Evening Drive-In Ceremony Honored Distinguished Alumni of Broward County Public Schools
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – December 9, 2020 – A 2021 NFL Hall of Fame legend, 2021 Grammy-nominated recording artists and a commander and captain in the United States Coast Guard were among the distinguished Broward County high school alumni who were honored by Broward Education Foundation during the Publix Super Markets Charities 2020 “Hall of Fame Awards” presented by Memorial Healthcare System. The first-ever drive-in award ceremony was held the evening of Saturday, December 5 at William T. McFatter Technical College and High School in Davie.
Broward Education Foundation reimagined the annual event, taking extra precautions and factoring in safety protocols and social distancing measures, to fittingly salute this year’s honorees. Guests enjoyed the evening’s program from their cars in the high school’s expansive parking lot watching the awards onstage and on four large LED screens. Award presentations were interspersed with performances by the McArthur High Marching Band, Nova High Titan Cheer Team, Walker Elementary TurnAround Arts Dancers and Coral Springs High Senior and extraordinary vocalist Carynna Joseph. Guests dined on boxed lite bites and beverages and applauded each Hall of Fame recipient and performance with celebratory honks and cheers.
The 2020 Broward Education Foundation Hall of Fame honorees include:
Receiving the JM Family Enterprises, Inc. Bravo Award for their positive impact on the lives of thousands of children were two talented Dillard High School graduates, Grammy-nominated, national recording artists and co-founders of the group Black Violin, Wil Baptiste, class of 2000 and Kevin Marcus Sylvester, class of 1999.
Recipients of the Bank of America Community Achievement Award for their contributions to the community were:
Isaac Bruce, former professional football player and member of the NFL Hall of Fame, owner of Bruce Zone and Dillard High School graduate, class of 1990
Jo-Ann F. Burdian, Sector Commander and Captain of the Port, United States Coast Guard, Sector Miami and Piper High School graduate, class of 1993
Marty Kiar, Broward County Property Appraiser and Western High School graduate, class of 1995
The three honorees who received the Office Depot Education Achievement Award for their dedication to a career in public education were:
Amy DeCelle, medical magnet coordinator at Blanche Ely High School and graduate of Piper High School, class of 1993
Mark Howard, principal of Hallandale Magnet High School and graduate of Nova High School, class of 1990
Carletha B. Shaw-Rolle, Ph.D., educator and cadre director for Broward County Public Schools and graduate of South Plantation High School, class of 1985
“This year has been anything but ordinary but that did not take away from the extraordinary Broward County public school alumni who were honored at this year’s Hall of Fame Awards. We are inspired by their leadership, passion and commitment to education and community,” said Tim Curtin, Broward Education Foundation Board Chair.
“Our first-ever drive-in ceremony was a unanimous success,” said Shea Ciriago, executive director of Broward Education Foundation. “Our team went above and beyond, and executed a safe, flawless and festive event. We want to give a heartfelt thanks to our generous sponsors for their unwavering support. Our warmest congratulations to these eight truly deserving Broward Public Schools alumni as we welcome them into our Hall of Fame.”
Reminiscent of California’s Hollywood Walk of Fame, Broward’s distinguished alumni are honored with large engraved granite stars on the BrightStar Credit Union “Walk of Fame” permanently located at the Broward County Public Schools District Office, 600 S.E. Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Honorees also receive a hand-crafted desktop replica of their star.
In addition to Publix Super Markets Charities, Memorial Healthcare System, BrightStar Credit Union and Pirtle Construction, sponsors included JM Family Enterprises, Inc., Office Depot, Broward Teachers Union, Broward Health, Humana, Jersey College, PNC and Wells Fargo.
To learn more about Broward Education Foundation, please visit browardedfoundation.org, call (754) 321-2030 or e-mail BEFInfo@browardschools.com.
