Students who are part of the Town of Cutler Bay’s iPrep Executive Internship program joined with the town’s Parks and Recreation Department to participate at the annual Relay for Life of South Dade which took place on Saturday, Mar. 16, at Coral Reef Park. Together they raised more than $1,600 for the cause.
Because the event took place during St. Patrick’s Day weekend, this year’s theme was ShamROCK in the Park. Hundreds of people from all four host municipalities — Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Homestead — attended.
The event began with Cutler Bay Councilmember Roger Coriat, along with yown manager Rafael Casals, joining the mayors of Palmetto Bay and Pinecrest on stage to greet attendees and encourage the participating teams.
The Cutler Bay interns and staff — also known as “Team Luigi” — wore Kelly-green T-shirts during their walk to support the American Cancer Society’s search for a cure for cancer —greatly exceeding their original fundraising goal of $1,000. Based on the green clad Luigi of Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros, Team Luigi decked out its booth with various Luigi themed decorations and activities, such as the Luigi ring toss game and the Toad Stool Smash game, where participants tried to knock down a piñata that resembled Toad Stool from Super Mario Kart.
Team Luigi also sold meatball subs, chicken wings (donated by Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill’s Westchester location), Toad Stool themed cupcakes and water bottles, along with the silent auction item donated by Trader Joe’s in Pinecrest. The activities and food sold at their booth played an important part of Team Luigi’s fundraising efforts, since 100 percent of the proceeds went to the American Cancer Society.
“In am very proud of our town staff and Executive Interns for coordinating this effort,” Councilmember Coriat said. “Team Luigi set a new standard for the annual Relay for Life of South Dade event by raising over $1,600 for such an important cause.”
In addition to the team’s booth, Relay attendees took part in a variety of activities and attractions to benefit the cause, ranging from live music to carnival games, food trucks to a kid zone, and the traditional walk.
Relay For Life is a community-based fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. Each Year, more than 5,000 Relay For Life events take place in over 20 countries. Events are held in local communities, campus universities and in virtual worlds.
For information on the American Cancer Society, visit www.cancer.org/.
