Alyssa Gonzalez
Section : News
On Feb. 16, Ted Lieu donated 1 million dollars to the Mira Costa Friendship Club Foundation to make more Friendship clubs around the South Bay.
The Friendship Club is a club for Costa kids with disabilities to make connections with other students. Every Tuesday and Thursday at lunch it is held in the back of the school at Mira Costa. “I was drawn to the friendship club at Mira Costa because of personal experiences with families who have special needs and how it is such an inclusive community,” said junior Gemma Burtstein.
This club was created 16 years ago by a student named Zander. Costa was the original founder of all Friendship Clubs in the South Bay and has started the foundation for other schools wanting to create their own.
“I have two older brothers who still to this day talk about the friendship club to their friends and want to know more about it and ask for updates, it definitely is a community and you always feel welcomed,” said junior Caden Coons.
The money that was donated will be dispersed around the South Bay to schools who have friendship clubs. Most of the money will be going to building a new Friendship Foundation facility in Redondo Beach. Right now the Friendship Foundation is shared half and half with a jewish community center.
“Silva Martinez was the club advisor and she was there 16 years ago for the first time and now she is still working at Mira Costa till this day,” said senior Jackson Zawacki.
According to Burtstein, Friendship Club is about having connections and building strong bonds. On their meeting days, they will have a fun activity, game, or craft to do with all students. Kids who come to friendship usually look forward to it twice a week to have something exciting to do.
“The teacher advisor who got into a car accident and broke both of her legs, the first day back to the friendship club she got to experience the donation of 1 million dollars,” said Zawacki.
On the day of the donation there were local press people and all sorts of backdrops. According to Zawacki, it was a big day for all members and leaders of the friendship club.
“I started noticing there was a friendship club on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I noticed this could be a two way thing of being able to see the joy and how excited the kids were that it made me never want to stop going till this day,” said Coons.
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