Providing shade for the underserved

Barbara J. Stark, President and CEO of Milagro Center, was thrilled to receive a shade structure.

Barbara's story

Milagro Center is an after-school and summer camp program that serves economically challenged, academically at-risk children and teens from the most underserved communities in southern Palm Beach County in Florida. Milagro Center services nearly 150 underserved children and teens, and our programming is year-round. 

The outdoor spaces at Milagro Center are now much safer thanks to generous grants from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and the SafeSun Foundation. The grants allowed our organization to install shade structures over its Community Art Garden, Teen Center stage, and Junior Teen Center stage. An installation ceremony was held on Thursday, April 6.

In Florida, skin cancer poses a huge risk for residents and damage can begin in childhood. The shade structures that shade from the sun will be a tremendous help, especially during our 10-week summer camp.

At Milagro Center, we believe time spent in nature is critical for mental health and development. We are thrilled that our students can experience the outdoors without inflicting skin damage from the sun’s harmful rays. 

A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the installation of the new AAD shade structure.

Posing for a picture by the new shade structure sign. From left to right: Kurt Knaus, Milagro Center Board Chairperson; John Strasswimmer, MD, PhD; and Barbara J. Stark, Milagro Center President & CEO.