Page 80 - August 2015 Life In Naples Magazine

Summerfest:
Enriching summer for Collier’s youth
W hen 12-year-old Dominic Pappalardo found an old
rowboat that had been thrown away, his big brother
asked if he could try his hand at restoring the vessel.
Joey Pappalardo, 15, figured why not. He already had experience
building a boat as a participant in Summerfest, the Collier County
Sheriff ’s Office’s annual summer youth activities program.
“Joey’s refurbishing it, fiberglassing it; he’s making it like new
because of what he learned,” said Kim Pappalardo, the boys’ mother.
Joey also fixed a hole in the sail of a friend’s sailboat, thanks to
the skills he learned in the Build-A-Boat program, where he helped
construct a Bevin’s Skiff rowboat and earned a boaters safety certificate,
as part of last year’s Summerfest.
“He wouldn’t have done any of it without (Summerfest),”
Pappalardo said. “No way.”
Joey is just one example of how Summerfest is making a positive
difference in the lives of kids and teens across Collier County.
Thousands of students have participated in the free program since
its launch by Sheriff Kevin Rambosk in 2010, making it the most
ambitious and successful summer youth activities program in CCSO
history.
The program returned for its sixth consecutive year in June.
Summerfest 2015 is delivering an even wider range of fun activities
for all grade levels in a safe environment chaperoned by deputies at
various locations around Collier County.
A human foosball table and shed-building activities are new this
year, along with Summerfest staples like fishing, swimming, boat
building, chair building, day camps, and sports.
CCSO depends on its community partnerships with Collier
County Parks and Recreation, the Collier County School District
and more than 200 area businesses and individuals for donations to
support the program.
Once again, CCSO Youth Relations deputies are assigned to the
summer youth program instead of patrol duties. This reallocation
allows CCSO to expand its summer youth offerings without
additional cost to the community.
The program continues to evolve every year, allowing more and
more youth of all ages and from all ends of the county to participate.
Deputies made more than 55,000 youth contacts during Summerfest
last year and they are anticipating even greater success this summer as
the program continues to gain momentum.
Sheriff Rambosk believes that youth programs pay off in the short
term by keeping children and teens involved in fun and safe activities,
and in the long term as well, by fostering the development of positive
decision-making skills.
“The more we can help our children and teenagers stay involved
in fun activities in a safe environment, the better off we are as a
community,” Sheriff Rambosk said.
One of the region’s biggest employers is also one of Summerfest’s
greatest supporters.
“We are proud to support the Collier County Sherriff Office’s
80
“The more we can
help our children and
teenagers stay involved
in fun activities in a
safe environment, the
better off we are as a
”community.
–Sheriff Rambosk
Summerfest, as the program aligns well with Arthrex’s overall
commitment to the health and well-being of our community,” said
Lisa Gardiner, Arthrex spokeswoman and a member of the Arthrex
Charitable Committee. “Arthrex’s commitment to Making People
Better extends to our next generation and these rewarding experiences
will create lasting memories for many children who may not have
otherwise had these opportunities.”
Jordan Wolf, 19, said her experience as a Summerfest volunteer
was instrumental in her decision to major in elementary education at
Florida Southwestern University, where she will be a sophomore in
the fall. She enjoyed working with kids while earning volunteer hours
when she was a student at Palmetto Ridge High School in Golden
Gate Estates. But it was the interaction between the deputies and the
kids that made a lasting impression and helped her decide on a future
career as a kindergarten teacher.
“I saw the impact the deputies had on the kids and how the kids
looked up to them,” said Jordan.
She enjoyed the experience so much that she came back as
a volunteer after she graduated high school and no longer need
volunteer hours.
“It’s a great investment of my time and will pay off in the future,”
said Jordan.
As a single parent, Pappalardo, who works as a bookkeeper at
Golden Gate Middle School, likes that Summerfest is free and is
keeping her children busy while school is out. Joey, a ninth-grader at
Barron Collier High School, is enjoying the Build-A-Shed program,
while Dominic, a seventh-grader at Pine Ridge Middle School, is
participating in his first Summerfest in the Build-A-Boat program
and fishing camp.
Summerfest, she said, is more than fun and games for kids.
“It gives them tools for life afterward and respect for police
officers,” she said. “It does quite a bit, actually.”
Liliana Cardona’s daughter Ashley, 14, is back for a second year as
a Summerfest volunteer. As a parent, she said she likes the program
because it offers ample supervision and is well organized.
“She had a blast,” Cardona said of her daughter. “Every day was
something different. To me, it’s so positive.”
Life in Naples | August • September • October 2015