For many young dancers, ballet dreams fade with age. But one local ballet company is proving it’s never too late to return to the barre.

Nicola Riettie: “Fifty-seven.”

Heather Walker: “Fifty-seven?”

Nicola Riettie: “Yes, ma’am.”

Heather Walker: “And at 57, you decided to start ballet.”

Nicola Riettie: “I know. It’s crazy, right?”

Nicki Riettie is not alone. This entire class is made up of adult dancers — some stepping into a ballet studio for the first time.

Ballet student 1: “I’m 45.”

Heather Walker: “And this is your first time doing ballet.”

[Ballet student 1 nods.]

Heather Walker: “Amazing.”

Ballet student 1: “I’ve always wanted to do ballet.”

Others are getting back to what they loved as little girls.

Ballet student 2: “I missed those days, and this really brought it back.”

It all started with Isabella Picinic, a lifelong dancer who couldn’t find an adult ballet class after moving to South Florida.

Isabella Picinic: “I just feel like there’s not a big space for adult dancers anymore. Even if there are studios that offer it, it’s maybe one class a week, and there’s just – you know, we’re adults, we don’t have time; if that class doesn’t work for us, then we can’t make it.”

So she decided to teach her own classes under the company named Precious Pace.

Isabella Picinic: “I made a post on Facebook, and it blew up. It got like 100 comments, so many people were interested.”

What started with 10 women has grown to nearly 50 dancers in less than a year.

Isabella Picinic: “The energy is just so uplifting when I come to teach. I love seeing these ladies push through class. Even when I know they are struggling, they are still pushing through.”

The leaps and turns have gotten harder with age, but at the same time, the rewards have gotten sweeter.

Nicola Riettie: “I love it, and it’s doable, that’s the other thing, honestly. Although it’s challenging, it’s challenging in a good way. It’s forcing you to use parts of your body, strength and focus in a way that you may not – certainly not if you are just sitting on the couch every evening.”

It’s a workout for their bodies and their minds, but it’s also me time.

Ballet student 3: “Just being a mom and a teacher working full time, and just giving to everyone constantly. It’s my thing, it’s my time.”

Because at this age, ballet isn’t about perfection — it’s about possibility.

Ballet student 4: “I decided, once I saw this, that I was going to give myself the chance to not be perfect, to not be super skinny, and try and see, and see what happens. It’s so rewarding to see yourself and like what you see, and realize that the kid in me, who thought, ‘You are not good enough,’ yes, you are. And not just me, but anybody can do it, you know?”

And they are — stepping onto the stage with more confidence than ever before.

Isabella Picinic: “You’re never too old to dance.”

Nicola Riettie: “It’s never too late, nope, mm-mmm. That’s a fact.”

Because sometimes the dream doesn’t end — it just waits for the right moment to begin again.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

At Love, 518 salon in Hollywood, not only do clients leave their appointments with a new hairstyle, they also leave with a huge weight off their shoulders, and their heads.

Hadassa Felix: “So initially, all this was matted. And it’s been matted for five years.”

Salon owner Hadassa Felix has had many jobs in the past, but hair has always been her passion.

Hadassa Felix: “I have a military background, law enforcement background, I did massage therapy, I did fashion design. I was always doing hair as a side job, but it would always call me back to hair.”

Her specialty is detangling some of the most matted hair you’ve ever seen.

She started a few years ago while training to become a hair stylist.

Hadassa Felix: “A client came in from South Africa, whose hair was matted and my employer was like, ‘Well, we can’t do that.’ I’m like, ‘I think I can, let me just try it.'”

Hadassa Felix: “So I’m detangling piece by piece.”

When Hadassa opened her own salon, she started posting her detangling videos. They went viral, and clients started pouring in from around the world.

Hadassa Felix: “A lot of people from Canada, Hawaii, Australia and Italy. For a person not to comb their hair, I mean, you have to be going through something really bad that it’s the last thing that you’re worrying about.”

Many of Hadassa’s clients come to her suffering from depression or burnout. Taking care of their hair — or themselves — is no longer a priority.

Hadassa Felix: “I get a lot of strong people, the strong friend, the strong mom, the strong dad, the person that’s here for everybody else and don’t know how to ask for help because no one’s checking on them.”

Detangling matted hair can take days. So Hadassa wants her salon to be a comfortable and safe space.

Hadassa Felix: “Some people just need me to be quiet and pray for them silently in my mind. Some people need me to hug them. Some people need me to say ‘It’s okay.’ I’m not saying I’m a therapist, but it’s, like, I call myself a hair-apist, because I’m going through the process of detangling not only their hair, but also their lives as well.”

It has taken days to slowly work out all the tangles on Hadassa’s client from New York.

Hadassa Felix: “After this, I’m going to wash her hair, do a treatment, cut her ends and stye it for her.”

Her client didn’t want to show her face, but she said taking care of others for years left her with no energy to focus on herself.

Client: “And you don’t realize the rut you get into when you stop taking care of yourself. And then one day after the next, this happened, just happened and believe it or not, when your hair gets like that, you feel the weight of your hair is the weight of your burdens.”

As Hadassa works to untangle her matted hair, the woman feels the burden being lifted.

Client: “And it’s the best experience. Because besides the detangling, it just gives you a sense of what you have to do internally.”

After four days, the client’s hair is transformed

Hadassa Felix: “I feel like I get to help people, yeah, I’m still always shocked by the fact that I get to do this. Like, I love it, it’s so cool.”

Hadassa’s joy comes from helping people work out the knots in their hair — and their lives.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

It’s one of the most recognizable boats in the Winterfest Boat Parade.

Mr. Bobb has been lighting up the New River in the Fort Lauderdale parade for the past 40 years.

Peggy Messingschlager: “It doesn’t feel like it. The kids keep me young.”

Eighty-eight-year-old Peggy Messingschlager still gets up on the bow and shakes her pom-poms — rain or shine.

Peggy Messingschlager: “My daughter is saying, ‘Come down, Mom, it’s raining!’ I’m like, ‘No, we haven’t passed the judge’s stand yet.'”

Mr. Bobb is an award winner and fan favorite.

It has captivated crowds for decades, and even caught the attention of entertainer Bob Hope, who hopped aboard to take his Christmas picture in 1987 when he was the parade’s grand marshal.

Peggy Messingschlager: “The parade was over. It’s like 11 o’clock at night, and I’m looking up at my husband, and we’re circling them, and I’m like, ‘Why aren’t we going home?’ He’s just, ‘Mrs. Hope would like to have her picture taken on the boat.'”

So, how did this tradition begin? In 1985, Peggy’s son Mark told her he wanted to be in the boat parade, and like any good mother, she supported his grand idea.

Peggy Messingschlager: “Went to the wholesale house, bought 2,000 lights, and two days later, ‘Mom, we need more lights,’ and I’m like, ‘You couldn’t have gone through those already.’ Now, we gave up counting.”

Mr. Bobb was named after Peggy’s husband and Mark’s dad. Forty years later, Mark is still decorating it.

They start in October — untangling the countless cords that make Mr. Bobb light up.

Mark Messingschlager: “It’s a nightmare. Spaghetti ball, we call it.”

And his kids and their friends pitch in, too.

Amanda Messingschlager: “The boys do all the manual labor.”

Rita Messingschlager: “The boys definitely do the manual labor.”

Mark Messingschlager: “My son’s best friend right here, Oliver, he’s the one who’s the engineer. He’s our electrical engineer.”

For them, the boat parade is more exciting than Christmas. We asked Peggy, her granddaughter, and daughter-in-law to pick their holiday highlight.

All three: “This, this, this!”

Peggy’s granddaughter, Amanda, says even more important than the dazzling lights is the family tradition.

Amanda Messingschlager: “It’s pretty cool to see, like, my memories from when I was 4 to 32 [years old] in the same place and always the most fun. It’s honestly awesome to have a hobby passed down to you, that I am excited to bring my kids into.”

Peggy Messingschlager: “Is there anything you want to tell me?”

And hopefully, Mr. Bobb’s legacy will carry on for generations to come.

You can see Mr. Bobb and the 99 other boats in this year’s parade in our Winterfest special. It airs Friday at 7 p.m. on WSVN.

Courtney Allen, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Florida is home to more than 100 types of orchids. And these students are studying one of the rarest.

Domenica Arias: “I think it’s important for us to preserve these orchids.”

It’s called the ghost orchid.

Students at Jose Marti MAST Academy are are on a mission to try and grow as many as they can.

Hailey Marquez: “We know that they are highly endangered. It takes a lot of time, it takes a lot of patience and they don’t grow in a day.”

These students are members of the school’s botany club.

With the help of their teacher, Andrew Kearns, they’re learning all about orchids, especially the extremely rare ghost orchid.

Andrew Kearns: “The ghost orchid is something which has been treasured by many people, too treasured by some who try to poach it. Our native orchids were largely removed from many of our urban areas and suburban areas by poaching and developments.”

But there won’t be any poaching here! The students have planted and nurtured their own ghost orchids right in their own backyard.

Hailey Marquez: “It’s nice to be able to support a community of ghost orchids here in our very own school.”

The students received the orchid seeds from the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden as part of the garden’s “Million Orchid Project.”

The project aims to save Florida’s native orchids by planting one million of them in urban areas.

Hailey Marquez: “It’s definitely nice to be in it, and it gives me opportunities to research like this and to work with plants really hands-on.”

Students first kept the seedlings inside a classroom to study their growth. After a few months, they were moved outside and attached to trees.

The hope is that the orchids take root and eventually bloom.

Andrew Kearns: “Now is that going to survive?”

Student: “Maybe!”

Andrew Kearns: “Maybe. I think that’s a great answer because we don’t know.”

And in the process, the students are learning a valuable lesson about life.

Domenica Arias: “Honestly just patience. Having to wait to be able to see what your work has made was the hardest part, honestly. Being able to take part in this amazing experiment has been able to make me see my interest in life sciences.”

Their teacher hopes this conservation work inspires his students for the rest of their lives.

Andrew Kearns: “That’s my hope, is that they will be successful in making a change so that our natural world will not suffer some of the difficulties that we’re suffering right now.”

Perhaps their efforts in the classroom will bloom a new generation of scientists.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Inside this martial arts studio in Hialeah, every punch and kick comes with a purpose — and now, a new promise: free classes for kids whose families can’t afford them.

Damian Rodriguez: “We want to help people, we want to help the youth grow and make a positive impact in their life.”

Damian Rodriguez and his wife opened Millennium Martial Arts Academy more than 15 years ago. It’s made a positive impact on many kids over the years — but the business was born from a tragedy that struck on his way to a karate competition.

Damian Rodriguez: “When I was 13, I was involved in a car accident. I flew out of the car, I landed in the middle of Alligator Alley. I probably shouldn’t be here. Why am I still here? There has to be a purpose.”

That purpose, he says, is helping other kids through karate.

Heather Walker: “How does it make you feel?”

Carlos Luna: “Happy.”

Kids like Carlos Luna.

Heather Walker: “When did you start karate?”

Carlos Luna: “A long time ago.”

For a 7-year-old, a few years feels like a long time. He’s now a yellow belt and, according to his mom, a whole new person from when he started.

Mariela Luna: “It’s not just that he’s less shy, it’s that he’s more confident. He’s more independent.”

Carlos Luna: “I got more advanced in my fighting.”

Damian says conquering fears on the mat teaches kids how to conquer challenges in the real world.

Damian Rodriguez: “The martial arts is going to teach you the discipline, it’s going to teach you the respect, it’s going to teach you the time management, it’s going to teach them so much, and I feel like for it not to be accessible to some kids, it’s not right. It should be accessible to all kids.”

Which is why he started a nonprofit called Diamond, to offer free karate classes once a week.

Damian Rodriguez: “Via Diamond, they should be able to shine, have high integrity, they should have good values.”

That’s important for any kid. But especially for a child who is having a hard time at home.

Damian Rodriguez: “For whatever reason — divorce, lose a parent — and can no longer afford martial arts.”

Damian knows what loss feels like. His dad died in that car accident when he was 13, and Damian says martial arts helped him heal.

Damian Rodriguez: “There’s hundreds of thousands of kids in South Florida that, I think, could benefit from that opportunity, from having good quality martial arts and pressure in their life.”

With a little positive pressure, Damian is helping to shape the next generation of diamonds in our community.

Heather Walker, 7News.

For more information about Millennium Martial Arts, visit their website here. If you or someone you know would like to apply for the Diamond program, you can sign up in person at any Millennium Martial Arts location.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Weeks ahead of Thanksgiving, preparations for the largest meal delivery in South Florida were underway.

Packed inside these bags are mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and the most important ingredient: goodwill.

Isabelle Pike, Senior Vice President of Development at Branches: “On Thanksgiving morning, we’ll have over a thousand volunteers come together to cook, package and deliver over 6,000 meals.”

The meals are provided by a nonprofit called Branches. The group is based out of North Miami and works with low-income families to break through the poverty barrier.

Their Thanksgiving production is massive. The goal is simple: to make sure South Florida families who are struggling don’t have to worry about what will be on the table this Thanksgiving.

Josechaba Dolcema: “They help me. The kids are happy when I have Thanksgiving.”

With eight children, Josechaba Dolcema has a lot of mouths to feed. And now the stress of figuring out how to do that has been taken off her shoulders.

Josechaba Dolcema: “When I receive the meal, I am happy, because it helps me with my family and my friends.”

But these meals serve more than the families. The volunteers are also grateful for the chance to give back.

Hector Sanchez, volunteer: “My wife and I wanted to show our kids how to serve the community, and they started very little, when they were young, teenagers, and now they come and serve with their wives and, you know, I’m waiting for my granddaughter to come with us also.”

The first year of the program, they gave out 600 Thanksgiving dinners. Now, 25 years later, they are giving out 6,000.

Brent McLaughlin, CEO of Branches: “People have been so generous over the years that they keep getting more generous and want to give back. And I think at Thanksgiving, it’s both giver and receiver that is blessed.”

It takes a village to pull it all together year after year. But for the families who receive the meals and the people who volunteer, it is a labor of love.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

In today’s spotlight, it takes a lot of work on stage and behind the scenes to pull off a great show. A show that couldn’t happen — without the community stepping up.

A South Florida dance company isn’t letting statewide budget cuts bring down the curtain on its performances.

This weekend, 17-year-old Sophie Rosen will have her big moment playing Aurora in a production of Sleeping Beauty. She is a member of the Fort Lauderdale Children’s Ballet Theatre.

The group has helped kids of all ages fulfill their dreams of being in the spotlight.

Sophie Rosen/dancer: “I was really honored, really grateful. It was so exciting to hear that all my work, all of the time commitment to dance, has like really paid off, and it’s really amazing.”

When times get tough and money is tight, arts programs are usually the first things cut from the budget.

The state recently slashed $32 million in funding for arts and cultural programs, leaving many groups struggling financially.

Rachael Ma/Asst. Director, FLCBT: “Every year it is a challenge.”

Instead of relying on the state for help, Fort Lauderdale Children’s Ballet Theater has spent the last 38 years learning how to do more with less.

Angela Mauti/Director, FLCBT: “You just have to be hopeful and trust and know that it’s gonna work out. And you just keep doing that.”

Every year, the theater has to raise money for training, sets, and costumes. And it’s paying off!

