Guitars Over Guns celebrated its 11th annual Choose Your Sound: Forever Young 80s Gala at the Hilton Miami Downtown. This exciting event featured performances by talented youth mentees, mentors, and alumni, celebrating the impact of music mentorship on the lives of Miami’s youth.

Proceeds from the event reached nearly $900,000 and will directly fund Guitars Over Guns’ programs, including mental wellness, career coaching, and empowering Miami’s underserved youth with arts-based mentorship that drives academic and personal success.

Lynne and Nigel Ross, renowned philanthropists and long-time supporters of Guitars Over Guns, were honored at this year’s gala for their contributions toward launching mental wellness and career development initiatives. Their commitment to youth empowerment and community support has been instrumental in transforming countless lives.

The 2023 Louis Salgar Legacy Award was presented to Kevin Perez. This award is given annually to the Miami student who exemplifies Louis Salgar’s ability to elevate the lives of people around him through his unmistakable passion, uncompromising drive, infectious sense of humor and positive attitude. Kevin recounted joining Guitars Over Guns and not knowing how to play his guitar and his transformation into the lead guitarist of GOGO’s student/alumni band, Atomic Lollipops. Kevin went from having chronic absenteeism to attending daily to be at his Guitars Over Guns sessions to now being in his first year of college.