AI Justice 20th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Awards Dinner
Raising funds to protect and promote the basic human rights of immigrants
AI Justice Board President Carl Goldfarb, Janet McAliley and AI Justice Executive Director, Cheryl Little
AI Justice held its 20th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Awards Dinner on February 26th. The theme, “Upholding the American Dream,” celebrates the dreams of freedom, justice and opportunity that have brought immigrants to our shores since our nation’s beginnings. AI Justice’s guests enjoyed a moving and celebratory evening which started with a cocktail reception and silent auction and concluded with a dessert lounge with live music. During dinner, guests were inspired by the remarks of Janet McAliley, recipient of The Holly Skolnick Human Rights Award, and Dr. Zakia Subhani, recipient of The America’s Immigrant Spirit Award. Michael Putney entertained guests as the MC and Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist, Sonia Nazario, delivered a powerful Keynote Address. The efforts of Honorary Chairs, Sharon Kegerreis & Mitchell Berger, and Dinner Host Committee Chairs, Diana & Khalid Mirza, helped to ensure the evening was a success. A generous $50,000 matching grant from the TriMix Foundation provided further inspiration for support of AI Justice’s critical work.
The generous sponsors of this year’s event were:
Platinum Level: AutoNation; Bacardi; Berger Singerman; Green Family Foundation; and The Jose Milton Foundation
Cheryl Little and Dinner Host Committee Chairs Khalid & Diana Mirza
Gold Level: Boies, Schiller & Flexner, LLP; The Children’s Movement of Florida; Duane Morris, LLP; Greenberg Traurig, LLP; Jepeway & Jepeway, P.A.; Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra, LLC.; Palmetto Subacute Care Center; Stearns, Weaver, Miller, Weissler, Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A.; Turkish Airlines; White & Case, LLP.
Silver Level: American Textile; Paulina Holguin & Keith Askins; De La Hoz, Perez & Barbeito, P.A.; Maria M. Buch, M.D.; Jodi Engelberg and Jurg Zundel; Jamila & Mohammad Tahir Ismail; Jones Day; Behna & Laurence Gardner, M.D.; Ellen Leesfield, ADR & Pam Perry, Esq.; Raquel M. Matas & Dr. Carla S. Lupi; Janet R. McAliley; Miami Dade College Foundation; Jane & Norman Moscowitz; National Marketing Group Services, Inc.; Northern Trust; Johanna Oliver Rousseaux; Shook, Hardy & Bacon, LLP; St. Thomas University School of Law; Richard Strafer; TotalBank; Peter Upton; Rev. Priscilla Felisky Whitehead; Zakia & Mian Family Charitable Foundation
AI Justice Board Member, David Lawrence Jr.
AI Justice Staff: Jennifer Anzardo Valdes, Jessica Shulruff Schneider, Michelle Ortiz and Jessica Alvarez
The McAliley Family: Neil, Maricarmen, Jackson & Ava McAliley, Janet McAliley, Hon. Chris McAliley, Kevin McAliley and Ben Kleiman
Sui Chung and Keynote Speaker, Sonia Nazario
The ballroom
Anna Navarro and Al Cardenas
Alison Miller, Jay & Catherine Pelham and Raquel Matas
Marc Puccinelli, Miami Dade County Public Defender Carlos J. Martinez, Miami Dade County Commissioner Sally Heyman, Cheryl Little, Ali Codina and Marlon Hill
Carl Goldfarb, Dr. Zakia Subhani and Cheryl Little
Michael Putney entertains guests
AI Justice Board Member Ilaria Pezzatini and guests from Northern Trust
Honorary Chairs Sharon Kegerreis and Mitchell Berger with Tony Argiz and guests
Juan Yumar and Nirka Burns Padilla
Honoree Dr. Zakia Subhani and guests
Former AI Justice Client, Maria, tells her story
Hon. Rosemary Barkett and Cheryl Little
Jodi & Patrick Farrell
Diana & Jose Sepulveda and Keith & Paulina Askins
Lucia Villalobos and Mexico’s Consul General of Miami Jose Antonio Zabalgoitia
Guests enjoying dinner
Sabine Bittel, Ali Codina and Iris Kolaya
County Commissioner Sally Heyman and Former Commissioner, Katy Sorenson
Robin Diaz and former City of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz
The beautiful after-dinner dessert lounge
Guests enjoying the program