FLORIDA: DOMINIC SAVIO DAY CELEBRATED IN TAMPA

By Fr. Steve Ryan, SDB, and Mike Hahn

(Tampa – May 1) – On Saturday, April 28, 2018, nearly 200 young people whose families could not ordinarily afford the price of admission for the carnival at Christ the King Parish in Tampa were treated by the Salesian Cooperators of Tampa to a fun-filled day to celebrate the approaching feast of St. Dominic Savio. They gathered at Christ the King, located in South Tampa, and enjoyed lunch and unlimited rides. The young people came from Cristo Rey Tampa High School at Mary Help of Christians Center, from St. Joseph Catholic School, from the Salesian-Smith Boys & Girls Club, from the Salesian-Garcia Boys & Girls Club, from St. Peter Claver Catholic School, and from the Dover (Fla.) Mission, which serves migrant families.

The idea of having a carnival day for poor kids was the brainchild of Salesian Cooperator Mike Hahn. In 2013, at a meeting with Fr. Mike Conway, Fr. Steve Ryan, Patty Spivey, and Kathy and Brad Brasseur, Mike said he thought that the Cooperators were being called to do something more for the less advantaged children in the community. He set about getting sponsors to cover the costs of admission and food for young people. The project is now in its fifth year.

The Cooperators raise donations from Christ the King Parish. The parochial school’s middle school service group (Sean Devereaux Club) act as hosts and take the children on rides. Fr Steve Ryan and Fr. Mike Eguino from Mary Help were there, as were FMAs from Villa Madonna and sisters from St. Joseph and Cooperators from the entire area. It was a Tampa Bay Salesian Family activity!