Rachael Ma/Asst. Director, FLCBT: “We do a lot of fundraising events. We just recently did a fundraising event at Barnes and Noble, which was really wonderful about children and reading.”

Children had the chance to read “Sleeping Beauty” with the dancers and take pictures.

The theater also launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $15,000 for this year’s performance.

Angela Mauti/director, FLCBT: “So we’ve been extremely fortunate that in these times that are so difficult that we are doing very, very well.”

A big factor in keeping the productions “on point” is the dancers’ families and past performers who donate. Some businesses also help out by donating items for raffles.

Rachael Ma: “It really takes people from every aspect to make this project come together.”

And when it does, it allows the show to go on so Sophie and her fellow dancers can shine on stage.

Sophie Rosen/dancer: “Art is so important to the mind, the body. Without this, I just don’t know how I would express myself and share my person to everybody, you know?”

If you want to go to the performance of Sleeping Beauty this weekend, click here.

To donate to the theater, you can click here.

The punches were flying on a Thursday evening inside Flaco’s Community Gym in Hollywood.

Jose “Flaco” Perez: “I used to be skinny and ‘flaco’ means skinny in Spanish. So coach gave me the nickname Flaco and it just stuck.”

Owner Jose “Flaco” Perez opened the gritty, graffiti-filled gym in 2014.

It’s where the Brooklyn-born, former boxer has guided the next generation of fighters for the past decade.

Jose “Flaco” Perez: “The type of kids you’ll see in the program come from all different walks, all different financial demographics, all different cultural backgrounds.”

Despite their differences, Flaco preaches the same things: Hard work, discipline and accountability.

Jose “Flaco” Perez: “I create a safe environment for you to grow and mature and learn.”

Now — Flaco, his students and the small Hollywood gym are getting a little movie star treatment. They’re the focus of a new documentary.

Paolo Mugnaini: “The moment I walked in, I knew this gym was something different from the other gyms.”

Paolo Mugnaini is the filmmaker behind “Fighting Spirit: The Battle Within.”

Last weekend, it won best short documentary at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.

Paolo Mugnaini: “There’s always been this thing about how boxing is a metaphor for life.”

The film weaves together themes of perseverance and self-esteem.

Jose “Flaco” Perez: “He showed me the final product and I thought it was amazing, but I’m pretty biased being that I’m the main guy on screen.”

And the main guy is tough.

Jose “Flaco” Perez: “In this world where sensitivity has become a culture, I think you come here and it’s a little bit of a throwback.”

Paolo Mugnaini: “What I see is that underneath, not sugar-coating things, there’s a lot of love, there is a lot of passion for really building better people.”

People, like 12-year-old Maj, who has been coming to Flaco’s gym since he was 8.

Maj: “In school, sometimes I used to get bullied. So then me learning boxing, it improved my confidence and it made me more happier overall.”

He’s not bullied anymore.

Maj: “Once you find respect, that’s all you seek and you give it out. So it’s like, ‘Oh, yeah, I love to respect people and I love being respected.'”

Thirteen-year-olds Rami and Pacman — nicknamed after the legendary fighter Manny Pacquiao — also grew up in this gym.

Pacman: “my coach Flaco, he’s really a father figure to me. So I know I could trust him, you know, I could call him when I need something.”

Both teens won national titles in their weight divisions this summer.

Rami: “This is something I want to do professionally for sure, ’cause this is what I love to do.”

And whether Flaco’s students go on to be professionals in the sport or not…

Jose “Flaco” Perez: “I pride myself not only in creating great boxers, but creating amazing individuals.”

And that is something worth fighting for.

Mugnaini has already entered “Fighting Spirit – The Battle Within” in other well-known film festivals.

Courtney Allen, 7News.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Flaco’s Community Gym
Fighting Spirit – The Battle Within

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

This group of talented students may soon share the spotlight with some of music’s biggest stars.

Choir member: “Like that’s crazy”

Choir member: “It’s something like a type of person like Beyoncé wins.”

We are talking about the Grammys — music’s highest honor.

Choir member: “We were more shocked than anything because like, what a Grammy that just kind of sounds unreal, I guess.”

It may feel like a dream for these Miami-Dade high school students – but they have a real shot at a Grammy nomination.

Gabriella Marquez, choir junior: “Every time I hear that, I’m like, ‘Wait, Grammy nomination? That’s like so cool, wait.'”

You may not recognize their faces or know their names — but there is a good chance you’ve heard the performance that made them internet famous.

Cindy Ellis, choir director, Miami Arts Studio: “I’m so proud of the kids. It is absolutely unbelievable. We put a lot of work and effort into that performance, but I never once thought to myself, ‘We’re performing to potentially get a Grammy.'”

Cindy Ellis is the choir director at Miami Arts Studio.

She leads an all-female group called MAS Vocal. The singers went viral last year for their powerful performance of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

With millions of views, they went from school choir to global sensation — their voices touching hearts around the world.

Cindy Ellis, Choir Director at Miami Arts Studio: “Literally every corner, people from Australia to Canada to Brazil in languages that I’m like, ‘See translation, because I don’t even know.'”

The performance even caught the attention of the song’s composer, Grammy-winner Jacob Collier, who invited the girls to perform with him.

The soloist, with the incredible voice, is Gabriella Marquez.

Gabriella Marquez, Choir Junior: “It was insane, I think the greatest performance experience of my entire life.”

Gabriella and the girls all come from immigrant families; they say their shared journey gives the music the powerful emotion you feel when you hear them sing.

Choir member: “Some of us, our parents came here. Others, we ourselves, came here.”

Including the choir director.

Cindy Ellis, Choir Director at Miami Arts Studio: “I came in 2005 from Cuba because we are an all-female choir and because we are Hispanic because we are carrying our own journeys and our parents’ journeys and our grandparents’ journey and we are carrying Miami.”

Their dreams are only getting bigger— because a member of the Recording Academy has submitted them for Grammy consideration.

Gabriella Marquez, choir junior: “You know, win a Grammy, that would be so cool.”

Even cooler — if they are nominated, it will be the first high school choir ever — in the running for best choral performance.

Cindy Ellis, Choir Director at Miami Arts Studio: “The goal was never to win a Grammy – that has been incredible because it’s taken a bunch of little girls from Miami, our little corner of the world.”

Shining a spotlight on Miami.

The 2026 Grammy nominations will be announced on Friday morning.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

This huge state-of-the-art sports complex is now open to the public — thanks to a volleyball star living right here in Dania Beach.

Rita Crockett is a two-time Olympic volleyball player. She won a silver medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics, making her the first Afro-Latina woman to receive that award.

She also competed internationally in beach volleyball — and was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2011.

Rita continued her love of the sport, coaching volleyball at a number of universities. Before retiring, she spent 12 years as the head coach at Florida International University.

Rita Crockett: “For me, it’s just what I do. I loved it and had fun doing it.”

After a life well played, she wanted to share her love of sports with others.

Rita Crockett: “So I came from an extreme humble living, and I just promised myself that I would be somebody someday that can help people like me when I was a little girl get out of where I was.”

Rita’s husband read an article in a local newspaper about the city supporting new initiatives that would enhance and bring together the Dania Beach community. Rita pitched the idea of a sports complex.

Dania Beach Mayor Joyce L. Davis: “When Rita brought this idea, it was the first of its kind, something that could bring something new, interesting and fun for our entire community.”

The mayor approved the plan and Rita covered half the cost.

Now, the Rita Crockett Beach Sports Academy is open to the public inside Frost Park. There are eight sand courts to play volleyball, beach volleyball, tennis, soccer, flag football and pickleball. Kids are already putting them to good use.

Nathan Vogel: “The facility is beautiful. I love volleyball and we came here today for a little sneak peek at what the program’s gonna look like.”

This new facility is also building a family legacy; Rita’s daughter, Marritta, helps run the courts.

Rita Crockett: “We have this beautiful place. There’s nothing like this in America, and the sand is beautiful. I’m happy, I’m happy I’m unretired.”

Rita may have stepped off the court professionally, but the joy of the game has never left her, and now she is sharing it with others.

Rita Crockett: “I play to win. This is a winning project and it will win for the Dania Beach community.”

Even with all her medals, Rita says setting up this sports hub for her community has been her biggest win.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Bob Carr: “This beach park has a special story.”

It can be easy to overlook the small plaque on a monument near the pedestrian bridge on Fort Lauderdale Beach.

Tucker Howell: “I’ve walked by it probably 50 times this year, I’ve never read it once.”

The tablet marks the site of a fort built in 1839 during the Seminole Wars that the US waged against Native Americans.

Bob Carr: “This was the American government’s attempt to move all of the indigenous Seminoles and Miccosukees out of Florida. And this fort was constructed with the idea of facilitating that. One of the sad chapters in American history.”

Longtime archaeologist Bob Carr led a team that uncovered incredible historical finds back in 2011.

They found military buttons, musket balls and even a pine post believed to be part of the fort.

The artifacts are now on display at the History Fort Lauderdale Museum.

Some of the findings went even further back in time.

Bob Carr: “This has been a place where people have been probably coming and going for thousands of years.”

Now, this year, for the first time, there’s an effort underway to formally designate a portion of Fort Lauderdale Beach as a historically significant archaeological site.

Michaela Conca: “This is an important heritage site, archeological site to the history of Fort Lauderdale and should be preserved for future generations.”

Michaela Conca is the president of the Broward Trust for Historic Preservation.

The nonprofit has applied for the special designation with the city.

Michaela Conca: “It’s a way of helping people understand that the world in which they live in is more than what they just see in the moment. That it runs deeper.”

Somewhere below the beach, beneath the picnic tables and palm trees, Michaela and Bob believe there are more hidden relics of the past yet to be discovered.

Michaela Conca: “There is going to be more material that comes up, I have no doubt.”

More archaeological testing at the site is set to happen in the next month.

That’s because the city’s Historic Preservation Board has asked Michaela’s group to narrow the boundaries of where they believe the fort once stood nearly 200 years ago.

Commissioner Steve Glassman: “I think the exact location is not known. So I’m very curious to see what they come up with in terms of the actual location that they want to narrow that focus down for the archeological significant site.”

Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Steve Glassman’s district includes this part of the beach.

Commissioner Steve Glassman: “Historic preservation is of paramount importance to me.”

Still, he believes the area’s archaeological significance is already recognized under current code.

The difference is — with an official historic designation, any new development would have to go before the Historic Preservation Board.

Bob Carr: “What’s important to say is, this doesn’t exclude the use of the park. This doesn’t exclude all the amenities and improvements. It’s the hidden history of Fort Lauderdale, it’s invisible and now it’s time to make that change.”

And by revealing the past, they hope to educate well into the future.

The organization’s proposal is set to go back before the city board on Dec. 1. Ultimately — the city commission has the final say on the matter.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

On the surface, it looks like any other dive class. But these students aren’t just learning to breath underwater — they are training to rebuild the ocean floor.

Noah Fernandez: “I’ve always, always loved the water.”

Noah Fernandez grew up in Miami. He spent most of his childhood in the water — swimming, snorkeling and exploring.

Noah Fernandez: “All the reefs and the fish in the water. It’s just, it’s beautiful.”

His dream was to go deeper — literally — and become certified to scuba dive.

Noah Fernandez: “We had been wanting to get certified for a really long time, me and my entire family.”

But that dream doesn’t come cheap. Between the training and the gear, it can cost thousands of dollars.

So his parents started looking for other options and found “Jr Scientists In The Sea,” or JSIS.

Les Burke: “This was a way for me to engage kids before they got into any kind of trouble.”

Les Burke started the organization. He’s a former lawyer who handled juvenile cases. He also has a deep love for the ocean.

The nonprofit gives young people who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity — a way to earn their scuba certification for free.

In exchange, they learn how to protect and restore South Florida’s coral reefs, the third largest barrier reef system in the world.

Les Burke: “We’re engaging our most precious resource to take care of our most endangered resource.”

Noah Fernandez: “That is actually one of the coolest trade-offs ever. It sounded a little boring, but it’s super cool when you are physically doing it. It’s something you have to experience.”

The students learn how to clean, restore and even plant new coral, while also setting themselves up for success.

Les Burke: “Life-changing, there have been students, where, ‘I don’t have a clue of where I am going or what I am going to do with my life,’ and now all of a sudden, ‘I’m being offered a full ride scholarship,’ and this has happened.”

Noah is still figuring out his future, but his mom is happy they found JSIS.

Mailin Perez: “It makes me very proud of them. The things that they are learning, the experiences that they are gaining, they can’t do in a classroom. At the same time, we are doing a little bit for the Earth.”

She is so inspired, she decided to join, too. Soon, the whole family will be diving together.

Mailin Perez: “It’s a beautiful program that hopefully gets bigger.”

A family hobby, turned into a shared mission to protect South Florida’s reefs and preserve them for the future.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Basketball is big for these two South Florida brothers.

Thirteen-year-old Bryson and 14-year-old Don’Terrion play together nearly every day, with two of their closest friends, Brian McGrath and his wife, Kyra.

The four of them share a special bond.

Kyra McGrath: “They keep us young, I guess, at heart!”

It started a few years ago when Bryson was matched with Brian through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County.

Brian McGrath: “I was matched with Bryson in May of 2021, I wanted to give back to the community and I had known a few people who were involved in Big Brother Big Sisters, so I applied.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters is the country’s oldest and largest mentoring organization.

Every year, hundreds of kids in South Florida enter the program with the hope of being matched with an adult mentor, called a “Big Brother” or “Big Sister.”

The relationships that are formed can form a positive impact on a child’s life.

Jennifer Becker: “They help our kids discover who they are and believe in themselves, believe in their potential.”

Mentors are always needed. There are so many kids waiting for a big brother or big sister that there just aren’t enough to meet the demand.

Jennifer Becker: “We have 600 littles this year. We have 252 that are waiting for a mentor today.”

After Brian and Bryson were matched, they started meeting twice a month. But as their bond grew, so did their time together.

Brian McGrath: “Now I see him multiple times a week, helping with basketball practice, pick up and drop off, and we try to read most nights on the phone.”

Bryson: “Sometimes we just read throughout the day, like on weekends, if I have no school.”

Brian’s work with Big Brothers Big Sisters was recently recognized by the organization.

He was named “Big Brother of the Year” in Broward County, then went on to be named “Big Brother of the Year” in the state of Florida.

Brian McGrath: “I’ve had the opportunity to go up to Tallahassee and be in the Capitol and talk about the impact that this program has.”

The program also had an impact on Kyra. Not long after meeting Bryson, she decided to become a mentor. She already knew of someone who was looking for one, Bryson’s older brother Don’Terrion.

Don’Terrion: “Before Ms. Kyra, I had my own big brother, but then he had to do work and stuff so he couldn’t see me no more. So that’s when she asked my grandpa to take me to an NSU basketball game.”

Kyra McGrath: “He said, ‘Can you just be my big sister?’ And Big Brothers Big Sisters accommodated, we’re just one big, happy family, right!”

The two families spend a lot of time together both on and off the court.

Brian McGrath: “We’ve always enjoyed taking them out on our boat, and they love to swim in Whiskey Creek. We’ve been into fishing somewhat recently over the last year or so, and that’s been fun to learn.”

Bryson and Don’Terrion say having mentors means they always have someone cheering them on.

Bryson: “It feels like I have someone I can always talk to, relate with and someone who can always help me.”

Brian and Kyra are happy to help.

