Kristi House, Inc., the Children’s Advocacy Center for all of Miami-Dade County, raised over $1 million for specialized services for victims of child abuse, sex trafficking and other trauma its 30th Anniversary Gala, The Pearl in Paradise at the Loews Coral Gables Hotel.

Bomnin Automotive served as the Title Sponsor and Goya as the Presenting Sponsor. Other lead support came from the Anthony R. Abraham Foundation, Amazon, and the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. Under-the-sea magic greeted attendees throughout the evening, with mermaids stationed at the champagne wall, aquatic-inspired entertainment, and a steel-drummer setting the tropical scene, bringing The Pearl in Paradise theme to life.

The auction featured exclusive vacation homes and exotic getaways in Thailand, Montana, Aruba, Colorado and the Caribbean. A highlight befitting the Pearl in Paradise night was a custom-designed, one-of-a-kind pearl necklace by Giancarlo Designs specially crafted for the occasion featuring a sky-blue topaz Kristi House logo.

Dr. Walter F. Lambert was named Kristi House’s third “Crusader of the Year.” He has served as the Medical Director of the University of Miami’s Child Protection Team since 1988 and is a leading partner in Kristi House’s Children’s Advocacy Center’s Multidisciplinary Team since founding. Dr. Lambert is known nationally for his expertise in forensic medicine and, here at home, for his unwavering compassion for every child and family he serves.

Daniel Armstrong, the Director of the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami shared about Dr. Lambert “He has a passion for children, particularly the most vulnerable children, that is really unmatched by anyone I’ve met in my career… Walter is so deserving of being recognized in our community. There are literally thousands, ten of thousands of children, who have benefited from what he’s done, what his team has done, and our community is such a better place because Walter has spent his time here and has taken on the most difficult challenges and has done it day-in and day-out always with the passion of trying to prevent and if you can’t prevent, make it better after it happens.”

Kristi House’s inaugural honoree, State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said Dr. Lambert “…revolutionized and transformed how we look at children who have been abused… he left behind an indelible mark of professionalism and love.”

“Kristi House was founded on the promise that no child like Kristi would ever have to walk this path of abuse and trauma alone” said CEO Amanda Altman in her visionary address. “What started as a dream shared by a small group of dedicated professionals and community leaders has grown into a movement—one that’s reshaped how we care for victims of child sexual abuse, human trafficking, and trauma in Miami-Dade County and beyond.”

She further explained: “The 30-year anniversary gemstone, the pearl, was chosen for the theme since the pearl is born from something wholly unwanted, a grain of sand, an intrusion, an injustice which transforms in time, into something luminous and rare. Just like the children at Kristi House, survivors of unspeakable abuse, pearls.”

About Kristi House

Founded in 1995 as a private, not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization, Kristi House provides an integrated solution for families navigating the complex systems involved in cases by working with seven partner agencies to heal the hurt and hold the perpetrators responsible. The Center is nationally recognized for its evidence-based, therapeutic expertise in treating child trauma. Kristi House is responsible for coordinating child-victims’ legal medical, and social services needs and providing evidence-based interventions to enable children to overcome the trauma of abuse.

Kristi House has provided services for more than 30,000 victims of child abuse and their families to help them recover from the trauma of abuse and exploitation. This approach includes coordinating client families’ involvement with legal, medical and mental health systems, limiting the number of interviews to reduce the trauma associated with each retelling of the story, and ensuring that no child falls through the gaps. Kristi House directly provides a full continuum of wrap-around services and care for victims and their families free of charge, including therapy, which is critical for recovery from the trauma of abuse for most survivors.

Kristi House’s main office is centrally located in the “Health District” area of Miami at 1265 NW 12 Avenue. Three satellite locations in other parts of Miami-Dade County serve clients in surrounding neighborhoods.

For more information or to learn about volunteer and donation opportunities, please visit www.kristihouse.org.