Absolutely Incredible Kids Day was held at the SMILES (Southcoast Mentoring Initiative for Learning, Education and Service program at the Kuss Middle School on March 15, 2007.  The Day encourages adults to write a letter of support to a child that they know. The event at Kuss featured Michaela Gagne, Miss Massachusetts, who talked about the importance of believing in oneself. Ms. Gagne told her story of how she was diagnosed with a heart problem as a teenager and how she overcame her limitations. Kid read letters from their mentors and worked on a project making boxes out of paper which they then decorated and Ms. Gagne autographed. Mayor Edward M. Lambert, Jr., also a mentor, brought a City Proclamation declaring March 15th Absolutely Incredible Kids Day in Fall River. For more information about the Day, contact Youth Services Coordinator Christian McClosky at 508-324-2419. For information about the SMILES Program, contact  Marie-Frances Rivera at 508-999-9300.
 

(Top row, left) Fall River's Michaela Gagne, Miss Massachusetts 2006, tells her own story of how she dealt with the obstacles in her life before demonstrating how to fold a paper box. (Top row, center) Mentee Nick Costa reads a letter from his SMILES mentor. (Top row, right) Tyler Tong shows his completed paper box that he made with his mentor, Wendy Bethony. (Middle row, left and center) The group applauds as Ryan Oliveira reads the proclamation for his mentor, Mayor Lambert. (Middle row, right) Jared Wages smiles at one of the Middle Kuss School students as she asks Ms. Gagne to autograph a picture. (Bottom row, left) Ms. Gagne talks with Justin Amaral. (Bottom row, center) SMILES program director Marie-Frances Rivera, Alexis McDowell, Jared Wages and Youth Services Coordinator Christian McCloskey watch Ms. Gagne autograph some of her promotional photos. (Bottom row, right)  Brad Almeida shows Dominic Jackson (left) his autographed picture.