Brian McGrath: “Watching Bryson and Don’Terrion grow and mature and become better teammates on the basketball court, better students in school, It’s been really rewarding to be part of that process.”

It’s a process that started off as mentorship and has now transformed into family.

Heather Walker, 7News.

To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County, click here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

It has been 47 years since Jayne Kennedy was first introduced to football fans across the country.

Jayne Kennedy: “‘The NFL Today’ was guaranteed, hands down, the most impactful thing that I’ve done in my career.”

In 1978, Jayne became the first Black woman to co-host an NFL pregame show.

Jayne Kennedy: “That changed the way that the sports industry saw women in the broadcast booth and particularly women of color.”

But before breaking the gridiron glass ceiling, Jayne tells us she had to fight just to get an audition.

Jayne Kennedy: “I remember that I wanted that audition very much. And I kept asking my agent to submit me. And they kept saying, ‘They don’t want someone like you,’ and that ‘like you’ was, they didn’t want someone Black.”

She didn’t give up.

Jayne Kennedy: “I knew that I could do this show, and I wanted to do it with all my heart. So, I made sure that I did everything that I could do to not let them block my way.”

Jayne landed the job, but initially the network only gave her a six-week contract.

That is, until they were looking to score an interview with an iconic athlete in another sport.

A man who happened to be Jayne’s friend — Muhammad Ali.

Jayne Kennedy: “‘I can get you the interview,’ and they looked at me and they said, ‘Who are you?’ So I said, ‘I’m the woman who can get you the interview from Muhammad Ali,’ and I’m sitting there, and I’m scared to death. I’m going, ‘Oh, my God, please, please Muhammad, walk through the door, walk through door.’ All of a sudden, he walks through the door, and he walks straight to the camera, and he says, ‘I only do this for my friend, Jayne.'”

Muhammad Ali (during interview): “I just couldn’t resist Ms. Jayne Kennedy, and I’m granting you something special, because you are the greatest like I’m the greatest.”

Her contract was extended.

Jayne Kennedy: “I landed the big one, but I was not going to quit.”

And that no-quit attitude very much defines Jayne Kennedy’s journey. She’s now detailing her triumphs and setbacks in a newly released memoir, simply titled “Plain Jayne.”

Jayne Kennedy: “I see myself as plain Jayne. I know other people don’t, but I do.”

Last weekend, Jayne did a book signing in Coral Gables as part of a nationwide tour.

She was also recently a guest on “The Tamron Hall Show,” which airs on ABC Miami.

Jayne Kennedy: “A lot of people have been telling me, ‘You need to write a book.'”

Jayne hopes her story resonates.

Jayne Kennedy: “I know for a fact it is true — that you can always be better, as long as you are willing to open your eyes. I have been so blessed in my entire life.”

A life filled with adventure, and a career recognized with this picture of Jayne on the set of “The NFL Today.”

It’s in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture — next to other legends like The Supremes and Nat King Cole.

Jayne Kennedy: “I can’t even explain it because it was, like, it took my breath away — my heart, my heart cried, I cried, because it was such a struggle just to get there.”

She got there — and continues to write her next chapter.

Heather Walker, 7News.

To learn more about her memoir:
Jayne Kennedy 

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Whether you see them cruising down the highway, or showing up on a celebrity’s social media, these custom cars stand out.

And they’re all made by one South Florida family.

Joe Ghattas, Owner of Apocalypse Manufacturing: “I’m Joe Ghattas, owner of Apocalypse Manufacturing, where we build the baddest trucks on the planet.”

Joe Ghattas started the company 13 years ago in Fort Lauderdale. It began as a hobby, then took off, so he brought on his wife Ashley and the rest of her family.

Ashley Ghattas: “Joe builds the trucks, and my family sells them.”

Joe Ghattas: “This is just a dream come true. I couldn’t tell you how happy I am coming to work every day, doing what we do. And how big it’s gotten, it’s wild, it just blows my mind every day.”

Everything here is big — from the cars…

Joe Ghattas: “This is our gladiator Spartan. This is one of our signature builds.”

…to the operation that creates them.

Joe Ghattas: “The secret sauce, right? That’s our [six-wheel] axle.”

The company has grown to more than 100 employees across four locations. Between their two brands — SoFlo Customs and Apocalypse Manufacturing — the company turns out about 115 trucks a month.

The price tag? Anywhere from $60,000 all the way up to half a million dollars for this stretched G-Wagen.

Joe Ghattas: “These guys right here, they pull each part out, we wrap it, we stitch it al by hand.”

Heather Walker: “This is couture.”

Joe Ghattas: “Yeah, I like that word.”

Every inch of every car is customized.

Joe Ghattas: “If you look at the car, and you can’t recognize what it started as, that’s an Apocalypse.”

Heather Walker: “That’s it.”

Joe Ghattas: “That’s it.”

And that might be the reason celebrities go crazy for them.

Jerry Eisenband, Chief Marketing Officer, Apocalypse Manufacturing: “This place doesn’t have a shortage of celebrities.”

Like Drake.

Joe Ghattas: “Drake wanted a very custom interior; he wanted a zebra pattern style. Shaquille O’Neal, who you will see on the show, celebrities and athletes love it, like Luka Dončić. He appeared Monday night, Mavericks playoff game, in one of our Apocalypse HellFires, and everyone just lost their minds.”

They don’t just look cool — they’re just as much fun to drive.

Joe Ghattas: “I think, when you look at my trucks, they’re very South Florida. We’ve got the wider tire, because we’ve got the mud, we’ve got the Everglades, we’ve got the crazier fenders, we’ve got the wilder Miami colors.”

This South Florida family’s passion for custom cars has now driven them onto the small screen — starring in the new reality show “Truck Dynasty.”

Heather Walker: “What’s your biggest lesson that you’ve learned?”

Joe Ghattas: “You’re never going to fire your family, that’s step one, so just learn how to get better with each other every day.”

The other lesson he’s learned: If you build it, they will come.

Heather Walker, 7 News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

The shelves at this South Florida store are lined with handmade scented candles, soaps and scrubs.

Daniella, student: “The favorite one is Cactus Flower and Jade.”

They’re all made by students from Learning Links, a school for children and young adults with autism and other disabilities. Students receive an education and are taught skills that can later help them find jobs.

Yarisa Echevarria, Founder of Learning Links: “Life skills and certain skills that don’t necessarily come natural to our students, and we help them through that. We give them the hands on to make all these things that they learn all of a sudden make sense to them.”

Teacher: “Very good, Kathy. Amazing!”

A few years ago, students at Learning Links were able to take what they learned in class and create their own line of scented spa products.

Martina Baldwin, Program Director: “So we make scrubs, and we also make soaps, and we make diffusers, and we also make room sprays. We help them out with measurements and things like that, placements of the wicks, making sure that they’re doing it themselves, but maintaining the quality of the product as well.”

The products were a hit, so they started selling them online and at local farmer’s markets.

After a few years, the school decided it was time for the students to open their own store in the Hammocks community in Southwest Miami-Dade.

Daniella: “Welcome to Beyond Links Marketplace.”

Yarisa Echevarria: “So everything in the store is made by the students.”

Students are involved in every aspect of the business here at Beyond Links Marketplace, from creating the products to selling them.

Yarisa Echevarria: “Everything from taking orders, fulfilling orders, creating the product, labeling, packaging and working the front of the store, customer service, you know, register.”

Beyond Links Marketplace held its grand opening over the weekend.

Daniella: “The Beyond Links Marketplace is open for business!”

It gave students like Daniella an opportunity to work with customers.

Daniella: “I worked at the cashier for the customers, and I said, ‘Have a nice day’ to everyone else, and everyone was very proud of me.”

Yarisa is proud to see these young adults thrive.

Yarisa Echevarria: “And I think the key, the goal for this program is to let our community know how great our kids are and how much talent and how many skills they have if they’re just given the right chance.”

She hopes it shows them that creating candles can help them create a brighter future.

Jordan Kissane, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Five days a week, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 2 p.m., Julius Woods is the gatekeeper at the entrance of Belle Meade Island in Miami.

Julius has kept an eye on countless cars coming and going during his almost 30 years as a security guard here.

Valeria Santeusanio, resident: “I’m 25, so I was born and raised here, and he’s been here since day one. I always feel like he’s a part of our family.”

And last month, dozens of people from his extended family…

Family and neighbors (singing): “Happy birthday to you!”

…came out to celebrate Julius’ 99th birthday.

Commissioner Christine King presented him with a proclamation in his honor and a key to the city.

Julius Woods: “I love you all, and I hope that I can still serve.”

Luis Gonzalez, resident: “He was the first ambassador to the island. He has a big smile for everyone — an unbelievable person, human being.”

Miami Commissioner Christine King: “He’s fantastic. His life is a story. It’s inspirational.”

Julius told us he doesn’t quite know what to say to those who view him as an inspiration. But he still had plenty to say when we sat down to talk with him.

We start with the obvious question: Why does he keep working?

Julius Woods: “Well, I work because I feel good at meeting people, and I enjoy my job, and I enjoy talking to people. Sometimes they come and they sit down, and they tell me the problems they have. I’m a good listener.”

Julius still drives to and from work, and if you’re wondering what his secret to staying in such good shape is, Julius says it is not his diet.

Julius Woods: “I can’t say I eat properly because I eat everything under the sun. But I never drank, and I never smoked; I guess that helped a lot.”

Speaking of food, Julius has special treats for the four-legged residents of the island.

Julius Woods: “I love my pups. I don’t own a pup.”

Although Julius’ job is to keep residents safe, they are very protective of him.

Julius Woods: “I think everybody on the island just about looks like they have my phone number. If I’m not there, I get a call at least from four or five people, ‘Julius, what’s wrong? You all right? You need anything?'”

Ralph Humbertson has lived on the island for 50 years and has a special bond with Julius. Both are Navy veterans.

Ralph Humbertson, resident: “And I just turned 81, so, you know, he considers me the kid. He served in World War II. He’s a hero. He was involved in Iwo Jima, where so many people were killed.”

His oldest son, Julius Woods Jr., was also in the Navy.

Julius Woods Jr.: “He always taught us, you know, just take care of family and everything. Can you imagine at 99 getting up at 3:30 in the morning, every morning? He gets up, goes to work, and I go back to sleep. I just hope I got his genes. You know, hey, 99, say he’s gonna work till 100.”

While this 66-year-old is retired, his dad has no plans to turn in his uniform.

Julius Woods: “As long as I feel like I do, I won’t retire.”

Julius’ message to all of us is this:

Julius Woods: “Always try to treat everyone like you want to be treated yourself.”

A “golden rule” to cherish and guard.

Tavares Jones, 7News.

While there are no official rankings, Julius is likely the oldest working security guard in Florida and possibly the country. If there is anyone older, we’d like to hear about them, so contact us!

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Darryl Thomas, line dance instructor: “Let’s go, let’s go.”

Step by step, beat by beat, this is much more than a dance class. For Darryl Thomas, who goes by the name Coach D, line dancing is a form of therapy.

Darryl Thomas: “You release endorphins of happiness and joy. I have never, ever, ever seen a mad or angry line dancer; you will never see it.”

He started line dancing after an injury kept him from lifting weights.

Darryl Thomas: “One thing led to another, and next thing you know, I’m a line dance instructor with a whole line dance class, with a line dance team.”

These classes started a few weeks ago in Miami. They are offered for free by the nonprofit organization Circle of Brotherhood.

Coach D is the health and wellness coordinator for the group and named the class Dance Kickin’ Therapy.

Darryl Thomas: “The whole essence of the line dancing is to bring the community together.”

Anyone can take part. All you have to do is show up, get in line, and if you mess up, Coach D says just catch up.”

Sharon Johnson, line dancer: “The instructors, they’re very nice and patient.”

Nicole, line dancer: “It just awakens you because, you know, I was kind of like getting lazy, so I was like, ‘You know what? I need to get out. I need to get back in and start dancing’ and stuff like that, so it’s a form of exercise. We really sweated in here a lot, so people have this misconception that line dancing is not hard work. It is; you put a lot of cardio in, in line dancing.”

Nicole brought her grandkids along: 8-year-old Eugene and 12-year-old Fait.

Eugene: “It was fun.”

Heather Walker: “It was? What made it fun?”

Eugene: “Because I was dancing, and I love to have fun.”

Nicole: “Show him what your favorite part was.”

Some come to learn new moves or get a workout. Others find line dancing as a way to work through life’s challenges.

Sharon Johnson: “I had a lot of grief I was going through, and dancing really helps.”

For Sharon Johnson, the unexpected benefit has been the friendships she has formed.

Sharon Johnson: “Coming and meeting new people, that’s the best part, meeting a lot of new friends.”

Nicole: “Even if you don’t know the person that you are dancing next to, it kind of like brings people together. By the time you are finished, everybody is like, yeah, you are rooting each other on and, you know, boosting everybody up.”

These shared steps are turning strangers into supporters.

Darryl Thomas: “With all the things that are going on in our nation, you know, I think the best thing to do is just to dance.”

And that’s moving in the right direction.

Heather Walker 7News.

The class are held on Wednesday night and Saturday morning. For more information, click here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Sean Ramrattan spends his days as a realtor, but when he’s not closing deals, he’s cooking up great food.

He’s also cooking up comedy.

Sean Ramrattan: “I just naturally make people laugh, life of the party.”

Sean is now combining his past career as a standup comedian with his chef skills to help feed hungry kids.

Sean Ramrattan: “In the long run, the smiles and the gratitude make all the difference.”

During the COVID pandemic, Sean realized many people would go days without a meal. He knew he had to help feed the needy.

Sean Ramrattan: “So it started where I would cook 50 meals and, really, was just to feed the less fortunate, the homeless.”

As the community started to hear about Sean’s efforts, he started getting calls from families with children who were struggling to put food on the table.

Sean Ramrattan: “We were getting messages like, ‘Hey, I know a lady with kids,’ ‘I know of a granddad with his four grandkids, and he’s struggling.’ I felt like I couldn’t disappoint these kids.”

For months, Sean and his friends would prepare meals in his kitchen and deliver them to families in Southwest Miami-Dade. But they were eventually forced to stop.

Sean Ramrattan: “We were told it’s, kind of, not legal to just cook food and give to people. We were stopped by the police.”

In order to keep going, Sean started a nonprofit called Givin’ 4 Livin.’ The purpose is the same: to provide meals for local families and children.

Sean Ramrattan: “It’s like, you’re not gonna get ham and cheese. You’re gonna get a ham and cheese with a blueberry jam. You’re gonna get a turkey sandwich with pesto, mayo and arugula. Like, I’m getting chills. It excites me to know that I’m making a difference.”

Sean is moving Givin’ 4 Livin’ from his home to a commercial kitchen. But that can be expensive, so he decided the best way to raise the money is to make people laugh.

He said it was an easy choice.

Sean Ramrattan: “For like five years, I did standup comedy.”

Starting in September, Sean and a team of local comedians will host a monthly show called the Miami Comedy Jam.

All proceeds will go toward meals for kids and families.

Sean hopes each show raises enough money to feed at least 100 kids every month. And, of course, each meal will be served with a side of laughter.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you would like to donate to help Sean provide meals for children and families, you can donate to his GoFundMe here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

At 16 years old, Lauren Licea had her whole life ahead of her. But in an instant, everything changed.

Stefanie Celis, Lauren’s mom: “We didn’t even know if she was gonna make it at some point.”

