Buddying up: Hideaway brings Guadalupe Center children to the beach for Buddy Day

MARCO ISLAND — For the second graders from the Guadalupe Center, it was a chance to see a side of Southwest Florida they don’t get to experience, far away from their everyday lives. For their “big buddies,” the same was true, with the added satisfaction of bringing the light of enjoyment to a child’s eyes.

Wednesday marked the 20th year for Buddy Day, when children from Immokalee come and spend a day of arts and crafts, beaching, nature exploration and fun, at Hideaway Beach Club’s picnic grove on the northwest corner of Marco Island. Each “little buddy” was paired with an adult volunteer, who helped facilitate their buddy’s day at the beach.

The kids, second graders at Pinecrest and Highland elementary schools in Immokalee, are “graduates” of the Guadalupe Center’s after-school program, which covers kindergarten, first and second grade, and the field trip is a reward for the kids who made exceptional progress in reading and math skills over the last three years.

Many of the kids, despite living in Southwest Florida for their whole lives, have never traveled outside Immokalee, or seen the Gulf of Mexico, said Barbara Oppenheim, executive director of the Guadalupe Center.

“Many of these children have never been to the beach before,” she said. “The expressions on their faces when they first see the ocean are unbelievable. We have kids in high school now, who still remember the first time they saw the beach, on Buddy Day.” One little boy, said Oppenheim, when the shiny tour bus returned to Immokalee at the end of the day, said, “Okay, we’re back in Florida now.”

The children certainly enjoyed their day, and combined learning with fun, helped by volunteers and staff from the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, Big Cypress Preserve, and the National Park Service. Down at the water’s edge, with a brisk breeze blowing and the tide coming in, they ran crab races, peered at seashells and crustaceans, and engaged in “bird Olympics.”

The kids flapped their arms like wings, and then tried to remember – or guess – how many times per minute different birds flap. They walked down “birding lane,” identifying various birds, and checking off a list of avian traits.

They peered through “binoculars” they had constructed out of black-painted toilet paper rolls, and found you really can see more when your vision is concentrated. There are limits, though.

“I can’t see Mexico,” Brasheria Burden, peering through her binox, told her big buddy, Mike Healy, who had explained to her that if you went west out into the Gulf, it was out there.

The children assembled “bug jars” to hold their finds, and with the help of their buddies, affixed temporary tattoos. They shared snacks, including cookies and Good Humor ice cream bars, and got the chance to barrel around the streets of Hideaway Country Club in the members’ golf carts. The big kids got a chance to rest when the youngsters attacked the swing set.

“This is phenomenal,” said Taffy Miltz, sitting in the back of a golf cart with Leyhia Martinez, her little buddy. “We’re having so much fun.”

In addition to Hideaway, volunteers came from communities on and off the island, including Eagle Creek, Fiddler’s Creek, the Prince, and as far away as Pelican Marsh. A group from Leo Jr. Lawn Care was there helping, as well.

Before getting back on the buses for the trip back to Immokalee, each child received gifts, a stuffed animal and a book, and in return, the group sang for their big buddies.

The Guadalupe Center of Immokalee has been serving the children and families of Immokalee for more than 25 years. Their mission, said Oppenheim, is to break the cycle of poverty. They provide early childhood education, after-school tutoring, a soup kitchen, clothing room program and more, making a real difference in the lives of Immokalee’s children.

Over the years, Hideaway and their partners have raised over $2.5 million for the Guadalupe Center, so Buddy Day is more than just a one-day event. To learn more about Buddy Day or contribute to the work of the Guadalupe Center, a 501 (c)(3) organization, call 239-657-7711, or visit www.guadalupecenter.net.