of South Florida.
I took 25 elementary students who made the principal’s honor roll to Formula One that Friday. The idea was for them to have fun, and to also see the connection to STEM. They were able to go into the pits to see the engineers working, and they were really fascinated.
One student had never been inside the Hard Rock Stadium. Some kids who previously wanted to be football players, were now considering becoming race car drivers. It’s all about exposure.