Lauren was the passenger in this car when it crashed in 2018. Her injuries were life-altering.

Lauren is now blind in one eye, paralyzed from the chest down, and has a breathing tube, but she is focused on the future.

Lauren Licea: “I’m very strong. I don’t get down easily.”

Through it all, two important people have been by her side: Her surgeon, Dr. Arthur Desrosiers…

Lauren Licea: “He cares, and I appreciate him.”

…and her mom, Stefanie, a Miami-Dade public school teacher.

Lauren Licea: “I don’t know what I would do without my mom.”

Stefanie Celis: “You know, she lives in pain. That doesn’t go away with anything. I would do anything to take it away from her.”

Now, Dr. Desrosiers is going above and beyond to help Lauren have a better quality of life.

Dr. Arthur Desrosiers, Lauren’s surgeon: “She’s a very special young girl, and I think I feel empathetic for her situation.”

He specializes in facial reconstruction. This is a 3-D model of Lauren’s skull.

Dr. Arthur Desrosiers: “She broke more bones in her face of any patient that I’ve ever seen survive.”

But the big problem is Lauren developed bacterial infections in her face — that cannot be treated with regular drugs. It requires monthly surgeries, but the infections keep coming back.

Lauren Licea: “It’s been almost seven years that I’ve been fighting these infections.”

Dr. Desrosiers found an experimental treatment to try to eliminate the infections once and for all. But it’s expensive and not covered by insurance. So he stepped up to help the family raise money to pay for it.

Dr. Arthur Desrosiers: “I started the foundation, The Miami Foundation For Science and Medicine, specifically to raise money for underinsured or non-insured children and indigent people that needed to get healthcare and couldn’t access it.”

The GoFundMe he organized for Lauren has raised more than $13,000 of the $40,000 needed to start her treatment.

Lauren Licea: “Without the money, unfortunately, I can’t get this medicine.”

The experimental medicine Lauren is trying to get is called phage therapy. Phages are viruses used to target and destroy antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Dr. Arthur Desrosiers: “What we’re going to do is then take that money that we raised through the GoFundMe and use it to purchase that cocktail of phages for Lauren for her surgery here in Miami. I’m very optimistic.”

Stefanie Celis: “He’s always available for us. I haven’t gotten that from any other doctor, and we see many doctors. I appreciate him more than words can say.”

Her doctor’s actions keep Lauren hopeful.

Lauren Licea: “I do want to go to college and be independent. I want to go out more without having people stare.”

If it works, the doctor says the left side of Lauren’s face will be successfully reconstructed. While she will never be the same, it has given her a new perspective on gratitude.

Lauren Licea: “Always be yourself and love yourself the way you are, because you never know what could happen.”

A powerful reminder from a resilient 23-year-old.

Heather Walker, 7News

If you would like to contribute to Lauren’s fundraiser, click here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Chef D: “I’m Chef D. How ya’ll doing today?”

Kids: “Good!”

Chef D is welcoming his latest group of future cooks.

Chef D: “Welcome to ‘Kids Can Cook.’

Miami Chef Dario Stephen created the “Kids Can Cook” program to teach children how to make healthy and delicious food.

Samiah: “Now, because of Chef D, I can cook.”

Heather Walker: “That’s amazing! How does that make you feel?”

Samiah: “I feel great and I feel excited.”

You can feel the energy when Samiah and the rest of the kids put on their aprons and chef hats to start preparing the food.

Chef D: “You want to huuuh (making a sound). You want that bread to be like a sponge, and then you want to flip it over, and when you pick it up, it’s like, ‘Oh goodness,’ and then oh yeah.”

On the menu today: French toast.

Chef D: “Let it drip, let it drip, one, two, skip a few 99, 100”

It’s a simple recipe.

Chef D: “Higher, higher, all right.”

With only a few ingredients.

Chef D: “Little bit more, thank you.”

For Chef D, this group of students is extra special because these kids are experiencing homelessness.

His goal is to make sure they leave with much more than a meal.

Chef D: “What I see them taking away a lot of times is confidence.”

Confidence that comes from learning to cook a dish successfully.

It’s not just about cooking; it’s about embarking on an adventure.

Chef D likes to use recipes that introduce his students to new places.

Chef D: “Just like with reading, I try to take them with food to different places. So you can experience India because we just made this Indian dish.”

These classes instill a love for cooking in some of the kids.

Lanardo: “I love making it.”

Heather Walker: “Why do you love making it?”

Lanardo: “Because I want to be a chef.”

And they all love how Chef D cooks up a fun time…

LJ: “He’s really nice.”

Lanardo: “He’s very funny.”

…While learning.

Esther: “So he was making Captain Crunch Chicken, and he said, ‘When you get into a pool, do you jump in the pool or do you walk down the stairs? You walk down the stairs so you don’t splash anyone,’ so we put it in the thing and then we let it go.”

For Chef D, it’s about passing his passion onto the next generation.

Chef D: “A lot of people want to focus on health and nutrition. That’s important, but my angle is to get them to fall in love with cooking. And as they fall in love with cooking, it’s going to correct some of the practices they have with eating processed foods, because they are cooking or eating out, and eating fast food because they are cooking.”

He hopes the lessons he’s serving up will last a lifetime.

Heather Walker 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Taking care of a horse is hard work, but it can also be a lot of fun.

Noah: “And now she’s licking me! Ewww!”

Grooming ponies like River gives Noah the emotional support he needs.

Mayte, Noah’s mother: “I didn’t know what to do. I was completely lost.”

Noah’s mother says her son struggled after the death of his father. A friend told her about a program called “Tomorrow’s Rainbow,” a nonprofit that provides mental health services in a non-traditional setting.

Abby Mosher, Founder of Tomorrow’s Rainbow: “We have some goats as well, but the horses have a special therapeutic component that we rely on. We believe that people feel so much better in nature.”

Abby came up with the idea 20 years ago, after the death of her husband. She and her son Dustin were able to get grief counseling through their health insurance.

Abby Mosher: “But week after week, I’d sit in the waiting room and wonder, ‘What do all the other families do that don’t have that insurance or don’t have the money for therapy?'”

Abby started Tomorrow’s Rainbow to provide free grief counseling to children and their families. Instead of working out of an office, sessions are held on the farm.

Noah: “Hi, Precious!”

Abby Mosher: “So, typical therapy, you would be in an office, and you would rely on language. You would rely on talk a lot. But when we work with the children, they really do so much better through activities, through play, through experiential interactions.”

Noah: “This is a face brush, and we have to be very careful with it so it does not go in her eye.”

While kids like Noah learn about horses, they also learn how to open up and talk about their feelings.

Mayte: “Noah tends to hold everything in until he explodes, and coming here, being around other kids who are having similar experiences, has helped him really open up and talk about what he’s going through.”

Noah: “It lets me know that I’m not alone.”

Noah: “Ah, stop licking me!”

The horses do more than just provide comfort. They also help teach the kids valuable coping skills.

Abby Mosher: “They are the only animal in the animal kingdom that has the natural ability to mirror your behavior. So when the children are working with the horse, whatever they’re giving off, the horse is going to give back to them. If they don’t like what they see, they can make those adjustments. So they learn to self-soothe and self-regulate.”

Mayte says the therapy sessions have changed her son’s life.

Mayte: “He’s smiling a lot more. That’s a big win, ’cause for a long time, he wasn’t smiling.”

Noah: “Ah, Precious!”

For Noah, the program has not only helped him cope with the death of his father but also honor his memory.

Noah: “Honestly, I think that he’ll be proud of me, see what I’ve done without him. He’ll just probably be proud of me.”

Noah: “Bye, Snickers!”

A goodbye for now, to a very special therapist.

Heather Walker, 7News.

FOR MORE INFO:
Tomorrow’s Rainbow

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

At 84 years old, JoAnn Sampson is not slowing down — literally.

JoAnn Sampson, sprinter: “Eighty-four-year-old, some days I feel 48 because I’m training with my trainer, and just stretching and doing everything, so I feel a lot younger.”

We watched as JoAnn and her trainer, Eleazar Murphy, went through a morning workout in Hollywood.

Eleazar Murphy, trainer: “As a trainer, she’s like living proof of what exercise and eating right does.”

From warming up, to jumping rope and strength training.

JoAnn Sampson: “Yeah, she’s tough on me. I needed someone not to treat me like an old lady, but give me the skills and things that I need to run my race.”

Running races is this senior sprinter’s specialty — competing in the 50-, 100- and 200-meter dashes.

Eleazar Murphy: “The other trainers would be like, ‘You know, you should not be having her run.’ I’m like, ‘She’s a sprinter, number one, so she has to run,’ you know what I mean? So to tell her that she can’t run, that’s crazy.”

JoAnn Sampson: “This map is all the places where I’ve left my footprints.”

Each sticker on this U.S. map represents a place where JoAnn has laced up her running shoes.

A wall at her home is adorned with an array of medals for her accomplishments.

JoAnn Sampson: “This is my purpose. You know, we all have a purpose.”

And if you think JoAnn has been racing her whole life, think again. The retired public school teacher started running at age 62.

JoAnn Sampson: “I finished from Miami Northwestern in 1960. They didn’t have track for girls; everything was for boys. The only thing I did in high school was a cheerleader.”

JoAnn credits her soulmate of 50 years, who passed away in 2022, as the one who got her into track.

JoAnn Sampson: “‘Pump them arms, pump them arms,’ and I can hear him. I still visualize him still there, at the end of the lane, and I just get my power from that.”

In December, JoAnn finished second in her age group in the Florida Senior Games. That qualified her for the National Senior Games in Iowa, which run through Aug. 4.

JoAnn Sampson: “I’m just going to show them the bottom of my cleats. JoAnn’s still got game.”

The 2025 National Senior Games feature more than 12,500 athletes competing in 25 different sports.

Florida has the most athletes of any state in the country, and JoAnn’s mission is to draw even more attention to her fellow seniors.

JoAnn Sampson: “I feel like I was chosen for this, to let seniors know that no matter what age you are, you can do something. You know, follow your heart. We are a generation of champions.”

And JoAnn doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Next year, she will move up to the 85-to-89 age bracket and says she’s motivated by her elders on the track.

JoAnn Sampson: “We have a team of 90s. I’ll see them in National. Yeah, I want to be like them.”

Athletes embodying the phrase “age is just a number,” one race at a time.

Heather Walker, 7News.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Florida Senior Games

National Senior Games

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Money is tight for so many people right now — and having a pet can be an extra burden.

Denise Payne: “He loves people.”

Denise has cerebral palsy and said her dog, Oscar, is the best medicine.

She rescued him after Hurricane Irma.

Denise Payne: “He’s loved us ever since. He’s got quite the personality.”

He’s loving and sweet. But after surviving the hurricane, he almost died when another dog attacked him.

Denise Payne: “He was nearly murdered, brutally mauled.”

He was alive, but in bad shape.

Denise Payne: “I couldn’t let him die. He was like, ‘Mommy, I love you. Mommy, save me,’ and that’s what I did, because how can you put a price tag on life?”

The cost for care was thousands of dollars, which Denise couldn’t afford. Luckily, she found out about a group called The Pet Project.

Sue Martino: “We don’t say no, we have to do what we have to do. My job is to make sure we make the money to do it.”

Sue Martino is the executive director of The Pet Project. A nonprofit that works to keep pets with their owners during tough times.

The groups cares for about 3,000 pets by supplying vet care and in-home assistance for people like Denise.

Heather Walker: “All of this food is given out for free?”

Sue Martino: “Yes. Our clients don’t pay one penny for this service.”

Along with providing food, volunteers will also walk dogs for people.

All of the services are free thanks to donations, grants and money raised from their thrift store, Hidden Treasures, in Wilton Manors.

Sue Martino: “It’s 100% volunteer. All the stuff in here is donated. We will do everything in the world that we can to keep pets in their homes to save the animal and to save the person.”

Denise said The Pet Project has done just that by keeping Oscar alive.

Denise Payne: “They made it happen.”

She is happy to have him back home with his sister.

Heather Walker, 7News.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
The Pet Project
2200 NW Ninth Avenue
Wilton Manors, FL 33311
Website

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Eight-year-old Zane Robinson loves to sing.

Zane Robinson (singing): “You don’t have to change a thing, the world could change its heart.”

It helps her cope with long days at the hospital.

Lafayne Robinson: “She’s getting treated at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.”

When Zane was diagnosed with leukemia, she and her mother, Lafayne, flew from Jamaica to South Florida for treatment.

They were staying with a friend in Tamarac and spending a fortune on rides to and from the hospital every day. They didn’t have much money left over for food.

Lafayne Robinson: “Sometimes we don’t know where the next meal is coming from.”

They were offered a free room at the Ronald McDonald House [Charities of South Florida] near the University of Miami Hospital.

Soraya Rivera-Moya: “And just we provide peace of mind to those parents, so they don’t have to worry about anything else and just focus on their child.”

They also don’t have to worry about finding a hot meal, thanks to the Meals from the Heart program.

The program allows people and groups across South Florida to provide a meal for the families living at the Ronald McDonald House.

Soraya Rivera-Moya: “So it’s one of our most popular programs, because you’re able to see the result of your effort, of your time and your talent.”

The Meals from the Heart program is made possible solely by volunteers, if you can believe it. It’s really easy. The volunteers reserve the day that they want to come, either a lunch or a dinner, and they can make their meals here in the Ronald McDonald House kitchen, or they can bring in catered food and help serve it. So, if you wanna participate in this program, it could not be any easier.

Thekle Charles: “The volunteers are amazing, amazing. They are so welcoming, they treat you with a lot of love.”

Thekle Charles and her daughter, Janelle, are from Antigua. They’ve been coming to Ronald McDonald House ever since Janelle was diagnosed with bone cancer eight years ago.

Now she’s cancer-free, but she needs treatment to regrow the bone in her leg, and it’s very expensive.

Thekle Charles: “Some parents can’t afford anything else but the hospital bill. Sometimes not even that.”

Thekle and Janelle are thankful for the volunteers who cook up something special for them every day.

Belkys Nerey: “So how’s the food?”

Thekle: “The food is great, great! Look, I ate something today, oh my! Amazing, you know>”

For Zane and her mom, they know a homecooked meal is always waiting for them.

Zane Robinson: “It’s really generous of them, very kind.”

That gives Zane yet another reason to sing.

Zane Robinson (singing): “No scars to your beautiful, we’re stars and we’re beautiful.”

And the Meals from the Heart program is a beautiful way for anyone to help serve up a little comfort for families facing tough times.

Belkys Nerey, 7News.

FOR MORE INFO:
Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida
1145 NW 14th Terrace
Miami, FL 33136
Website

Meals from the Heart Program
Website

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Like father, like son. When you watch Larry and Lakar Davis play piano together and jam in their backyard studio, one thing is clear: They’re a dynamic musical duo.

Lakar Davis: “He was my first mentor, and we can just connect anytime we want.”

Larry Davis: “We don’t even have to speak, like, he can play, I can play. It’s a bond that we have that, I think that nobody understands outside of me and him.”

You might not know Larry’s name, but you’ll definitely know his music. Back in the 1970s, Larry played trumpet for the Village People.

Larry Davis: “People still remember them. They come up to me, and they won’t even sing the ‘YMCA,’ they’ll sing my part, and I’m like, ‘How do you know my part out of that song?’ So, it makes me feel kind of good that I was part of the music.”

