Marini and Associates, P.A. Donates New Bicycles to the Parks Foundation to Promote Bike Safety at Miami-Dade Parks Summer Camps

Bicycle Presentation to take place during Miami-Dade Parks’ University of Miami BikeSafe® Program at Continental Park, Thursday, July 11, 1:30 p.m

The Tax lawyers of Marini and Associates, P.A. pledged three new children's bicycles to the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade's Neill L. Miller Fund to teach bicycle safety to children at Miami-Dade Parks' summer camps.  The bicycles will be presented by Ronald Marini, president of Marini & Associates, P.A. to Dick Anderson, president of the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade and Renae Nottage, superintendent for recreation for Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department, on Thursday, July 11, at 1:30 p.m. at Continental Park, 10000 SW 82 Avenue, in Miami, during the camp's UM BikeSafe® Program. 

Over 150 children will be in attendance.  The event will also feature Valerie Neilson, BikeSafe Program Manager from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine BikeSafe Program/KiDZ Neuroscience Center at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, providing the children with BikeSafe educational materials and giveaways. 

In May 2012, the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade's Neill L. Miller Fund donated $7,000 to the UM BikeSafe Program to implement and expand their BikeSafe educational program specifically designed for Miami-Dade park programs.  UM BikeSafe certified instructors then trained Miami-Dade Parks' camp counselors to teach the expanded curriculum to the campers, and information is also sent home to parents.  Miami-Dade Parks' UM BikeSafe® Program is a three-hour camp educational curriculum comprising of both an on-bicycle and off-bicycle curriculum on the essential components of bicycle safety - from proper helmet use to riding predictably and being seen.

The new bikes will be added to the inventory of bikes that travel from park site to park site throughout the summer for each camp's UM BikeSafe Program.  Other UM BikeSafe Program dates and locations at Miami-Dade Parks' summer camps include: 

North Trail Park:                                    June 18, 10 a.m. - noon
Deerwood Park:                                    June 27, 10 a.m. - noon
Goulds Park:                                         June 28, 1;30 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Westwind Lakes Park:                           July 5, 10 a.m. - noon
Continental Park:                                 July 11, 1:30 p.m.- 3:30 p.m.
Raices Hispanic Cultural Arts:                August 12, 10 a.m. - noon
West Perrine Park:                                August 17, 10 a.m. - noon
Highland Oaks Park:                              Date & Time TBD
Arcola  Park                                          Date & Time TBD
NFL Youth Education Town (YET):         Date & Time TBD
Tropical Estates Park:                           Date & Time TBD
Cinco de Mayo Park:                             Date & Time TBD

"I'd like to thank the tax lawyers of Marini & Associates, P.A. for their generous contribution to the Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade and the Neill L. Miller Fund. Thanks to their donation, hundreds of children enrolled in Miami-Dade Parks' summer camps will have the opportunity to learn the fundamental rules and safety practices for riding a bicycle - information they will carry with them through to adulthood," said Dick Anderson, president of The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade.

"For over 30 years, it has been our privilege to successfully represent clients with tax problems and now we are happy to have this opportunity to reach out and help the kids in our community learn bicycle safety," said Ronald Marini, president of Marini & Associates, P.A.

"On behalf of the University of Miami BikeSafe Program, I would also like to thank the tax lawyers of Marini & Associates for their contribution to help further bike safety education for the children of Miami Dade County, said Valerie Neilson, BikeSafe Program Manager. The University Miami BikeSafe Program created a bike safety curriculum for children so they can learn bike safety skills and prevent injuries from occurring. I thank Miami-Dade Parks staff for continuing to work with our program and implementing the BikeSafe curriculum in your park spring and summer camps. Together with all our efforts, we can lower the number of bicyclist-hit-by-car incidents in children of Miami-Dade County."

For more information or to donate to the Neill L. Miller Fund, visit www.liveaparklife.org or contact Victoria Mallette at 305-755-7804.

About Marini & Associates, PA
Marini & Associates, PA is a Miami-based law firm specializing in the practice of Tax Law and related fields, with an emphasis on Zealously Representing and Defending Taxpayers before the IRS and various State Taxing Agencies. The firm has over 60 years of combined experience in advising on complex tax laws, regulations, practices and procedures, and can advise on US federal or multi-state tax issues, for domestic or multinational businesses, a foreign national inbound or an expatriate outbound from the United States, providing proactive advice and tax planning.

About The University of Miami BikeSafe® Program
The University of Miami BikeSafe® program uses the "5E" Model of Education, Engineering, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Evaluation that is endorsed by the National Safe Routes to School Program. The program aims to:

Improve pediatric bicycle safety
Increase physical activity levels of children
Improve bicycling environments

In the Spring of 2010, BikeSafe was piloted at the Belafonte Tacolcy Center over ten one-hour sessions; the course was later modified to fit within the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces summer camp schedule (in both 2010 and 2011). Since that very first implementation, BikeSafe has taught a total of 774 children the full BikeSafe curriculum in the Parks. For or more information about the UM BikeSafe Program, please visit us at: www.ibikesafe.us or contract us at: [email protected] )

About The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade
The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that supports the Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department's effort to further develop Miami-Dade County's world-class parks system for residents and visitors.  Its mission is to create a healthier, more livable and sustainable Miami community by ensuring the implementation of the Parks Open Space Master Plan and the development of year-round park and recreation programs for local children, adults and people with disabilities.  For more information, visit www.liveaparklife.org.

About the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department:
Nationally accredited, a three-time winner of the NRPA National Gold Medal Award, winner of the 2013 Florida Governor's Sustained Excellence Award and the 2009 Florida Governor's Sterling Award for excellence in management and operations, Miami-Dade County Parks is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 260 parks and 12,825 acres of land.  It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world.  Made up of more than just playgrounds and athletic fields, it also comprises out-of-school, sports-development, and summer-camp programs; programs for seniors and people with disabilities; educational nature centers and nature preserves; environmental restoration efforts; arts and culture programs and events; the renowned Zoo Miami, Deering Estate at Cutler and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden; the Crandon Tennis Center, home of the Sony Open; golf courses; beaches; marinas; campgrounds; pools; and more.  For information about Miami-Dade County Parks call 3-1-1, or visit www.miamidade.gov/parks/.