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Miami Palmetto High School junior class president Grant Hudson has already earned approximately 800 community service hours through various volunteer opportunities. One of his volunteer commitments is to the Pinecrest Youth Advisory Council.
“We help host events with parks and recreation like Jazz Nights, or the Daddy Daughter dance coming up,” he says. “Things we can volunteer at. We have hosted our Zombie Run and our Movie Nights.”
The Zombie Run is a Halloween themed 5 K. The YAC members dress in zombie costumes. Around the same week they also host a Trunk or Treat at Evelyn Greer Park.
“As YAC, we have our own booth and parks and rec has a booth,” he says. “Local restaurants and local stores have their own branded booths. The kids walk around and get their candy.”
One of the YAC’s bigger events is the annual Movie Night at Evelyn Greer Park. People go to the park to see a Christmas movie. Showings have included Elf and The Night Before Christmas.
“Usually there is a selection of food you can buy,” he says. “People bring their own chairs or blankets. It’s almost like a drive-in movie.”
These days he is earning hours through Operation Hope Miami, a non-profit he co-founded and is now president of.
“It’s part of Operation Hope that is operating in six countries, Miami being the United States chapter,” he says.
The organization hosts an annual garage sale with items collected through donations. They also conduct donation drives. They collaborated with Interact to offer community service hours to Palmetto students for their donations.
Last year Operation Hope Miami made Easter baskets for the children at Patches as well as conducting a donation drive that collected baby wipes, paper towels, toilet paper, and disinfectant wipes.
“This year we are working with Lotus House,” he says. “For Lotus House we asked for juice boxes, tomato soups, other types of soups, beans, and other shelf stable items.”
Operation Hope Miami also hosts fundraisers at Chill-N Ice Cream. Some of the funds go to Ongzoe, an organization that does medical expeditions in the Amazon.
Hudson has been Palmetto Class of ‘27 president for two years. In the spring he plans to run for Student Council president.
As the class president, he is heavily involved in school spirit events such as Panther Prowl.
“It’s a lip-syncing dance competition,” he says. “I spent a lot of time editing the audio that we used. It was a mashup of different songs that coordinated to that year’s theme. This year it was Disney. They do dances and they have it all prepared with costumes. It’s live. The only thing pre-prepared is the audio that I edited.”
He was able to edit the video because of the technical knowledge he’s gained from the Television Production class. He is the current associate producer of the class.
“It’s a class and also a club. We do the morning announcements, and we also run the technical side of every event that goes on including Panther Prowl and Mr. Panther, which we are in the middle of now.”
Hudson says he has been saying yes a lot this year.
“The drama teacher came up to me and said my drama kids are telling me I need you in my show,” he says.
So now he is playing Pepper in the production of the musical Mama Mia at school.
“I’ve never done musical theater before,” he says, admitting to enjoying being on stage.
“I’ve done Prowl and I’ve got Mr. Panther coming up.”
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
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