Lakar Davis: “Every, like, banquet or, like, a dance that I go to, the ‘YMCA’ always just randomly plays, and then everyone turns their heads towards me and my dad, and I always think that’s great.”

Larry went on to tour with some big names like Prince and Rick James. He still performs to this day, and now his son Lakar is starting to chart his own course in the music world.

Lakar Davis: “It’s very, like, full body work.”

The 17-year-old just completed his first season drumming with Legacy Production Company, a nonprofit for young musicians.

They practice at Mater Lakes Academy in Northwest Miami-Dade, and compete against teams in Florida and across the country.

Lakar Davis: “Every year, they come up with a theme and a story behind it, and we have to learn how to use our body and the melody to portray that story to the audience.”

Legacy’s founder and president, Jacques Bernard, was a band member at Hialeah Senior High School.

Jacques Bernard: “I went to school to go to band. That was my day.”

The 38-year-old started Legacy shortly after his father’s death to honor his love of music.

Jacques Bernard: “You would always know when my dad would come home, because you would hear his car pull up, and all you hear is music.”

The organization started with 13 members in 2021 and currently has 76 people. Most are ages 14 to 21.

All had to go through an audition process to get in. The group has music arrangers and a production designer.

Jacques Bernard: “You have Broadway theatrics, you have the musicality of a concert group, and you have the demand of a marching band or a drum corps. And that’s all being built into one.”

Lakar will soon be marching on. He’s attending Florida International University in the fall, where he is auditioning to be part of the band’s drumline, and he plans to come back for another season with Legacy.

Lakar Davis: “And, since me and my dad have a legacy, it’s great to also see that they have a legacy that’s carrying on from four years ago, and then I get to be part of that.”

Larry Davis: “We’re watching the second generation come in under us. It’s great.”

A legacy built on passion and talent, that is surely music to this father’s ears.

Heather Walker, 7News.

For more information about Legacy Production Company, click here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Asha Walker, founder of Health in the Hood: “How about some tomatoes? Let’s do it.”

To grow a garden, you need some dirt…

Asha Walker: “Let’s crack open those seeds.”

Sunshine and…

Asha Walker: “What do you think the last thing we need to do is?”

Genesis: “Watering.”

Asha Walker: “Girl, you are a pro.”

This community garden in Pinewood, near Miami’s West Little River neighborhood, is a place where people can learn to plant, pick and enjoy food — fresh from the garden.

[Genesis pulls a sweet potato from the ground.]

Asha Walker: “Woo! That’s a big one. We had to work for that guy.”

Heather Walker: “What do you think about this?”

Jennifer Richards, Genesis’ mom: “Honestly, I love it, I love it.”

Jennifer Richards and her daughter Genesis recently moved to Pinewood and just happened to stumble upon the garden.

Genesis: “It’s very fun, and it’s very cool.”

Jennifer Richards: “I really like this aspect, the fact that this is an open garden in the neighborhood for kids to just stop by, learn certain things and just to have fun in it. Especially for her, since she loves to garden, so I love the aspect of having something so close for her.”

That was the goal when Asha Walker started these gardens with her nonprofit, called Health in the Hood.

Asha Walker: “Our mission is equal food access for all.”

Many inner city areas in South Florida are in what the Food and Drug Administration calls “food deserts,” which is any area more than a mile away from a grocery store.

Asha Walker: “If you are living in a community that’s more than a mile away from a grocery store, you don’t have a car, you don’t have extra disposable income, but if you have it growing in your backyard, it’s a totally different scenario.”

Which is what prompted Asha to bring fresh grown vegetables to the neighborhood through urban farming.

Asha Walker: “Urban gardens are really the heart of our model. We go into a neighborhood that you wouldn’t typically think of seeing a garden in, and we transform what was a vacant lot into a vibrant vegetable garden, and it truly transforms the neighborhood.”

Nikki Fowles has been working for Health in the Hood from the beginning.

Asha Walker: “She is totally the heart and soul of this program.”

She has seen the changes these gardens create in the community.

Nicole Fowles: “We have had a large impact. We’ve had a lot of the elder people that doesn’t drive anymore and doesn’t work.”

Along with planting gardens, Health in the Hood leads community nutrition education programs and holds food distribution events.

The food in the gardens is open to anyone in the neighborhood. They can pick what they need and take it home to enjoy with their family.

Nicole Fowles: “To grow your own food, and to actually be able to share it with others, it’s a wonderful feeling, Mama. It’s a beautiful feeling to give back.”

Heather Walker: “What was your favorite part?”

Genesis: “Planting the green beans.”

Asha Walker: “A little bit of love, a little creativity and some healthy soil, and you can truly transform a neighborhood.”

Genesis: “I want to come tomorrow.”

Jennifer Richards: “We’re going to come back later.”

Asha Walker: “Bye, thank you guys.”

Genesis: “Bye.”

These gardens are growing happier, healthier futures one row at a time.

Heather Walker, 7News.

For more information about Health in the Hood, click here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Monday nights at Brian Piccolo Park are all about soccer. These guys are doing more than just playing for fun; they’re playing to lose.

Igor Felicioni: “And I’ve lost, since I’ve started, I’ve lost about 20 pounds.”

Mario Fernandez: “I’ve lost 30.”

The players are all members of the MAN v FAT sports league. It helps men improve their health by playing weekly soccer games. The program started 10 years ago in the United Kingdom.

It immediately became a hit with guys who wanted to have a fun — and easy — way to improve their health.

Richard Crick: “These aren’t the guys that are looking for the perfect diet. They actually just need to reduce their calorie intake, lower their snacks, less takeaways, less alcohol, more physical activity, more walking.”

Last year, organizers took MAN v FAT to South Florida. MAN v FAT Broward currently has four teams made up of men of all ages. Players have to be at least 18 years old and be considered “clinically overweight.”

They don’t need to know how to play; they just have to be willing to get up and get active.

Richard Crick: “And they’re all united by that fact of looking after each other and losing some weight, getting out and having fun.”

Igor Felicioni plays several positions for his team, Ozempic Lyon. He said his family is his biggest reason for taking on the challenge of getting into shape.

Igor Felicioni: “I just want to hang out with my son more. And I get tired when I play with him and, you know, I figured I need to be there.”

The players are all weighed before each game. For every two players that lose weight, an extra point is added to their team’s score in the game. It’s a way for all players to help their team win, even if they don’t make a single goal.

Mario Fernandez: “For us, for the ones of us that don’t score many goals, it’s a way to contribute to the team as well.”

Sixty-year-old Mario Fernandez never played soccer before joining MAN v FAT. Joining Team A1C Milan was the perfect fit, because it’s helping him control his diabetes.

Mario Fernandez: “I’m in the pre-diabetic range now, so that’s been a big plus. And losing weight is great. I feel so much better.”

Coach Felipe Herrmann tracks the players’ weight each week. He said, at the beginning of the season, many of them were dealing with depression and cut themselves off from the world.

Felipe Herrmann: “They were not able to go in public places because they felt bad about it. They weren’t able to go the gym because they feel that they’re being judged by that.”

But as the pounds fall off, their self-esteem goes up.

Felipe Herrmann: “But the good story is that now, most of them are getting back to normal lives. They’re able to go to the beach, go to clubs, go to the gym.”

The players also gain a team of supportive friends they look forward to seeing every week.

Mario Fernandez: “You know, friendships that we’ve made and the pounds that we’ve lost.”

So far, MAN v FAT Broward has collectively dropped over 500 pounds in two seasons.

It shows that sometimes the best way to win is to lose.

Heather Walker, 7News.

MAN v FAT has also started teams in Miami-Dade.

For more information on the MAN v FAT league, click here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Heather Walker shares their digital detox in tonight’s 7Spotlight.

Inside KLA Academy in Miami, a group of super smart fifth graders studied the history of communication, from the telegraph to the internet, and technology’s impact on their young brains.

Alana: “So, we were learning about, like, our prefrontal cortex and, like, our impulse control and, like, how our brain hasn’t developed yet, and it’ll develop at, like, 25.”

Amy Crehore, teacher: “They already were like, ‘I feel like I’m addicted to my phone or I feel like I am addicted to tablet,’ and then this was the language, and the brain science, behind why you are.”

But attempting to break that addiction is where this school project got personal.

Maggie: “There’s a lot of pressure nowadays. Like, if you don’t answer, like, a message, like, a text message in, like, five minutes, it’s like, ‘did you look at what I sent you?'”

Twelve-year-old Maggie and 11-year-old Alana helped convince the rest of their class to join them in a 21-day digital detox.

Their teacher, Amy Crehore, says her students came up with the ground rules, which included nights and weekends.

Amy Crehore: “So it was basically, like, their parents had to lock away their phones, their tablets, their video game consoles.”

The students recorded video diaries during school hours to describe the highs and lows.

Day 9 / Sophie: “I’m not missing my device at all.”

Day 9 / Eva: “This is actually harder than I thought.”

Day 9 / Elena: “The struggle is real guys. It’s there. I miss my iPad.”

Under each student’s name is their average daily screentime.

Alana: “The first week was like getting used to it. I would be like, ‘OK, I’ll just call you later, don’t worry’, and then I’d be like, ‘I can’t call you later.'”

The goal was to see how taking a three-week tech break would impact things like sleep, mood, focus and creativity.

Day 4 / Eloy: “I’ve had a lot more patience, actually than I used to, so that’s also improved a lot.”

Day 15 / Maggie: “I started a book, like, a book from my house.”

Day 17 / Elena: “One thing I’ve been noticing about my productivity is that, like, I’ve been making my bed. Which is very, like, not usual for me.”

Amy Crehore: “They definitely, like, reflected that they slept better. They felt more connected with their parents.”

Amy says she wasn’t surprised by the positive effect the experiment had on her students.

Amy Crehore: “What I was surprised about was the fact that they were able to, like, go through the 21 days and not give up.”

And while not everyone was swayed…

Day 19 / Matias: “I feel like this was just a waste of time, I could be catching up on the TikTok trends right now.”

…Alana and Maggie say their digital habits have changed.

Alana: “So now I do three days a month without any devices. So I do like a mini digital detox for three days.”

Maggie: “Honestly, I do not want to be the teenager that spends, like, their whole day like watching stuff.”

And for all the kids watching, Alana has a message — just not by text…

Alana: “If you’re, like, ever feeling, like, terrible about yourself, and you’re on the screen, I think you know why, and I think that you should stop. It’s honestly just like a game, like, either you let the phones win, or you win.”

And maybe we can all win, with a break from our screens.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

It’s like an Airbnb- but for dogs. Heather walker shows us in today’s 7 Spotlight.

Isa Ega, property owner: “They love it, they just love it, you can see their face.”

These are the happy faces of dogs. They’ve come to play in Isa’s backyard using an app called Sniffspot. It was created by a dog owner who was looking for more space where his dog to play.

David Adams, Sniffspot founder: “Every dog is designed, you know, through breeding, through evolution to be free. Run free, sniff what they want, explore, but they aren’t doing that. They are living on leashes and couches today.”

Much like these pampered pooches, 7-year-old Tera, and her 7-month-old sister.

Nadine Heubel, dog mom: “Pipa! Pipa!”

Heather Walker: “These are big dogs.”

Nadine Heubel: “Yes.”

Heather Walker: “Lots of energy?”

Nadine Heubel: “Lots of energy, especially this one.”

These dogs have their own pool at home, but they don’t like the water. They like to run.

Heather Walker: “This is the backyard space, gorgeous.”

Nadine Heubel: “Thank you.”

Heather Walker: “But, no yard for them to play.”

Nadine Heubel: “No.”

And dog parks weren’t an option.

Nadine Heubel “She is the most gentle dog you can imagine, but she doesn’t like all dogs. So she’s a little bit ‘dog-selective’, and I couldn’t go to a normal dog park.”

So she started looking online for other options.

Nadine Heubel: “This is how I found Sniffspot.”

Here’s how the app works. You rent private properties by the hour, prices start at 10 dollars. You can browse photos and look at reviews.

David Adams: “It’s just for you during your visit. You can take your dog there, let them run, play games, hang out, bring friends. Do whatever you want. It’s a really fun time.”

Fun for the property owners, too.

Heather Walker: “What made you decide to do this?”

Isa Ega: “Well, number one, we love animals, we love animals and it’s an extra income.”

Isa makes about a thousand dollars a month from the app.

Isa Ega: “It’s not only about the money, it’s just like when you love animals, you see, then, like, I have rescued many animals, and you see them abused or on the street, and then you see them having this life, you know, it’s beautiful.”

And get this; Florida is now number one on the app, offering the most locations. So you are likely to find something your fur baby will like.

Heather Walker, 7News.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Sniffspot Private Dog Park Rentals

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Julie Janides knows having kids can be expensive. After paying for their food and clothes, there’s little left over for fun things like toys.

Julie Janides, ToyTrader app creator: “I truly believe that like toys are the tools of childhood, so everyone should have access to them.”

But many parents feel guilty if they can’t afford the toy their child wants. They feel bad again when it’s time to get rid of toys the kids have outgrown.

Julie Janides: “Within 28 days, the kids are typically completely over their toys, anyway, but then, you know, you feel like you’ve spent so much money on them, so you don’t really want to get rid of them, because ‘I just spent a bunch of money on these toys.'”

Julie has four kids, so her house is packed with all kinds of Legos, dolls and stuffed animals. She has tried selling some online, but it hasn’t been worth the effort.

Julie Janides: “I found myself constantly on Marketplace and buying and selling toys. And then, ultimately, you end up just giving them away because there’s so many, and you’re just overwhelmed “

Julie figured other parents were in the same boat … so she created the ToyTrader app.

Parents post toys their children no longer want and exchange them for something different. It’s a way for kids to get new toys — for free.

Julie Janides: “It’s a little bit of a new concept for people, but it’s meant to kind of help families.”

Families post a picture of the toy along with the price they originally paid for it. That number is transferred into points that are called coins. Users can earn coins by posting and selling toys and referring new users.

Instead of paying for an item with real money, users buy it with coins they collect in the app.

Julie Janides: “Hit ‘buy item,’ and it will reserve it for you, and then you meet up with the person or, you know, schedule some sort of pickup option, and the coins will automatically transfer within the app.”

They can keep the toy, or even eventually give it back and get something else.

Nalene Rampersaud Baker, founder of Supermoms and app user: “There’s lots of learning toys, there’s lot of comfort toys, and there’s lots of toys for lots of kids, like, if you have two or three kids, for them to play together.”

Julie’s app has already caught the attention of a South Florida parent support group called Supermoms.

Nalene Rampersaud Baker: “Moms leverage technology, and in a lot of cases, we leverage technology to make our life easier, because we’re always multitasking.”

ToyTrader launched just a few weeks ago — and already has 100 users who are exchanging toys throughout South Florida.

Julie Janides: “So, it really does feel great just knowing that this gives families the opportunity to effortlessly get the toys to the kids without having to spend any money and not feel guilty about it.”

With summer approaching, Julie says ToyTrader can help parents create a fun experience for kids without breaking the bank.

Heather Walker, 7News.

The ToyTrader app is currently available for download on the Apple Store and Google Play. For more information, click here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

They paddle separately — but as one — with intensity and precision.

Teresa Murphy, Team USA Breast Cancer Paddler: “I didn’t expect to build such deep personal relationships with so many people as a result of being in a sport. They are my BFFs.”

