A gathering of the beach kids was held this past Friday on the old Red Coconut beach property now owned by Seagate. The event was organized by The Fort Myers Beach PTO and parents to celebrate the Beach School reopening after it was severely damaged by Hurricane Ian.
PTO President Chantal Blais said the event was a huge success. “This was the perfect occasion to bring the community together and remind us of why we live here. Our kids are so resilient having been displaced for a second time and this celebration brought a sense of normalcy and reminded us of what we’re fighting for and how important this little Beach School is. It was the perfect evening to bring us all together. We will continue to make this an annual event.”
Beach resident and parent John Koss who helped organize the event said the event was incredible. “The feedback from both parents and kids was extremely positive. A common quote was the evening was great for the soul. My son must have hugged me 10 times over the course of the night and thanked me for helping put it together. It’s tough on this island. An event like this that brings us together in such a casual and relaxed setting to converse, smile and laugh is much appreciated and needed. Because of the incredible feedback we received I am going to gauge our council and staff about perhaps doing this a couple times a year. Most likely at different locations.”
Right now, the beach kids are attending San Carlos Elementary as they again wait for their school to reopen after damage done by Hurricane Milton. The school board is still waiting on a structural engineer report.
A few companies that helped make the Friday event happen include Big Oak Ranch Firewood, Flytender for the chocolate station. Umbrella Mafia for the games, entertainment and setup, Photographer Sara List and Jacob Trujillo for the drone footage.
And to put a nice cherry on top of the event, Alex King donated $2,500 to the PTO.
