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From left: Alicia Bell, Adrianna Carretero and Donna Gonzalez as Santa’s elves with dreidel Seth Bortunk deliver toys to the Miramar Police Department in the “Sunbeam Polar Express” |
(photos by Lexi
Robinson)
MIRAMAR, FL – Each year,
employees from Sunbeam Properties & Development celebrate the season of
giving with a toy drive like no other. Dressed as Santa, Mrs. Claus, reindeers,
elves, Cindy Lou Who and the Grinch, the team assembles the “Sunbeam Polar
Express” to collect toy donations from tenants in the Miramar Park of Commerce, the largest locally owned and managed
business park in South Florida.
The “Sunbeam Polar
Express,” a procession of vehicles decked in holiday décor to resemble reindeer
and Santa’s sleigh, rolled into the station at the Miramar Police Department
with a full police escort consisting of multiple squad cards and a fully
armored truck. Dozens of officers stood by for the arrival of the toys, which
were later gifted to local underserved children by the department’s Operation
Blue Squad just in time for Christmas.
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From left: Gina Jaramillo, Officer Brittany Parker, Major Shalida Smith,
Sorangel Jorge, Officer Lashay Singletary, Sergeant F. Derac,
Officer Yessenia Diaz, Officer Jasper Sejour, Officer Joseph Drew,
Senior Chaplain Mark Hattabaugh
and Code Compliance Officer D. Francois
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“We received hundreds of
toy donations from 78 tenants in the Park, the most ever collected by our
‘Sunbeam Polar Express,’” said Sunbeam Properties Vice President Maridee Bell, who was dressed as Mrs.
Claus during the toy pickup and delivery. “Giving back to the community is
paramount for all of us at Sunbeam, particularly during this time of year. It
brings us such joy knowing how these toys will transform the holidays for
underprivileged children in Miramar. We’re glad we can do our part.”
On the heels of the
“Sunbeam Polar Express,” the company further celebrated the season of giving by
making its ninth annual contribution to the Miramar Police Athletic League’s
“Hangin’ with
5-0,” a free, six-week summer camp and
life-changing program for at-risk youth in Miramar. The program was almost
eliminated by budget cuts in 2008, but was kept alive thanks to Sunbeam
Properties’ continued support, which enables more than 80 students ages nine to
14 to participate in the summer camp each year and helps bridge the gap between
police officers and local youth.
From left: Alicia Bell; Sunbeam Properties Vice President Maridee Bell
and Miramar Chief of Police Dexter Williams
In addition to the
“Sunbeam Polar Express” and “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, a toy drive for Miramar
children in need, and a food drive for the United Way of Broward County.
For more information on this news release, please
contact:
Lexi Robinson
954-776-1999, ext. 255
