Collier County second graders enjoy 'Buddy Day' at Marco Island beach

MARCO ISLAND, Fla. —

Two hundred second graders from Collier County spent the day at Hideaway Beach Club in Marco Island, participating in the Guadalupe Center's 20th annual Buddy Day, where they engaged in fun activities and mentorship.

"This is something that made such a big difference in my life," said Lourdes Baptist, a tutor involved in the event.

Mark Ryan from Hideaway Beach said, "It's a day to celebrate their hard work in school. It's also a day for them to meet mentors and big buddies. So everybody will have a great day."

Students were able to enjoy different activities from arts and crafts to bird watching. Lourdes Baptist shared her favorite part, saying, "My most, my favorite part that they're still doing, thankfully, is a bird section. I remember we did an activity where we had to stand like the bird. Yeah, me and my buddy kept falling over for the flamingo."

Mike Clancy, participating as a Big Buddy for the second year, expressed his joy in sharing the experience with the children. "All of this, all these kids look at, you know, look at how much fun they have. Look at the, you know, and they're so infectious. You know, most of these kids have never been or seen a beach before. So it's just, it's, it's kind of chilling to be able to share that with them," he said.

Some Big Buddies noted that while they are making an impact on the students, the students are actually making a bigger impact on them.

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