TAMPA, Fla. — Fifth graders from Oak Park Elementary were surprised with a limousine ride and a private lunch at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City as a reward for their hard work throughout the year.
A group of fifth-grade boys from Oak Park Elementary School's boys club capped off their graduation year with a surprise celebration — a limousine ride and a private lunch at the historic Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City, made possible by mentors from the Hillsborough County CEOs in Schools program and community leaders.
The boys, who are now headed to middle school, were treated to a meal in the restaurant's famous Red Room.
“Linen tablecloths, you know, linen napkins, and you have, you know, you have servers that bow ties, and so, I mean, the kids look great," Casey Gonzmart Jr. of The Columbia said. "This is what it's all about!"
The celebration was months in the making. Synthia Fairman, CEO of Oak Park Elementary and a participant in the CEOs in Schools program, said many of the students had never dined at a restaurant like the Columbia.
"These kids, a lot of them don't go out to eat at nice restaurants; they are used to having fast food, and this is going to be so exciting," Fairman said. “This is a Title One school, unfortunately, a lot of their parents are not involved, and they are raised outside in their community, and it's so important to have mentors, because we are able to help motivate and bring a different perspective to these kids' lives, and teach them that you can be successful. It doesn't matter what your background is, as long as you have your head on straight and you surround yourself around good people.”
Dwanne Barnes, a behavioral specialist and coach of the Boys' Club program, said the experience opened doors the students may never have had otherwise.
"This is so exciting that they get to go places that they've never been before and have the opportunities to meet different role models that they wouldn't get to do if they weren't part of this program," Barnes said.
The boys were surprised by the announcement of the celebration by Fairman and fellow mentor Gabby Rosello, who have spent the past three years devoted to students at Oak Park.
A limousine was the final surprise, dropping the graduates off at the restaurant in style.
Inside, the students were served Columbia's famous 1905 salad and received swag bags filled with clothes, hygiene products, and accessories.
The message behind the celebration — that hard work can take them anywhere — clearly resonated with the graduates.
"If you put your mind to something, you can always do it, but if you don't think you can't do it, you can't do it," fifth grader Zion Tucker said. “It teaches us more experiences of how we can be those things, and we can go past our limits all the time.”
Fifth grader Jerry Charles echoed that sentiment.
"You can do anything you want if you are committed," Charles said.
Hillsborough County is always looking for mentors to join the CEOs in Schools Program. You do not have to be a CEO to participate.
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