Teresa Murphy is describing her teammates. “BFF” stands for Broward Fierce Fighters.

The name is fitting, because the women on this boat have fought for their lives. All have survived or continue to battle breast cancer.

Teresa Murphy: “The fact that we can be out here doing something that helps us mentally, emotionally and physically to navigate some of the challenges that we have from surgeries — from just the emotional impact of having cancer.”

Teresa has been a Miami-Dade Public Schools teacher for 32 years, even winning the county’s prestigious Teacher of the Year award.

Teresa Murphy: “Definitely the highest honor in my career, being the Teacher of the Year, nominated by your peers.”

In 2020, during the pandemic, she continued to teach her third grade class virtually — without telling her students she was undergoing chemotherapy.

Teresa Murphy: “My students are the ones that helped me get through a difficult time. In education, we’ve long done the three Cs — common core curriculum — and in my case, in 2020, it was cancer, chemo and COVID. I can laugh about it because I’m here, so 100%.”

One hundred percent is what Teresa and her teammates try to give each time they get on the water.

Teresa Murphy: “We’re giving it our all, we’re putting everything out there.”

We rode along on a sunny Sunday morning in Hollywood for a team practice.

Teresa Murphy: “When we’re on the water, we’re just paddlers — cancer aside, all of our ailments aside.”

They’re paddling a dragon boat — a watercraft that traces back to ancient China. The team has competed and won dragon boat races.

Karen Eisen, Broward Fierce Fighters: “When we race, we feel it in our personal race, and so, when Mary, our captain, will say, ‘It doesn’t matter if we get the gold,’ it does matter if we get the gold, because we personally won.”

Now, just three years after first stepping foot in a dragon boat, Teresa is taking her competitive drive to the next level.

Teresa Murphy: “It was very intense.”

She tried out and was chosen to be one of 35 paddlers to represent Team USA in this summer’s World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Germany.

Teresa Murphy: “It is the first Team USA breast cancer team. So, it is a historical honor to represent the United States, for sure.”

Angela Long, Team USA Breast Cancer Paddlers head coach: “She’s got great heart, she’s determined.”

Angela Long, a breast cancer survivor herself, is the head coach.

Angela Long: “We’ve got the best of the best going up against the best of the best of the other countries. I would say Canada is definitely gonna give us a run for our money.”

Teresa says she’s in the gym six days a week and several days on the water to train.

Teresa Murphy: “I think the thing that I’m most proud of is how proud my children are of my accomplishments, because I’m always so proud of them.”

Team USA’s Breast Cancer Paddlers, who are from 12 different states, will go for the gold in July. We’ll of course let you know how they do.

Heather Walker, 7News.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Broward Fierce Fighters

United States Dragon Boat Federation

International Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission 

International Dragon Boat Federation

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Luciano Pavarotti made his U.S. debut right here in South Florida at the Florida Grand Opera back in 1969. It’s the fourth oldest opera house in the country. But despite its long history of famous performances, 50-60% of the seats go unfilled for many of its shows.

Maria Todaro, CEO of Florida Grand Opera: “Could it die? Yes, it could die.”

But there is a new generation here in Miami that’s hoping to keep it alive.

Maria Todaro: “And you are seeing the future star of tomorrow.”

Catherin Meza, opera singer: “I’m from Hialeah, Florida. Born and raised.”

Catherin Meza is one of them.

Heather: “Did you grow up with opera? Had you ever seen opera prior to college?”

Catherin Meza: “No, I did not.”

Born into a working class family, Catherin was the first to pursue a career in music and the first to introduce her family to opera.

Catherin Meza: “In the beginning, I wasn’t so into opera. I wanted to be a songwriter, pop singer.”

But while in college at Florida International University, she was introduced to the artform and fell in love. At the Florida Grand Opera, they are confident others will too — if they just give it a try.

Catherin Meza: “I feel like a lot of the things that people think about opera are not true.”

Catherin herself learned opera is not boring, or hard to follow because it’s in a foreign language and she wants others to embrace the experience.

Maria Todaro: “There is a reinvention happening right now of that very old artform.”

Maria Todaro grew up in an opera family. Her parents were both opera stars and she followed in their footsteps. As the new director of the Florida Grand Opera, she’s focused on bringing people back to the theater.

Maria Todaro: “I’m very hopeful for the future, but it is a transition point.”

The company is trying to make some of their shows more relevant with hi-tech additions like LED screens for sets.

Maria Todaro: “They had their ways 200 years ago, but today, what will make someone in their 20’s or 30’s be, you know, planting their nails in their seats and saying ‘Oh my God.'”

Another big change — screens with translations to English and Spanish, so you can understand the stories. But many people say, when you hear the emotions in their voices, you can understand what they are saying no matter what language it’s being sung in.

Catherin Meza: “It’s something that I just felt in my heart and in my soul.”

Catherin and the other performers want to bring that feeling to others – starting at a young age.

Catherin Meza: “This is the staging for bear hug, which is a children’s opera,”

They now bring kids in to watch performances and go to the schools to show students what opera is all about.

She hopes this next generation will allow the opera show to go on.

Heather Walker, 7News

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Shoveling soil and emptying garbage bins is dirty work, but Francisco Torres is up for the job.

Francisco Torres: “When you think about it, you are either part of the solution or you’re part of the problem.”

Torres is turning food scraps into compost to help the environment.

Francisco Torres: “So, when we think about composting, it’s a natural breakdown of organic matter, and it’s the way that nature recycles.”

When Francisco moved to South Florida a few years ago, he noticed a need.

Francisco Torres: “There was no composting service here, there was not an opportunity to prevent food waste, and I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to start doing something about it.'”

Not only did Francisco want to encourage people to start composting, he wanted to make it easy for them.

In 2020, he started Compost for Life. It works like a trash service. People toss their leftover food into a bin that’s picked up and taken to a compost hub in Homestead or Miami Beach.

Francisco Torres: “So we repeat that process every week. So we go to your condominium, your multi-unit, your house, we go to your doorstep.”

The scraps are mixed with mulch and turned at least once a week to break down the food. Then, nature does the rest.

Francisco Torres: “So, in 90 days, we’ll have finished compost. We collected 110 pounds that first week. Fast forward almost five years later, and we’re collecting over 65,000 pounds per week.”

Compost for Life is gaining traction across South Florida, and restaurants like Stubborn Seed on Miami Beach are helping out by chipping in with their scraps.

Logan McNeil: “Anything that once had life can be composted, recycled and made into compost and utilized again, right? So that’s any trims on our proteins, any trims on our fruits and vegetables.”

A few hours before the restaurant doors open, the staff is busy in the kitchen prepping food for dinner service. Chef Logan McNeil says if the food doesn’t end up on a plate, it’s tossed in a container and taken outside to a bright pink Compost for Life bin.

Logan McNeil: “We’ve been able to offset over 11,000 pounds of food trims and scraps and things like that, that would have otherwise been in a landfill. It’s just one way that we can give back to the Earth, right?”

Most of the compost is sent to local farms that supply produce to restaurants like Stubborn Seed. It’s also donated to community gardens across South Florida.

Francisco Torres: “All that we’re doing here is making sure that every time that you put a food item or food scrap into a pink bucket, that bucket will be composted. That’s our guarantee.”

A guarantee for a cleaner, brighter future. Heather Walker, 7News.

Compost for Life’s service starts at $24 a month for houses. Prices for multi-unit buildings and businesses vary and quotes are available. For more info on Compost for Life and how to register, click here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Alicia Guillaume realized she wanted to become a nurse back in 2010, when a devastating earthquake struck Haiti. Her parents created a foundation to help the victims.

Alicia Guillaume, nursing student: “My parents are from Haiti. The care that they had for the people, the selflessness, and being able to put themselves in those peoples’ shoes and be sympathetic and be empathetic with them, really put a passion in me to want to get into nursing.”

The passion was there, but money to pay for nursing school was not.

Alicia Guillaume: “My parents are very, very, very hard workers, and like I said, they’re immigrants. I didn’t want to be that burden to them, because I know that they have a lot on their plate as well.”

Then halfway through her junior year at Barry University, Alicia learned she had won a scholarship.

Alicia Guillaume: “I was jumping for joy. Like, I was ecstatic. I ran downstairs when I found out. I told my mom. She was crying, I was crying.”

Less than a month before graduation, the 22-year-old was again shedding tears of joy, this time thanking the couple who made the scholarship possible.

Alicia Guillaume: “Thank you for believing in students like me. Your impact will live in the patients I care for, the lives I touch and the nurse I’m becoming. Thank you for being a part of my story.”

Matt Allen, foundation co-founder: “We don’t need a ‘Matt Allen’ building or a ‘Lisa Allen’ building. You know, we need Alicias in this world.”

The husband-and-wife team launched the Matt & Lisa Allen Family Foundation in 2022 with a mission to help kids and teens in our community.

Matt Allen: “We want to be able to support the organizations that have been along, that are established, that have great mentoring programs. Education and health care are our two main goals.”

Lisa Allen, foundation co-founder: “It’s a lot of work. We have no overhead, no employees. We do a lot a strategic planning.”

The pair hosted a fundraising auction at their Miami Shores home last month, hosted by yours truly.

Donovan Campbell: “I’m your host for this evening.”

Students must have good grades, commitment and community service hours to be considered for a college scholarship.

Donors got to hear directly from the high school students who have benefited from the foundation.

Asante Brooks, Coral Glades High School: “I’m gonna major in history because I want to become a lawyer.”

Tiana Penn, Blanche Ely High School: “I’ll major in medicine, aiming to become an orthopedic surgeon.”

Matthew McCallum, Atlantic Technical High School: “I can go to college without the worry of, you know, being in debt, basically debt-free. You guys set me up on my career path.”

At the fundraiser, we met 18-year-old Kelan Dennis.

Kelan Dennis, Crockett-Allen Scholar: “We get the exposure to our future, but also the means — financial and professional means — towards our future as well.”

Kelan will graduate from Blanche Ely High School later this month, also earning his associate’s degree from Broward College. He was accepted into 18 universities and ultimately decided to attend FSU.

Kelan Dennis: “I want to pursue mechanical engineering as I enter Florida State University in the fall of 2025, and ultimately gain a deep understanding on mechanics and how to apply these mathematical principles from the textbook to the real world.”

The foundation has raised more than $3.5 million in less than three years.

Matt and Lisa hope giving back has a ripple effect as these young people chart their own career paths.

Matt Allen: “They’re receiving now, but they’re gonna be the givers of the future.”

Alicia says she definitely plans on giving back.

Alicia Guillaume: “Honestly, I’m very excited to see what the future holds for me.”

Alicia’s goals include earning her master’s degree, becoming a nurse practitioner and one day opening her own clinic.

Donovan Campbell, 7News.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Matt & Lisa Allen Family Foundation

Crockett-Allen Scholars 

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Dr. Mitch Spero: “Come on. Faster, faster, faster, faster. Sit, sit.”

This tiny turtle can do tricks you would normally see from a dog.

Dr. Mitch Spero: “There’s a high-five.”

And some you haven’t seen.

Dr. Mitch Spero: “Wave. There’s a wave. Do it again. Let’s see the wave? That’s pretty hard for a turtle. There you go. Let’s see another wave on the other side.”

The turtle, named Florida, has been featured all over the world, and his tricks are truly amazing.

Heather Walker: “How do you feel when you’re here?”

Leo: “Happy.”

Dr. Mitch Spero is the man who trained Florida. He is a child psychologist in Sunrise and uses the turtle to teach kids, like Leo, how to deal with their feelings and overcome obstacles.

Dr. Mitch Spero: “You look at people’s eyes when you talk to them, like the turtle, and you are more confident.”

Leo: “Yeah.”

Dr. Mitch Spero: “The turtle is confident.”

Dr. Mitch Spero (to Florida): “That’s it. There he goes.”

Leo: “That’s funny.”

Keri Lunt: “Leo was having a lot of really big feelings and didn’t quite have the vocabulary to express them.”

When Leo’s mom went looking for someone to help her son, she found Dr. Mitch and his tortoise.

Keri Lunt: “Immediately I was like, ‘Yup, OK, I’m sold.’ Any guy who can teach a turtle how to do dog tricks, I’m sold.”

Leo: “I’ll get him to flip over. That’s a good try, Florida.”

Dr. Mitch has also created books and games.

Dr. Mitch Spero: “This is his book, and it’s ‘Florida the Turtle Who Thinks He’s a Dog and Finds His Feelings.’ A book to help your child overcome anxiety, fears and shyness. In the back of the book are feeling words.”

Keri Lunt: “He has come such a long way with his words, he asks for everything that he wants, instead of having, you know, outbursts.”

Chris Lunt: “I am happy with most anything that gets the results that help my son.”

Heather Walker: “Even if it involves a turtle?”

Chris Lunt: “Could be a turtle, could be a muskrat, could be a capybara. I don’t care, as long as he’s happy and he’s doing what’s good for him.”

Like any therapy, slow and steady wins the race.

Leo: “I love him.”

Heather Walker 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

You won’t find any meat at this restaurant in Pompano Beach.

Samuel Woods: “We specialize in recreating some of the world’s most popular food dishes and making them plant-based.”

The Rabbit Hole features vegan and vegetarian dishes. Owner Samuel Woods said there’s also something else on the menu. It’s not food, but it still serves up a special purpose.

Samuel Woods: “Trying to create as many young, aspiring historians as possible.”

When Samuel’s not in the kitchen, he’s out front with Emmanuel George and David Paulo. They’re shuffling through their latest creation: a set of cars meant to teach kids about a special part of Broward County’s history.

Emmanuel George: “It’s been beautiful, because it’s been resonating with many people.”

They created “The Hub” collectible flash cards. Each card features the story of some of Broward’s most well-known Black historical figures.

Emmanuel George: “Esther Rolle, who was in the show ‘Good Times.’ We have Ms. Blanche Ely, we also have the likes of Dr. Sistrunk.”

Emmanuel has spent years creating documentaries about South Florida’s Black history, art and culture. He wanted a new way to share it with kids and adults.

Emmanuel George: “We got to find these creative ways to share history, because oftentimes, you got to meet people where they’re at.”

Each pack of cards is divided into three sets, with facts about historical figures from North, Central and South Broward. They’re meant to be collected and shared just like another set of popular cards.

Samuel Woods: “Maybe I’m telling my age a little bit, but we used to collect Pokémon cards, and we loved it, right? And you would collect them over time and have binders full.”

The cards are available online, or you can buy a set at The Rabbit Hole restaurant … and kids aren’t the only ones getting a kick out of them.

David Paulo: “Young, old, it’s definitely been all-around 100% great feedback.”

The team is already thinking of ways to make the next edition even better.

David Paulo: “Holographic cards and golden cars, you know, give them something real neat. What we’re ultimately doing is pushing out knowledge, history, and make it fun.”

A fun way to teach local history, and hopefully inspire the next generation of historians.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Jaime Arslan: “At this point, I would definitely say Louie is probably the most famous raccoon in America.”

Louie the Raccoon already has more than half a million Instagram followers — who like, comment and share his hilarious, viral videos.

Jaime Arslan: “I feel like Louie is larger than life. He is not your average raccoon.”

That’s an understatement, and now, Louie can add TV star to his raccoon résumé.

Jaime Arslan is Louie’s owner.

