COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — For 30 years, the Guadalupe Center has celebrated buddy day where Immokalee second graders like Steven and Felipe pair up with an adult and spend the day at the beach.
They look for shells, play games and just be kids.
Immokalee Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades asked Felipe and Steven how their beach day was going.
"Boys, how are you feeling about the day?"
"Good!," They both shouted in unison.
For forty years the Guadalupe Center has helped children from Immokalee break the cycle of poverty through education.
Watch Immokalee Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades report below:
Kelly Krupp works at the center, and says building a strong foundation for children goes deeper than academics.
She said, "Childhood is just a critical time and you learn to play, you learn through interaction, and so in addition to academics, we want our kids to have a lot of well-rounded experiences where they get exposed to different things in the community."
Including going to the beach.
In this group of nearly 100 students, most had never been to the beach before, even though Immokalee is a little less than an hour away.
"With everything that's been going on in the world taking a trip to the beach may not be something that's happening for you on a regular basis, and I think just for children to have the opportunity to play," Krupp explained.
A day Felipe and Steven won't forget.
"The view, the boats and the land we are on because there are a lot of shells," Steven said were his favorite things.
A day to be exactly who they are...kids.
