Sunbeam Properties & Development celebrates 10 consecutive years of sponsoring the summer camp, which bridges the gap between police and at-risk youth
The annual “Hangin’ with 5-0” summer camp recently concluded its 16th year of bringing together local police and at-risk youth in Miramar.
Sponsored by Sunbeam Properties & Development and the Miramar Park of Commerce, the largest locally owned and managed business park in South Florida, “Hangin’ with 5-0” welcomed more than 80 students to participate in the six-week summer camp free-of-charge.
“‘Hangin’ with 5-0 brings together our community in a unique way, pairing at-risk youth with Miramar police officers, who serve as field trip organizers, chaperones and counselors throughout the course of the summer camp,” said Miramar Police Athletic League Executive Director Scott Hadley. “A foundation of trust and support with the individual officers and law enforcement as a whole often inspires the kids to engage and apply themselves, paving the way for their success both academically and personally. We can’t thank Sunbeam enough for the continued support in this initiative, which has improved the lives and circumstances of hundreds of children in our community over the years.”
The nine to 14 year-olds who participate in “Hangin’ with 5-0” are selected by school resource officers and guidance counselors for the program, which included trips to the movies, excursions to the beach, live animal shows and more alongside Miramar’s finest. Each day, breakfast and lunch are served and the program concludes with a pizza party.
A joint community initiative between the Miramar Police Athletic League and the City of Miramar, “Hangin’ with 5-0” was almost eliminated by budget cuts in 2008, but was kept alive thanks to funding from Sunbeam Properties, which is celebrating 10 years of sponsoring the life-changing program.
“We are thrilled to celebrate our 10th year of supporting ‘Hangin’ with 5-0,’” said Maridee Bell, vice president of Sunbeam Properties, developer of the Miramar Park of Commerce. “Sunbeam has always been committed to giving back to the city in which we live and work, particularly to the next generation of community leaders and influencers. We are especially proud to support a program that bridges the gap between law enforcement and local youth through open dialogue, mentorship and summer fun.”
In addition to “Hangin’ with 5-0,” Sunbeam Properties & Development supports the City of Miramar through other nonprofit organizations, having donated resources for the Ansin Sports Complex and the Ansin Family Gallery in the Miramar Cultural Center. The Miramar Park of Commerce has also been the site for supply drives for America’s Moms for Soldiers, several toy drives for Miramar children in need, a school supply drive for children who have a military parent on deployment, and a food drive for the United Way of Broward County.
About Miramar Park of Commerce
Since breaking ground in 1984, Sunbeam has developed the Miramar Park of Commerce into the largest locally owned and managed business park in South Florida, with over five million square feet of office/service, laboratory, pharmacy, light manufacturing and distribution space. The world class Park is home to more than 10,000 employees from more than 180 national and international companies including GE, Siemens, Tommy Hilfiger, Neiman Marcus, Humana, Quest Diagnostics, Toyota, Rolls Royce Commercial Marine, Stanley Black & Decker, Pepperidge Farm and Nissan. Flex/office space, corporate build-to-suits as well as a limited number of second-generation spaces are available in the Park. For more information, contact Lauren Pace (lpace@wsvn.com) or Maridee Bell (mbell@wsvn.com) at 10212 USA Today Way, Miramar, FL 33025 or call 954-450-7900.