FIU grad’s ‘Zip Ode’ poem honored by O, Miami | WLRN [Your Poem Here] campaign
Driving around Miami, especially each April, we all enjoy the inspiring poems that pop up on signs and billboards. This year, poetry project hosts O, Miami and WLRN held a [Your Poem Here] campaign.
The winner, Luz Rossy, is a Little Havana resident and Florida International University graduate. Her Zip Ode, a unique poetic form — a five-line poem inspired by writers’ ZIP codes — was chosen to be displayed on a Miami billboard, at the corner of Northeast Eighth Street and Biscayne Boulevard.
Showing the ZIP code ‘33125,” the sign displayed these words by Rossy, who was raised in the Dominican Republic:
My name came
from my abuela
and
she said
we can share it forever.
Luz’s poem was selected from over 1,500 submissions for the way it honors her grandmothers, both also named Luz, and its celebration of home.
“You don’t know how much this means to me,” Luz said. She is also a Library Page for the Westchester Regional Library, a branch of Miami-Dade Public Library System.
“The best Zip Odes tell a story about home,” said Melissa Gomez, communications director for O, Miami.
“We loved Luz’s poem because we could see the love she has for her corner of the world and how the importance of family shapes so much of our lives.”
O, Miami’s 12th annual poetry festival featured large-scale civic publishing projects, writing workshops, site-specific events, and readings. There were more than 40 activations across Miami’s most iconic spaces and neighborhoods.
While the campaign is now closed, you can learn about getting involved at www.omiami.org
Eye exams for service animals
Every year, throughout May, the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists sponsors as many free eye exams as possible to qualified service animals across the U.S. and Canada.
This year, VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital and the veterinary ophthalmologist group Animal Eye Guys hosted exams for 50 service animals with their individual handlers.
Included were therapy animals from Memorial Regional Hospital South and canine officers with the Broward Sheriff’s Office, Miami-Dade Fire Search and Rescue, and Hialeah Search and Rescue.
“Service animals are essential workers and to play a part in providing these sight-saving exams is at the core of our values at VCA Hollywood as well as to the team at AEG who put ocular health as their first priority,” said Linda Ream with VCA Hollywood who said they have partnered in the ACVO event nine times.
“For them to provide these exams, to capture problems early, and enable these service animal to continue to help their humans, and really save lives is an amazing thing.” Learn more at www.acvo.org
Youth of the Year honored
Community partners served as judges with Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade to name Ariana Luis, 17, the 2023 Youth of the Year. Ariana, who attends Miami Killian Senior High, will graduate in 2024. She is the current president of the Kendall Club’s Keystone Chapter and has been a member since 2020. She regularly participates in park cleanups and mentors junior youth members.
“We are incredibly proud of Ariana for being named the 2023 Youth of the Year,” said Alex Rodriguez-Roig, president of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade.
“She has proven to be the model ambassador for Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade as she embodies the Clubs’ values including leadership, service and academic success. All of us congratulate her for her hard work and commitment to the Club and our community.”
This month the premier youth-mentoring organization also celebrated its annual graduation ceremony for 276 Littles who completed the program and are graduating from high school. Nearly $2 million in college scholarships were donated.
And at its recent 12th annual “Claws for Kids,” South Florida’s top community leaders, philanthropists and influencers raised over $200,000 for Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade.
The event was presented by the Carmen Rebozo Foundation in memory of Judy Kramer at Joe’s Stone Crabs.
Visit www.bbbsmiami.org where you can volunteer to mentor youth to be their best.
Mother and baby space remodeled
In May, Magic4Miami celebrated the completion of its remodeled living space in Homestead for mothers and babies experiencing homelessness. The project, through the Chapman Partnership, includes a safe and comfortable place with resources for new moms to connect with their newborns.
Magic4Miami is comprised of a team of leaders united with Chapman Partnership which operates two Homeless Assistance Centers with 800 beds in Miami and Homestead.
The groups help by providing a comprehensive support program with emergency housing, meals, health and psychiatric care, daycare, job training, job placement, and assistance with securing stable housing. The centers have fully-equipped medical and dental clinics, family dorms, cafeterias, classrooms, Wi-Fi, day-care, basketball courts, and even a dog kennel.
Chapman Partnership’s mission is to help homeless persons build positive futures and maintain long-term self-sufficiency. It is the private sector partner of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust. Get involved by donating goods, funds, and/or time at www.chapmanpartnership.org
Frost Chopin Fest returns
Get set to enjoy the fifth annual Chopin Festival at the University of Miami Frost School of Music June 25 through July 2. Concerts will be at Maurice Gusman Concert Hall, 1314 Miller Dr., in Coral Gables, and will be livestreamed to a global audience via the Frost YouTube channel.
Highlights include performances by world-renowned Chopin specialists Dang Thai Son, Kevin Kenner, and Dmitry Ablogin. Also planned is a concert featuring Frost School of Music Dean Pianist Shelly Berg on July 1, and the return of the signature “Salon Concert” on July 2.
The festival will also welcome for the first time Kenneth Hamilton, virtuoso pianist and author of “After the Golden Age: Romantic Pianism and Modern Performance.”
Generous donor support has made it possible to present concerts for $10 each, $5 for students. And the Frost Chopin Academy was able to award more full scholarships to this year’s students. Purchase tickets at www.frostchopinfestival.com
Write to ChristinaMMayo@gmail.com with news for this column.
