35th Biscayne Bay Gala
Benefits Biscayne Bay Kiwanis Club
Saturday, October 25, 2014, at 6:30 p.m.
Jungle Island Treetop Ballroom
1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Watson Island, Miami
305-814-2225
Gala@BiscayneBayKiwanis.org
Lauren Book, founder of Lauren’s Kids, will receive the 2014 Michael Shores Citizen of the Year Award by the Biscayne Bay Kiwanis Club. Lauren’s Kids is an organization dedicated to preventing childhood sexual abuse.
Book will receive the prestigious award at the 35th Biscayne Bay Gala, on October 25, at the Jungle Island Treetop Ballroom. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception and silent auction, followed by a dinner and live auction at 7:30 p.m. Chairing the gala will be Todd Paton, incoming president of Biscayne Bay Kiwanis.
“Lauren Book has done so much for the youth of South Florida, the state and the nation in her efforts to raise awareness of — and prevent — childhood sexual abuse — that it is our honor to recognize her and her tireless efforts,” said Paton.
Lauren’s Kids (www.LaurensKids.org) educates adults and children about sexual abuse topics through an in school curriculum, a 24-hour Crisis Hotline, and speaking engagements around the country. The organization also provides more than 6 million educational and awareness materials statewide through direct mail every year and—aided by the efforts of its Chairman Ron Book, a noted lobbyist—has taken proactive efforts to make Florida a safer place through advocacy for the passage of State Laws that protect and help victims heal and become survivors.
“I am honored to be recognized by the Biscayne Bay Kiwanis Club and join such a distinctive list of recipients,” said Book. “This is a great organization which serves the most deserving children of Miami’s inner city and has – for more than 60 years – positively impacted the lives of thousands of those children and their families.”
Past recipients of this award include Dolphins Founder Joe Robbie, coach Jimmy Johnson,
broadcaster Ralph Renick, Miami Commissioner Athalie Range, U.S. Rep. William “Bill” Lehman, former Miami Herald publisher David Lawrence, Jr., Baseball Hall of Famer Andre Dawson, Super Bowl Host Committee Chairman Rodney Barreto, Miami Dolphins’ Nat Moore and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Dr. Pedro Greer, Jr., U.S. Rep. Dante B. Fascell, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
Tickets to the event — expected to be attended by more than 400 of South Florida’s business and community leaders — are $150 ($1,500 for a table of 10).
For further information on table purchases, event sponsorship or program advertising, contact the Biscayne Bay Kiwanis Club at 305-814-2225 or Gala@BiscayneBayKiwanis.org.
About the Biscayne Bay Kiwanis Club
The Biscayne Bay Kiwanis Club, founded in 1950, is one of the leading service clubs in South Florida, helping to change lives and brighten the futures of disadvantaged children and adults for more than 60 years. Our Downtown and Brickell based charity achieves a variety of charitable and philanthropic goals in the community through the Kiwanis Club of Biscayne Bay Youth Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization. Our primary effort provides material support, uplifting life experiences, and educational programs for school-aged children in much of the City of Miami proper, including Downtown/Overtown, Allapattah, Midtown, and Upper East Side. For information about Biscayne Bay Kiwanis Club, please visit www.BiscayneBayKiwanis.org.
