HOLLYWOOD – Hollywood preschoolers received a unique graduation gift from the office of Hollywood Board Representative Christine McCall on Aug. 13.

Rep. McCall and her assistant, Tiffany Frank, collaborated with volunteers in the We Do Recover program – Jay Holata, Kenny Tommie and Charlie Tiger – as well as Vince Billie (who is not in the program) to assemble 14 Disney-themed bikes for the graduates. Frank formerly worked as an assistant at We Do Recover.

“It’s really been a community effort that will hopefully make them smile,” Rep. McCall said.

Rep. McCall said she wanted to do something memorable for the kids after their drive-thru graduation was canceled due to the recent surge of the Covid-19 Delta variant among tribal members.

Some graduates had been able to hold events before new restrictions were instituted across the tribe. For example, Hollywood, Fort Pierce and Broward County nonresidents had a graduate dinner July 8 at the Hard Rock in Hollywood for those who had recently received their diplomas.

“We wanted [preschoolers] to know their accomplishments are just as important,” Rep. McCall said.

Rep. McCall said when she and Frank were kids they received bikes as a graduation present from former Hollywood Board Representative Carl Baxley.

“That’s always been a fond memory for me,” Rep. McCall said.

She said she wanted to restart the tradition and thought it was also a positive to give kids something that wasn’t technology-related – something they could use outside for the last weeks of summer.