Happenings & Stories
Team Cypress Bay Top Fundraiser at 2017 DMF Walkabout Autism
The Dan Marino Walkabout Autism fundraiser is one of the best activities that this community puts on. Not only are the participants exposed to the many community celebrities, and provided different fun family activities, music and food; they do so with the backdrop of...
Holiday Luncheon and Secret Elf 2017
On December 15th, the students of Cypress Bay High had their annual Holiday Luncheon and Secret Elf gift exchange. The wonderful luncheon took place at Chili’s for a second year. The HDS Foundation staff was able to join the classes festivities. The students picked...
THRIVE Christmas Party
College isn’t just about going to class and writing papers. The full college experience includes meeting new people, making great friends, and having a blast. Social life is an essential and fun part of college, and that is no different for the Project THRIVE...
Second Annual Halloween Party
October 29th marked the Second Annual Halloween Party for the Cypress Bay BRIDGES program. Both Parents and HDS Foundation staff members were invited to celebrate with the class. HDS Foundation was very happy to be invited to this party and were ready to have some...
Opening Bank Accounts with Bank of America
On October 1st, all the students of the Cypress Bay BRIDGES Social Skills class and their parents, who came to Cypress Bay for the day, met with a Bank of America representative. The Bank of American representative spoke to them about opening bank accounts for...
Second Community Based Instruction at Publix
On September 29th, the students of the BRIDGES Social Skills class at Cypress Bay had their second community based instruction. This one was similar to the first community based instruction at Office Depot, but there were lots of notable differences. This time the...
First Community Based Instruction: Office Depot
On September 21st, the students of Cypress Bay’s Social Skills class, sponsored by HDS Foundation’s BRIDGES grant, had their first community based instruction. The students went to Office Depot with a mission. They were instructed to work in groups to purchase items...
Our HDS Foundation Interns – Summer 2016
Over the course of this summer, the HDS Foundation has had two interns on board – Hope Sotolongo-Miranda and Benny Elfont. Hope and Benny have been incredibly helpful in their work at the HDS Foundation. Hope has been successful in putting...
Cypress Bay BRIDGES Students Graduate 2016
Cypress Bay High School’s class of 2016 officially graduated on June 5at the University of Miami’s BankUnited Center. With a class of 1,100+ and a stunning graduation rate of 95%, it is no surprise that the social skills class seniors all received diplomas; some were...
BRIDGES at Cypress Bay Prom 2016
The night of May 28th, 2016, is one Cypress Bay High School's BRIDGES’ graduating class will not soon forget. The whole gang suited up in their finest attire to attend their senior prom. After a pre-prom party of refreshments and picture-taking at Foundation President...
End-of-Year BRIDGES Party – Midtown Athletics
On May 5th, 2016, the Cypress Bay High School BRIDGES class closed out the year with an HDS-sponsored party at Midtown Athletics. Although the main event of the day happened to be the party, the students also concluded their Social Skills curriculum with a tour of the...
Michael Marino Guest Speaker
At the 2016 Dan Marino WalkAbout Autism at Sun Life Stadium, Team Cypress Bay raised the most money for the cause, having brought in $12,780. Because of their success, the Team was to be gifted a prize of their choice. They all chose to invite Michael Marino, Dan...
The First Tee End-of-Program Luncheon
On April 24th, 2016, The First Tee of Broward program concluded for the year at the end-of-program luncheon. Officially, the mission of this organization is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill...
The HDS Foundation Participates in CLE Mock Interviews
The HDS Foundation, which is known to have strong ties to the special-needs community, was asked by the College Living Experience (CLE) to assist in giving mock job interviews at the CLE Fort Lauderdale location to individuals with disabilities looking to soon become...
Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center Gala
On Saturday, April 11th, 2016, the HDS Foundation participated in the Night of Stars, a 20th anniversary celebration for the Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center. This Recovery Center assists a defined group of people who generally need assistance; that is,...
BRIDGES – Social Skills Class at HDS
On April 7th, 2016, the Social Skills class from Cypress Bay High School traveled to the Housing and Development Software main office in Weston, Florida for a tour of the grounds and a professional presentation given by HDS employees. This presentation aimed to give...
Light It Up Blue 2016 #LIUB
World Autism Awareness Day fell this year (2016) on April 2. Each year, HDS joins others around the world in celebrating Light It Up Blue, a campaign designed to spread awareness about and celebrate autism. Those involved “light it up blue” by showcasing and promoting...
WalkAbout Autism 2016
On Saturday, January 23, 2016, Team Cypress Bay participated in the Dan Marino WalkAbout Autism at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florida. The HDS Foundation and Cypress Bay High School (CBHS) teamed up and began participation in this fundraiser a...
Post-Secondary Educational Fair at Cypress Bay
On Thursday, January 14, the HDS Foundation, Inc. hosted a post-secondary fair at Cypress Bay High School in Weston. Parents, students, teachers, facilitators, and other professionals came together for an informative session that aimed to provide post-secondary...
HDS Foundation and partners kick off Golf Mentoring Program for Special Needs Teens & Young Adults
PRESS RELEASE The First Tee of Broward has partnered with two South Florida business entities, Global Business Brokers and The HDS Foundation, Inc. to bring their national golf mentoring program to a group of older teens and young adults with disabilities. “This is...
1st Tee of Broward Program
Final Call for participants! The 2016 First Tee of Broward Golf Mentoring Program kicks off this Saturday, January 9th, 2016 2 PM at Weston Hills Country Club. Sixteen young players will be starting this 9 week program, led by Professional Coach Dustin Stearns. This...
Team CypressBay @ Dan Marino Walkabout Autism
15 Days - 16 Hours - and Counting down the minutes...That's the time left for this year's fundraiser. The HDS Foundation, along with the Cypress Bay HS students, is making one last push to reach our goal. This year we set the bar high: We are aiming to raise...
Come be Part of the Post Secondary Education Fair at Cypress Bay H.S.
First Tee Golf Mentoring Program
Last Saturday, December 12th, 2015, the First Tee of Broward held an Open House at Weston Hills Country Club to provide families with an overview of their Golf Program. This NEW Program, which kicks off January 9th, is a nine week activity designed by First Tee of...
Holiday Gift Exchange and Lunch
The CBHS students enjoyed the comfort and ambiance of Chili's as they ate and celebrated the holidays this week. The HDS Foundation group, including Cristina Miranda Gilson, Carla Otiniano, Hannah Miller and Dr. Sandy Rizzo Weiner joined the class and both teachers of...