1,000 join in 'Milk Party' for children

<p>The local rally for The Children's Movement of Florida on Wednesday had the makings of a political movement. But to the children in the audience, the "Milk Party" -- featuring, of course, milk and cookies -- was about being a kid and having fun.</p><p>The children, making up much of the crowd of approximately 1,000 people from Gainesville and Ocala filling the gym at Santa Fe College, are the focus for adults and the new statewide initiative aimed at making them a priority with lawmakers and others.</p><p>David Lawrence Jr., president and co-chair of The Children's Movement of Florida, who got a loud welcome as he told the crowd he's a Gator, urged everyone's help to build the party.</p><p>"With your help, leadership and insistence, the children of Florida could become number one to the leaders in Florida," said Lawrence, former publisher of the Miami Herald.</p><p>The issues highlighted by the Children's Movement include health insurance for children, screening and treatment for children with special needs, early childhood education, parenting and mentoring.</p><p>Lawrence pointed out that in Marion and Alachua counties, more than 21,000 children do not have health insurance and that more than one of every four public school third-grade students in these two counties cannot read with even minimum proficiency.</p><p>The rally was the third stop on the 15-city tour that began Monday in Pensacola and ends on Sept. 30 in Key West. In Tallahassee on Tuesday, the rally drew approximately 1,200 people.</p><p>The non-partisan effort has a number of Gainesville leaders on the statewide committee, including former Gainesville Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan; former state legislator Ed Jennings, who is now the southeastern regional director of Housing and Urban Development; Jon Mills, former speaker of the Florida House and former dean of the University of Florida Law School, along with Donald Pemberton, director of UF's Lastinger Center for Learning, who serves as a senior adviser to the group.</p><p>Other notables mingling in the crowd included former state lawmaker Rod Smith, Gainesville Police Chief Tony Jones, school board member Eileen Roy, and incoming board member Gunnar Paulson, along with school board runoff candidates Rick Nesbit, Carol Oyenarte and Jancie Vinson. </p><p>Hanrahan said in looking at the stats of children in the state who are not close to the top in any category but typically close to the bottom of rankings, "it should not be a partisan issue to make children a priority but an economic issue."</p><p>She added that Gainesville is not immune to issues like low graduation rates seen statewide.</p><p>"So we need to make sure to raise public awareness that education and other issues are important," Hanrahan said. "And it's important in elections to look at where candidates stand on these issues."</p><p>Sherrill McMullen, curriculum supervisor for Early Headstart/Childhood Development Services, representing Alachua, Marion, Dixie, Levy, Gilchrist and Citrus counties, said the rally is a way to get the community involved in supporting children, especially early childhood education.</p><p>"I hope others become involved in the movement," McMullen said. "We are federally funded but there have been cutbacks."</p><p>Lawrence also told the audience the movement is not about raising taxes, saying the group's funding -- in excess of $1 million -- comes from private donors and individuals like Ocala businessman Whit Palmer.</p><p><i>Contact Harriet Daniels at harriet.daniels@gvillesun.com or 338-3166.</i></p>