Jaime Arslan: “To be a part of the iconic Cadbury commercial is amazing. It’s a memory and experience that I’ll remember forever.”

The experience is one of the perks of being named the Cadbury Bunny. America voted last year, and Louie beat out 31 other animals from across the country.

Jaime Arslan: “Never in a million years would I have thought that Louie would have started off as this orphaned, sick baby raccoon. And now he’s in a national commercial.”

The commercial was shot in the dining room of the family’s Southwest Miami-Dade home.

Jaime Arslan: “Before we shot the commercial, I was getting him used to the Easter eggs and holding them.”

We first featured Louie and Jaime in the 7Spotlight last year.

Jaime, a former vet tech, took in Louie and later three other raccoons: Lucy, Leo and Lea.

None of them could have been safely released back into the wild, and they do require permits.

Heather Walker: You’re a mom to four raccoons.”

Jaime Arslan: “Yes, I am a raccoon mom. Full time.”

The raccoons live inside…

Jaime Arslan: “This is their playroom.”

…and outside.

They even have their own playground. And their dream has turned into Jaime’s mission to educate people about the challenges raccoons and other wildlife face in South Florida and beyond.

Jaime Arslan: “We’ve been able to help so many other raccoons across the United States just with Louie’s page alone.”

Awareness, and also money. Jaime donated the $7,000 Louie won to Samadhi Wildlife.

The Central Florida-based sanctuary used it to lease a new, larger property for the sick and injured animals they rescue.

Dawn Barbone: “Louie and Jaime are the dynamic duo, and what they have done for Samadhi Wildlife alone is just absolutely incredible.”

Dawn Barbone, the sanctuary’s founder, said more than 90% of the animals they rehab are released back into the wild, but the few who can’t — like this raccoon with a neurological issue — help to educate humans.

Dawn Barbone: “Her name is Juh Juh. So she can’t actually walk, so she scoots around in her wheelchair, and she is very, very happy.”

Jaime Arslan: “A lot of people always tell me that Louie has opened their eyes up to wildlife.”

As for Louie, who turns 4 later this month, being in the television limelight didn’t exactly impress him.

Jaime Arslan: “I showed it to Louie and, honestly, he could really care less. But I get it, he’s a raccoon.”

Heather Walker 7News.

Louie’s Instagram
Samadhi Wildlife
Learn more about raccoons
Injured and orphaned wildlife

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

We all know it’s not easy being a mom. Having a baby with a disabilities makes it even harder.

Kelly Caba is smiling now, but when she first learned her daughter, Abby, was going to be born with Down syndrome — she was heartbroken.

Kelly Caba: ” You don’t know what to think. You don’t know what this is. I didn’t know anybody with Down syndrome. I don’t understand what this means.”

She says she was in shock.

Kelly Caba: “Honestly, it was the roughest thing because you are actually grieving the child that you thought you were going to have.”

In that moment, she didn’t know what to do next.

Kelly Caba: “I contemplated termination.”

But then, she met a mom and her very special daughter.

Kelly Caba: “That’s the first time I said ‘We were going to be OK,’ because I saw a child with Down syndrome. I saw her, I saw her running, I saw her playing.”

Kelly said that meeting changed everything.

Kelly Caba: “The love I had for her was greater than the fear I had of her diagnosis.”

Now Kelly is helping other moms through a new program called Eunie’s Buddies. The nonprofit is named after Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who created The Special Olympics. The group matches expecting parents who will have a disabled child with a mentor who has gone through the challenges they are about to face.

Camila Carpenter: “It’s great, my mentor is Kelly. She is amazing, she is wonderful. She calls me to check on me regularly which is awesome. She is the sweetest person.”

Camila Carpenter gave birth to her son, Noah, in February.

She said her mentor from Eunie’s Buddies has been a blessing.

Camila Carpenter: “She’s walked my shoes and it’s different and it’s different getting a perspective from a mom because that’s what I needed. So different milestones that Noah is falling behind on and now I’m not so worried anymore.”

Whenever Camila needs a recommendation for a doctor, school or just a friend who will listen, her mentor is there and the support goes both ways.

Kelly Caba: “I love it because it’s building community and building community is what makes us stronger. We want a better future for our kids, we want a better outcome for our kids, and we can get that once we get to know each other and we work together.”

Because it takes a village to raise a child.

Heather Walker, 7News.

And if you’re interested, join us this Saturday at 8 a.m. for the annual Ed Ansin Best Buddies Friendship Walk at loanDepot Park.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Spending time in the pool sounds like a perfect day in South Florida.

For 25-year-old Natasha Vivas, getting into the water is hard work.

Natasha Vivas, therapy patient: “It’s been so extremely hard, and it’s still so extremely hard in so many different circumstances, and it’s hard on my parents.”

7News shared Natasha’s story two years ago.

She was studying hospitality at FIU and had been offered a paid internship program at Disney World. Then, on Dec. 13, 2022, while working at an Orlando resort, her nightmare began.

Natasha Vivas: “The person walked in, and he asked to use the restroom, and of course, I was like, ‘Oh, like the restroom is over here.’ He came back in with a rifle, and he started shooting.”

Doctors said she had a 20% chance of survival.

Natasha Vivas: “And they were like, ‘OK, she’s never gonna walk again.'”

Natasha was determined to prove them wrong.

Natasha Vivas: “And my life has been dedicated to therapy, therapy, therapy, more therapy, therapy, therapy, therapy.”

A few months ago, Natasha started aquatic therapy at Memorial Rehabilitation Institute in Pembroke Pines.

She gets in the pool twice a week, and it’s made a huge difference in her life.

Dmitriy Ferrer, physical therapist assistant: “And the Natasha that you’re seeing right now is not the same that came to the pool, by far.”

In the pool, it’s easier for Natasha to stand, move her legs and practice walking.

Dmitriy Ferrer: “At first, we pretty much had to do it all for her. So we had to grab her leg, move it up and down. Eventually, she started gaining a little bit of muscle strength.”

The therapists are top-notch, but for Natasha, her best coach is Scrunchie.

Natasha Vivas: “Scrunchie is so amazing to work with. Dogs are just incredible creatures that they like know how you’re feeling, and they know how to give you support.”

Scrunchie the golden retriever is one of seven therapy dogs at Memorial Healthcare System. She was trained to perform dozens of commands.

Maria Weinstein, Director of Nursing, Memorial Hospital West: “She helps our patients with grip and motor strength. She encourages them, so they pull, they push, and more than anything, she puts a smile on their face.”

When Scrunchie’s not in the water, she circles the pool. She’s not just playing around, she’s actually motivating her patients to keep moving.

Maria Weinstein, Director of Nursing, Memorial Hospital West: “Natasha tries to reach for her. She’s not realizing it, but she’s also taking a step up in the pool, which again helps her with motor strength. That helps her with balance.”

A few weeks ago, Scrunchie’s assistance helped Natasha walk for the first time in two years.

Natasha Vivas: “And then, like, my parents started recording it, and then my parents started crying.”

An emotional moment for the whole family. For the first time since being shot, Natasha believes she has a second chance.

Natasha Vivas: “And it was that, like, pillar of hope of like, ‘OK, like I can still keep doing this.’ Like this is where it’s going to get even harder to keep on pushing myself, to keep on growing, to keep on being better.”

Thanks to help from her therapist and Scrunchie, she is taking a big step forward on the road to recovery.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Meet Marine Cpl. Stephanie Ossorio.

Cpl. Stephanie Ossorio: “I am an ammunition technician with 2nd Combat Readiness Regiment.”

That’s her official rank and job title. This is the more informal way she’s described.

Marjorie Perez, mother: “She is, she is a badass. Yes, I would definitely define her as that.”

And her mother isn’t the only one who calls this 20-year-old a badass.

Cpl. Stephanie Ossorio: “So, everyone in my family calls me that. I am the first one to enlist at all in my family, so seeing my accomplishments, that’s the word that they use.”

Cpl. Ossorio’s latest accomplishment is a big one.

Award ceremony: “Marine to be awarded. Center, march!”

Last month, at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, she was named II Marine Expeditionary Force Marine of the Year. More than 12,000 Marines were eligible for the honor.

Award ceremony: “Cpl. Ossorio’s initiative, perseverance and steadfast commitment to duty reflected credit upon herself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.”

Cpl. Stephanie Ossorio: “I felt proud, because of all the hard work I put in. I realize that I made my superiors very proud.”

And, as you can imagine, so was her mom.

Marjorie Perez: “She puts 150% in everything that she does. She loves the Marine Corps.”

Cpl. Stephanie Ossorio: “I knew I wanted that physical high standard that the Marine Corps holds.”

The corporal told us she wakes up most days around 3:30 a.m. to hit the gym.

After that, she leads a team of Marines who manage the ammunition for training that involves live fire.

Cpl. Stephanie Ossorio: “A lot of what you see on movies that go big and bang, and what everyone thinks the Marine Corps is about.”

Cpl. Ossorio’s passion for service started early in South Florida.

Marjorie Perez: “She had it in her since very little, that she wanted to follow law enforcement. She was in high school, she went to a memorial for veterans, and when she came back, she said, ‘I have made up my mind, and I want to go and serve my country.'”

Stephanie is a graduate of Coral Reef Senior High School. She was a Silver Knight nominee and a standout athlete in multiple sports.

Cpl. Stephanie Ossorio: “I played softball, basketball, flag football and wrestling. Everyone knowing that, well, if I wasn’t at school, I was doing some sports event.”

She still plays softball and is trying to earn a spot on the All-Marine Softball Team.

As for what the future holds for this young Marine…

Cpl. Stephanie Ossorio: “As of right now, I do want to stay in the Marine Corps. My plan and my goal is to become a commissioned officer.”

What she won’t be doing — is stopping.

Cpl. Stephanie Ossorio: “Keep going, keep going.”

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Chef Pepín: “Con Chef Pepín, hasta el fin!”

Univision’s Chef Pepín is known for making cooking easy and fun. Serving up dishes with a smile, he has captured the hearts of millions.

But few people know it was his daughter’s heart that concerned him.

Chef Pepín: “Nobody knows that she was not doing well. She always faked it.”

His daughter Ana was born with congenital heart disease.

Anamaria Hernandez, Chef Pepín’s daughter: “They realized that I had had a heart attack as I was being born.”

At 7 years old, she had open-heart surgery. At 18, a double bypass.

Anamaria Hernandez: “I was always in and out of the hospital, but at the same time, I was healthy enough to continue a regular life.”

Including a job as a TV producer here in Miami, where the station was looking to feature a female chef.

Chef Pepín: “She found me the job. (laughs) She said, ‘How do you know that?'”

The rest is history — but while his cooking career was taking off, his daughter’s heart was slowing down.

Dr. David Baran, Cleveland Clinic Florida: “Eventually came to the point where nothing else but a heart transplant was going to be able to allow her to survive.”

This past summer, doctors at Cleveland Clinic Florida told Ana her only hope was a new heart.

Anamaria Hernandez: “I knew that at any point, my heart was going to give up on me.”

Dr. David Baran: “She was not likely to survive the next few weeks to month.”

Just days after getting on the transplant list, a match was found.

Heather Walker: “What was that feeling when you got that phone call?”

Anamaria Hernandez: “I felt pain for whoever had lost their lives, and the family. That was my first concern, it was like, ‘There is a family that is suffering for me to live,’ and that was hard, and the second one, I was full of gratitude, because I had been waiting for three days, and that doesn’t normally happen.”

Dr. David Baran: “The biggest problem that we have with transplantation is not enough suitable donors.”

Nationwide, there are about 4,000 heart transplants a year, but the number of people who need one is much higher.

Dr. David Baran: “Every year, it really hurts me when we lose patients on the waiting list.”

Ana doesn’t know who donated her heart, but she wrote a letter to the family.

Anamaria Hernandez: “‘Please know that not a day goes by when I don’t think of you, your loved ones and the extraordinary act generosity that has given me the second chance.'”

She hopes to thank them in person one day.

Until then, Ana has started a GoFundMe to help donor families. She’s also spreading the word about becoming an organ donor.

Anamaria Hernandez: “A lot of times in the Hispanic community and other communities, we feel that organ donations, ‘Oh, no, that’s not good.’ My duty now is to inform people that this is something that saves a lot of lives.”

It saved her life, and she hopes her story will now save others.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

This is the first time many of these kids have ever come face to face with a horse.

GoPro video: “Hi, Jackson!”

First graders from schools in Davie and Cooper City took a field trip to the Bergeron Rodeo Grounds to meet Jackson, Bandit…

GoPro video: “Hi, Bandit!”

…and a few of their friends.

Aasma Khan, Rotary Club member: “So this is when it all comes together. So this is where it feels the most exciting, the most fulfilling.”

The children come here as part of the Nick Coffin Wild Horse Tales Literacy Project. The Davie Cooper City Rotary Club hosts the annual event for elementary school students across South Florida.

Glen Tupler: “And it’s a community service event, and our particular chapter likes literacy for young first graders and young kids.”

Early in the school year, the club gives first graders a book that features a horse as the main character. After they finish the book, they take a trip to meet a real horse.

It’s a first for many of these first-graders.

GoPro Video: “I can see poop!”

Mike Noland: “A lot of these kids have never been near a horse. The only horse they’ve ever seen is on television, and the kids get a chance to go up and pet the horse, talk to the horse. At one of the stations, the Davie Police will be here with their horse mounted unit, and they’re going to talk to their kids about what a horse mounted unit does.”

Officer (to the children): “Instead of being in a police cars, we’re on horseback.”

Not only do the first graders get to meet and pet the horses, but they also get a chance to read to them.

Child reading: “At first glance, you might think Trixie is a pony. She is very small, after all.”

Aasma Khan: “The best part is when I get to listen to the children read to the horses, and especially the way the horses are. They flick their ears forward, and they’re interested in watching the kids read.”

This year, the kids were given a book about a pony called Trixie. They also met a real pony with the same name.

Instructor: “Trixie wants a hug!” (Kid hugs horse)

Rotary Club members say the students become much more interested in reading after the event.

Mike Noland: “If we can get students in the first grade to enjoy reading — not just read, but enjoy reading — and then hopefully that will carry on and make a difference later on.”

A difference that will let them take the reins when it comes to reading.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

When you see people using metal detectors on South Florida beaches, you can’t help but wonder if they are finding trash.

Rebecca Hussle: “I think it’s a bullet. Yep, that was it.”

Or treasures.

Rebecca Hussle: “I found a couple of really great rings.”

Rebecca Hussle grew up looking for seashells on the beach. Now she looks for other things.

Rebecca Hussle: “My mom always taught me at a very young age, 4 or 5 years old, if you find something on the beach, to make sure to put it back in its place, especially if it’s any type of litter or debris that doesn’t belong on the beach.”

Rebecca began using a metal detector five years ago to get some exercise and to enjoy the beach, but now she uses it to clean up the mess that others leave behind.

Rebecca Hussle: “Yes, I found quite a few vapes, actually, so some of had product in it. I’m not sure if it’s tobacco or something else. However, if I was a kid, I would think this was a toy, and it’s not. So this is something that I’m very grateful to find this to get this off the beach.”

Campers might take down their tents, but they’re leaving these stakes behind. Rebecca showed us a whole bag of them she has found in just the last few months.

Rebecca Hussle: “I have found a ton of tent spikes, which usually each tent comes with four, so if I find one, I usually try to source the area, search the area, I should say, and try to find all four of them.”

