During a Special Presentation at the November City Council Meeting, Councilwoman Patricia Fairclough recognized members of the South Dade News Leader and the Homestead Police Department for their participation in the Homestead-Miami Speedway and South Dade News Leader Student Art and Writing Contest. Three very lucky Homestead students representing local elementary, middle and high schools were the recipients of a truly unique award made possible by the South Dade News Leader and the Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The week before NASCAR’s Ford Championship Weekend, November 15-17, the three Grand Prize Winners were greatly admired by their classmates as they each were chauffeured to school in an authentic race car. The students were also escorted by two City of Homestead police officers. The Grand Prize winners were chosen over hundreds of essays and works of art submitted by local students about what it would feel like to ride a NASCAR car. The three Grand Prize winners Jesus Luis, from Somerset SoHo High School; Brandon Bustamante from Keys Gate Charter School Elementary and Liam Leider, from Atala Montessori Middle School also received two tickets to each of the races (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) during the Ford Championship Weekend. Six other winning students were also awarded race tickets.
In addition to commending Homestead Police Officer Mario Arzuaga and Oficer Carlos Garcia for escorting the Grand Prize winning students, Councilwoman Fairclough also presented a Certificate of Appreciation to the Publisher of the South Dade News Leader, Dale Machesic, and Doris Meneses, a staff member of the local newspaper who created the contest last year in effort to bring pride and awareness to the Ford Championship Weekend and the Homestead-Miami Speedway.
“In appreciation for your collaboration and in inspiring the creativity of our children throughout southern Miami-Dade County. Through your efforts to instill excitement for art and writing in these young minds, you are helping to paint a brighter portrait for Homestead’s youth,” read Councilwoman Fairclough from the award presented and closed by naming the periodical a “champion for children.”
