COMMUNITY NEWS BRIEFS: Pat Gabriel honored; students take first, MCPS earns honors
Pat Gabriel was honored during the May 6 Marion County Commission meeting. [Photo courtesy Marion County]
Longtime volunteer honored for service
The Marion County Board of County Commissioners and the Parks & Recreation Department recently recognized Patricia “Pat” Gabriel for 19 years of volunteer service on the Parks & Recreation Advisory Council.
Appointed to the council in 2006, Gabriel served in leadership roles including chair of the advisory council. Throughout her tenure, she played a pivotal role in numerous park projects and improvements, including key developments at Wrigley Field and Carney Island, the news release noted.
Local students earn first in summer camp
Developed through a collaboration between the EQuIPD Grant at the University of Florida and Duke Energy, the Powering the Community outreach program has expanded since its inception in 2022 to bring an artificial intelligence and power distribution contest to middle school students throughout the Duke Energy service area.
The second Powering the Community: Middle School AI Design Contest ran from Feb. 7 to April 11, 2025. It hosted 16 students among four design teams from Marion and Sumter counties. The contest concluded with each student team’s submission of a design presentation video, in which they showcased the design process tailored for their home to a panel of judges from Duke Energy.
The winners were:
1st Place – Poor Lonely People from Fort King Middle School
2nd Place – Raider Creators from South Sumter Middle School
3rd Place – RaiderTech from South Sumter Middle School
Marion County Middle School students work on a project as part of the Duke Energy sponsored Summer Powering the Community Energy camp at Fort King Middle school. [Photo courtesy University of Florida]
MCPS earns SUNSPRA awards
Marion County Public Schools captured five awards at the recent Sunshine State School Public Relations Association (SUNSPRA) Medallion Awards of Excellence competition in Orlando.
The organization honors public school districts throughout Florida based on criteria confirming exceptional work in public relations, communications, marketing and community engagement.
MCPS wins included:
• Supernova Award for the “New Bell Times 2024-2025” campaign. Only three awards were given and MCPS was highlighted for “a unanimous perfect score” in this category;
• Radiant Award for the “New Bell Times 2024-2025” campaign showcasing parent involvement;
• Silver Award for the “2024-2025 School District Calendar” in the Special Publications category; and
• Bronze Award for “What Went Right,” a marketing tool summarizing successes of the first day of school.
SUNSPRA’s president also honored MCPS’s Kevin Christian, APR, CPRC, and long-time director of Public Relations, with the inaugural “Lighthouse Award” for his commitment to mentoring others and “for being the guiding light that always leads our organization home.”
MCPS’s Kevin Christian, APR, CPRC, and Yamelie Gonzalez, in center, accept awards at the SUNSPRA Annual Conference in Orlando from award sponsor ParentSquare’s Valerie Ball, left, and SUNSPRA President Katherine Crnkovich, APR, CPRC.
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