Liam Freeman celebrated his eighth birthday at the One Love Cafe on a summer day in 2022. Soaking in the sun, Liam played Frisbee with his dad on the open field by the cafe, trying to perfect his throw.
After finally succeeding in flicking the Frisbee, Liam heard an onlooker compliment him on his throw. That onlooker turned out to be Michael Tomaino, a 45-year-old video game designer, author and Frisbee enthusiast. His conversation with Liam that day sparked a friendship between the two, fueled by their love for Frisbee and a shared desire to spread positivity.
"It was one of the best things that happened to me," Liam said. "I come out here every Wednesday, and he's always out here."
Liam is just one of the countless children Tomaino has impacted through his Frisbee hangouts at the One Love Cafe, which take place at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and 6:15 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Through these gatherings, Tomaino said, he’s fostered a community where everyone can find their strengths.
"Everyone is welcome," Tomaino said. "It's just all about coming together and having a good time."
Tomaino's Frisbee hangouts started when his friend injured his knee playing Ultimate Frisbee around four years ago. To make sure his friend wouldn’t feel excluded, Tomaino spent time throwing a disc with him at the One Love Cafe, which was next to his house at the time. Seeing local kids playing nearby, he invited them to join. The invitation has remained open since.
Connecting with youth is familiar for Tomaino, who was a teacher for about 20 years, most recently at Stephen Foster Elementary School as a media teacher for all grades until COVID-19. A majority of his students came from disadvantaged backgrounds and struggled academically. To motivate them, Tomaino said, he asked his students to find their superpower, a unique skill that would help them help others.
Since then, Tomaino has continued to share his superhero ideology with others, showing them their individual skills and teaching them to make another person's day better.
"The most beautiful thing is when we can all come together as a superhero team and combine our superpowers to be something far more," Tomaino said. "That's what I love about the Frisbee events. … We're coming together."
Wendy Thornton, a 71-year-old writer and editor for the Writers Alliance of Gainesville, said she’s been bringing her two young grandchildren to Tomaino’s Frisbee hangouts for years. She said her grandchildren initially thought they knew everything about Frisbee, but Tomaino taught them new skills that helped them enjoy the sport even more.
“It’s crucial for kids to get outside and for them to learn how to do things, develop new skills,” Thornton said. “They get to put their phones down and get out there and do something fun.”
Lorenzo Barnes, 9, has attended the Frisbee events for three years. His grandmother, 68-year-old Linda Latner, said outside of the Frisbee gatherings, Lorenzo is very quiet among his peers. However, he opens up at Tomaino’s hangouts.
"If you're having a bad day and you come here, you're gonna have a better day," Lorenzo said. "It's very soothing to know that there's not very many mean people here."
Latner wanted to make sure Lorenzo could go outside and have fun, rather than staying indoors and spending most of his days on electronics, she said. The hangouts provide her grandson a place to get exercise outdoors while making friends in the community.
"It's great for the kids, because they get to go out here and play and enjoy themselves," Latner said.
Contact Jeffrey Serber at Jserber@alligator.org. Follow him on X @JeffreySerber.
Jeffrey is the Fall 2025 enterprise and men's basketball beat reporter and a second-year journalism sports & media major. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with friends and family, and rooting for the Miami sports teams.