She also finds toys, like Matchbox cars, coins, even a rusty old pair of tweezers. Her strangest discovery was a full six-pack of beer buried in the sand.

Rebecca Hussle: “It was about this deep, and it was literally a full six-pack of beer, and I’m like, ‘Why would somebody bring a six-pack of beer to the beach, not even drink it, leave it behind, walk past these garbage cans that are scattered across the beach, and then just leave it there?'”

Rebecca never leaves anything. At the end of each tripm she recycles what she can and disposes of the rest.

Rebecca Hussle: “I want to preserve this beach. I grew up on this beach, and I hope it’s here for many, many years and generations.”

She also hopes that one day, she won’t find as much trash, and her search will lead her to some real treasures.

Rebecca Hussle: “You find rings and things sometimes, like earrings, gold and silver earrings. You do find gold necklaces.”

If she does find something valuable, Rebecca always tries to get it back to the rightful owners.

Rebecca Hussle: “One was a ring [from] a young lady, from her grandmother, and they were here visiting, so it was a little bit harder to track that person, but when that happens, it was just so spontaneous and beautiful to see the look on her face and the hug that she gave me.”

So her message to beachgoers? Keep track of what you bring and leave nothing behind but sand.

Nicole Linsalata, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

This is more than a piano lesson.

Male student: “We did it.”

The music being played inside this classroom is changing lives.

Matthew Vila: “Two beats is one, two. Very job, Rachel.”

Matthew Vila didn’t miss a beat when he created a program called Harmony Hugs.

Matthew Vila, founder of Harmony Hugs: “i had this passion of music and, at the very same time, I was introduced to an international nonprofit called Best Buddies.”

Best Buddies is the largest nonprofit supporting people with intellectual and development disabilities.

Matthew actually walked with 7News anchor Craig Stevens during their annual fundraiser, which Channel 7 sponsors.

Matthew was just a freshman at Belen Jesuit when he got the idea to create his own nonprofit that would offer free music lessons to kids with disabilities.

Matthew Vila: “Being 15 years old with this very ambitious idea, you know, I was kind of pushed away, in a sense of, like, ‘You are 15 years old. What are you thinking? How are you going to pull this off?’ But I got that one yes, and that’s the only thing you need, just that one person to give you a chance, and it blossomed from there.”

Volunteer: “A, A, G. Good job, Angie.”

The lessons began at one location with a handful of high school volunteers.

Matthew Vila: “When we started Harmony Hugs, we had to bring all the instruments ourselves.”

In less than three years, the group has secured grants to pay for the instruments and expanded to seven locations across Miami-Dade, serving about 70 students so far.

Female student: “I can do this.”

Volunteer (to student): “You got this.”

Michelle Ruiz, volunteer: “it’s just so beneficial to be able to do this.”

Felipe, volunteer: “It makes me feel good that I’m making some type of a difference, even if it’s small.”

Harmony Hugs is about more than learning to play an instrument.

Matthew Vila: “A lot of parents get emotional. The parents seeing me there, and seeing how I dedicate my time to them, they always get emotional, because they were always so scared that their kid wasn’t going to be accepted, and Harmony Hugs is providing that acceptance.”

Angie, student: “I think [Michelle is] a really wonderful person, and I feel blessed by God to have her to teach me.”

Matthew hopes to add five more locations by the time he graduates.

Matthew Vila: “Seeing the kids get it right — whether it be on the eighth try or the second try, it doesn’t matter — seeing them get it right is that happiness that I feel, it’s – I can’t even explain it. You see how difficult it is for me to explain it. I love this so much, like, it’s addictive. Uh, yeah.”

Heather Walker: “Helping is addictive.”

Matthew Vila: “Helping is addictive.”

Knowing more locations will help more students is music to his ears.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Back in her South Florida condo, Marilyn Johansen has time to reflect.

Marilyn Johansen, daughter of World War II prisoner of war: “There were many of us that had an emotional experience. We felt our fathers with us in those moments.”

Moments Marilyn and her son experienced last month, about 5,000 miles away in Poland, and moments that connected generations.

Marilyn Johansen: “My father, Eugene Francis Phillips, was an Air Force officer. He was a major. My father served through World War II, Korea, Cold War and Vietnam. Something in him wanted to fly.”

In 1943, 2nd Lt. Phillips was fighting the Nazis in Italy when his plane was shot down.

Marilyn Johansen: “He was knocked unconscious. The plane was on fire. He was burned.”

Then he was captured.

A telegram sent to his mother in Ohio read: “Your son” is “a prisoner of war.”

Marilyn Johansen: “The Germans fed them rotten potatoes and cabbage and occasionally a piece of meat.”

For 15 months, 2nd Lt. Phillips was imprisoned at Stalag Luft III, an infamous Nazi POW camp. Near the end of World War II, Hitler ordered the camp be evacuated. The airmen were forced to walk day after day in sub-zero temperatures in what would be called “The Long March.”

Marilyn Johansen: “Hitler was thinking he would use these POWs as a bargaining chip. My father’s camp had 10,500 men in it. On the march, some men died.”

That was January of 1945.

Howard De Lester, event organizer: “Long March, 80th anniversary and a very special event.”

This was January of 2025.

Howard De Lester: “To begin the arduous, 60-plus miles through the countryside.”

Relatives of the late POWs joined members of the U.S., Polish and British armed forces to follow their exact route.

Howard De Lester: “The length of the column would represent the prisoners of war in 1945. Conditions were perilous.”

Marilyn Johansen: “This is where he almost starved to death. It was brutal. We all knew that when we marched: That if they hadn’t survived, none of us would have been here.”

Marilyn’s dad did survive and after being liberated, the telegram home read: “Your son … is being returned to the United States.”

Marilyn Johansen: “He was emaciated, and then he had frostbite and he had, you know, burns from his face.”

80th anniversary march video: “The war marks a dark chapter in our history.”

At the end of an event marking the past was a warning about the future.

80th-anniversary march video: “With this march, you also want to warn our world to not repeat our history. As soldiers of different nations, you stand for the protection of freedom and peace.”

Marilyn Johansen: “My father would say to me, ‘If you don’t study history, you’re destined to repeat it.’ He taught me that we learn through adversity, that life is full of lessons. He gave me the silver lining of a horrible, horrible thing that happened.”

Marilyn recently released a memoir about growing up in a military family, called “My Father’s Secrets.” Her father, who was awarded the Prisoner of War medal and a Purple Heart, passed away back in 1990, but his legacy lives on.

Tavares Jones, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Plank by plank and nail by nail, homeownership is now one step closer to becoming a reality for Brenda Williams.

Brenda Williams, homeowner: “I’m excited, excited because I know one day it’s going to be mine.”

Williams – an ob-gyn nurse and mother of two – is just one of 20 families who have been selected by Habitat for Humanity of Broward County to embark on the path of homeownership at a new development in Fort Lauderdale.

Nancy Robin, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Broward: “The opportunity to create that dream of homeownership for others at a time when it seems so remote is a dream come true to be able to do this work.”

It’s a day Williams never thought would come.

Brenda Williams, homeowner: “First, I couldn’t believe it. And then reality hit, like yeah, you have to bring your paperwork in, you have to bring this in, yeah you got accepted. I was like ‘Yeah, I did get accepted.'”

Williams and her fellow future homeowners – putting in 300 hours of sweat equity – earning their new homes that are being built right here at BBI Village.

Robert Taylor//CEO, BBI: “We found this spot. Realized we could put 20 homes on it and our company wanted to be a part of it. It’s humbling because you hear their stories, learn their journey and it’s a hard road for them. As I mentioned they earn every step of the way. Nothing is given to them.”

This build in particular brings together top business leaders from across south Florida who collectively lead more than 400,000 employees. People who know the struggle of finding housing firsthand.”

Once again, WSVN is a proud sponsor of the initiative and what’s become known as the ‘CEO Build.”

Andy Ansin, CEO of Sunbeam/WSVN: “It’s very important for us as a company, also the Ansin family, to give back to the community. Particularly these days, it’s so hard for people to afford housing and it’s very important.”

Our very own Craig Stevens – emceeing the event — which is in its sixth year.

Craig Stevens, WSVN anchor: “Together we have built dozens of homes and can’t wait for the dozens more we will continue to build.”

Leaders of major companies like Rick Case Automotive and Auto Nation– getting their hands dirty for a good cause.

Nancy Robin, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Broward: “It is a day where the leaders of Broward County come out to lead from the front, make a true statement about workforce housing.”

While they may all come from different industries, they are united in the shared goal of building workforce housing.

Keith Koenig, Chairman of City Furniture: “More homes are obviously important for everybody in South Florida and we’re building affordable homes that families can live in forever. It’s pretty important.”

Brent Burns, CEO (ret), JM Family Enterprises: “It’s just great giving back to the community and making a difference.”

Seven of the homes are already under construction with more expected to break ground soon. Habitat for Humanity anticipates the project will be complete by the fall.

In Fort Lauderdale, Faith Graham, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

A good night’s sleep is important for a healthy life, but many children only dream about having a decent place to sleep.

Suzanne Broad, Founder of Sweet Dream Makers: “It’s so important that the children have their own special island.”

Suzanne Broad has spent decades volunteering and mentoring. A few years ago she helped a group of teens transition out of foster care. They didn’t have much, not even a bed.

Suzanne Broad: “There was no furniture. There were no beds, and now I’m running around town trying to find beds and a desk and a dresser and dining table for the kids.”

She started hearing about other children who didn’t have beds.

Suzanne Broad: “One woman told me that she took a box spring from the dumpster just so the child wouldn’t be literally on the cold tile floor. So I saw a need for that population very quickly. That was one of the impetuses to start this organization.”

After trying to fill those needs on her own, Suzanne eventually launched her non-profit. She named it Sweet Dream Makers.

It provides beds to those who need them.

Suzanne Broad: We can solve this problem of bedlessness in a minute and it’s one less thing that parents need to worry about.

Sweet Dream Makers partnered with more than 160 social service agencies across South Florida. Those agencies refer families through the non-profit’s website.

Volunteers like Rosalind Gualtieri go over each case and talk to the families.

Rosalind Gualtieri, Volunteer: “That takes a little while to, you know, to get their story and to gain their trust so that they can tell us everything that they need.”

As a former police officer, Rosalind spent years working in low-income neighborhoods. She understands the challenges facing many families.

Rosalind Gualtieri: “The families are afraid of being judged. The kids are afraid to say something. They don’t want to go to school and let their friends know that they sleep on the floor or on a pallet.”

Sweet Dream Makers gives every child a mattress, box spring, and bed frame, plus a few extra surprises.

Suzanne Broad: “So a five-year-old gets a twin bed, and a teenager may get a full bed or an extra-long twin bed and children also get to choose their own bedding, whether it’s a character, a color, or a sports team.”

Every single bed donated is free. Thousands of South Florida children have now been given a safe, clean, and comfortable place to sleep.

Suzanne Broad: “And this past year, we gave away over 7,000 beds and now we are serving maybe 40% in Broward and 45% in Palm Beach and we just started a pilot program last year in Miami-Dade.”

It means more work for Suzanne, but she’s determined to give children a place to dream.

Heather Walker, 7News.

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If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Lauren Sopourn was born with an eye for photography.

Lauren Sopourn, pro sports photographer: “You’re looking through it, and it feels like you’re just a part of the camera.”

At just 25 years old, the Florida Atlantic University grad and freelance photographer already covers the Florida Panthers, Miami Dolphins, Miami Marlins and other teams.

Lauren Sopourn: “It’s a matter of putting yourself out there and trying to showcase yourself and your work in the best light.”

Light is a hallmark of Lauren’s creativity.

Lauren Sopourn: “I really like to focus on different lighting aspects, different focal points that aren’t necessarily outlined by general sports photographers and capture the moments that are missed.”

What’s not missed is the appreciation of her talent.

For two years in a row, three of Lauren’s photographs have been recognized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s annual contest.

Out of more than 1,200 photos submitted after each NFL season, only 20 win.

Lauren Sopourn: “It’s a very esteemed contest in the community of sports photographers.”

She calls one of them “The Game Plan.” It was captured in the player tunnel before the Dolphins beat the Jets in December 2023.

Lauren Sopourn: “Them communicating, them being a team, the camaraderie, you have to come together.”

Lauren Sopourn: “There’s a lot of power in the eyes in photography, in the direction of the eyes, gazing right at the viewer, and you almost feel like you’re the quarterback within the photo.”

Lauren Sopourn: “I was waiting and hoping that a player would kind of come right into that spotlight, and they did. And so, that’s how that photo was captured.”

With the Dolphins missing the playoffs, football season is over for Lauren, but she still has her hands full with the Panthers games. She photographed history during the Cats’ Stanley Cup Final run last year — including the now-legendary Game 7.

Lauren Sopourn: “There’s one photo of them all running over to Bob, and Ryan Lomberg is jumping in the air, and his hair is straight up. Bobrovsky lifting the Cup for the first time. The smile, the tears, the emotion. It was just really special to be a part of and get to capture all of that.”

You can see Lauren’s work, plus more than a half-century of award-winning photographs, in person at the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Lauren Sopourn: “You get to see all of these photos of the greatest moments of football history captured through the photographer’s lens and through their eyes. So it’s really humbling to be a part of.”

Lauren shines in our 7 Spotlight, but she prefers being on the other side of the lens — always looking to catch the next, great moment.

Lauren says she plans to submit photos in this year’s contest, which opens after the Super Bowl.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

South Florida students are hoping their time in the classroom will fast-track them to their dream jobs.

Alistair Coley, student: “I was ready to go. Like, I just wanted to get started as soon as possible.”

Alistair Coley and the rest of his classmates are members of Handy in Broward. It helps at-risk kids and young adults finish their education and get any counseling and housing help they need.

It’s also helping Alistair and his classmates prepare for successful careers.

Keny Vixama, student: “I really appreciate the program. Yes, I’m so exited.”

The students are the first class of Handy’s Youth Build program. The program was created with a grant from the Department of Labor.

Each student in the program will receive job training and certification in high-demand industries like construction.

Rashani Boynton, Handy Youth Build Coordinator: “They’ll be able to get exposed to all the different facets of the construction industry. They will have guest speakers. They’ll get to do job-shadowing.”

Right now, they’re in the classroom learning the basics, like workplace safety.

Teacher: “Working in construction and industrial job sites can be hazardous.”

Keny Vixama: “The class is good, our teacher, too, is good.”

When the classroom sessions are over, the students will move on to apprenticeships at companies across South Florida.

After that, students could see themselves with a permanent job … and a new chance at a successful life.

Alistair Coley: “It hopefully provides me with more opportunities, you know. I know I’m not guaranteed a better life but, you know, I’m guaranteed opportunities, and I’ll do my best to make the best of those.”

During the program, students will get all the assistance they need to succeed. Handy will work with them to earn a GED, and also provide things like rides to work and a job coach.

Kirk Brown, Handy CEO: “But our end goal is for our young people to see a future they can go after, for us to support them going after that future.”

It’s all part of Handy’s mission to provide a fresh start for those who need it.

Rashani Boynton: “Some of our young people are maybe scared to try, or maybe someone told them they couldn’t, and a lot of times, we do have that. But we here at Handy always tell a youth that you can.”

With a little extra support, and the opportunity to learn, these students will soon be ready to build their own path to success.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.