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MIAMI-DADE
FAIR & EXPOSITION NAMES TWO M-DCPS STUDENTS TO ITS YOUTH
HALL OF FAME ### 01-AMC0146/BD |
MIAMI-DADE
FAIR & EXPOSITION NAMES TWO M-DCPS STUDENTS TO ITS YOUTH
HALL OF FAME ### 01-AMC0146/BD
March 30, 2001
Two students from Miami-Dade County Public Schools are the
first to be inducted into the Walter B. Arnold Jr. Youth
Hall of Fame at the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition.
Linda Oriental, a senior at Miami Jackson Senior High
School, and Kyle T. Amber, a sixth-grader at Palmetto Middle
School, were selected from 12 finalists judged on their
contributions to the community.
Sponsored by the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition and
Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the award is dedicated to
the dream of Walter B. Arnold Jr., a director of The Fair
for 41 years until his death last May.
Linda is a volunteer at the New Life Family Center, a
temporary shelter for homeless families. At the shelter,
Linda organizes food and toy drives and assists in
fund-raising activities. She does clerical work in the
shelter's office and interprets in Haitian-Creole and
Spanish for clients who do not speak English. The
17-year-old honor student also has organized students to
volunteer at a number of community events, including the
Coconut Grove Arts Festival and the Miami Book Fair
International.
When Kyle Amber was 6 years old, his 10-year-old brother was
diagnosed with leukemia. Kyle wanted to help. At the time,
there was no pediatric bone marrow transplant unit at
Jackson Memorial Hospital, and children were sent out of
Miami for transplants. To help them stay in Miami with their
families, Kyle sold stickers to raise money for a local
pediatric bone marrow transplant unit.
In 1996, Kyle and his brother began a student-run
organization to improve the lives of children with cancer
and other life-threatening illnesses. Their organization,
Kids That Care Pediatric & Cancer Fund, is now
affiliated with the Jackson Memorial Foundation, and
11-year-old Kyle is on its board of directors.
As winners, Linda and Kyle each received a trophy and
$1,000. Their pictures and information on their
accomplishments will be displayed in Arnold Hall at the Fair
through April 1.
For more information, contact Fair publicist Susan Burnside
at 305-223-7060, extension 264.