Parkland Buddy Sports Awards 10 Scholarships to Deserving Teen Volunteers

by Faran Fagen July 6, 2026

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Parkland Buddy Sports Awards 10 Scholarships to Deserving Teen Volunteers 4

Leah Silverman, Riley Guerra, Alejandra Gil Restrepo, Natalia Conte, and Evan Jones

Ten high school volunteers who went above and beyond to motivate and coach special-needs athletes have been awarded scholarships by Parkland Buddy Sports.

“We’re incredibly proud to recognize this year’s Parkland Buddy Sports Scholarship recipients,” said Bob Mayersohn, President of Parkland Buddy Sports.

“These outstanding volunteers have dedicated countless hours to creating meaningful experiences for our buddies while demonstrating leadership, compassion, and a commitment to inclusion,” he added.

The winners are from various area high schools: Matthew Rosenberg, Miles Sacks, Evan Jones, Leah Simon, Logan Weitzner, Ryan Nixon, Alejandra Gil-Restrepo, Riley Guerrera, Natalia Conte and Ryan Listopad.

One of the scholarships, The Patti Tyrie Memorial Scholarship, was awarded to Alejandra Gil-Restrepo of Coral Springs Charter.

Kevin Tyrie, also a coach with Parkland Buddy Sports, dedicated the award to his late wife, Patti. She was a dedicated RN in the neonatal/newborn nursery and volunteered throughout Parkland and through their church.

“She was very proud of the fact that both of her daughters volunteered in Parkland Buddy Sports as well,” said Kevin, who lives in Parkland.

Gil-Restrepo was heavily involved in the National Honor Society at CSCS and served as vice president of Parkland Buddy Sports.

“I’ve been presenting Patti’s scholarship for the past 10 years, and every year the students are so dedicated and amazing, and I am extremely proud that I can make a small difference in their lives,” Kevin said. “To know that Patti’s Scholarship goes to such amazing students in order to help them obtain their dreams is awesome.”

Parkland Buddy Sports Awards 10 Scholarships to Deserving Teen Volunteers 5

Parkland Buddy’s President Bob Mayersohn, Ryan Nixon, Logan Weitzner, Miles Sacks, Brian Listopad, and Board Member Michele Baron.

Parkland Buddy Sports is a nationally recognized nonprofit that provides fee-free sports programs for children and young adults with special needs, as well as volunteer opportunities for teens throughout the school year.

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Author Profile

Faran Fagen

Faran Fagen, who teaches high school journalism, graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Journalism degree and from Florida Atlantic University with a degree in Education. He's worked at The Palm Beach Post, SunSentinel, and MLB.com. He lives in Coral Springs with his wife and two children. Oh, and his three dogs -- who all think that they're his favorite.