Voices For Children Foundation and presenting sponsor Prada celebrated the highly anticipated 24th edition of their Be A Voice Gala hosted at the Mandarin Oriental, Miami. The lavish gala brought together 400 of Miami’s most philanthropic and influential community leaders and business professionals including Miami Dade Mayor Carlos A. Giménez, Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools Alberto Carvalho and Miami Dolphins’ Albert Wilson, who experienced foster care and overcame great obstacles. Guests joined chairs Brad and Suzanne Meltzer and Angel and Lynette Ferrer to support the foster care youth of Miami- Dade County.

The premier fundraising event raised over $650,000 to benefit Miami-Dade’s abused, abandoned and neglected children to help ensure they have a court- appointed Guardian ad Litem and the financial assistance and other resources are available for their health, educational, and social needs.

The evening began with an elegant cocktail reception featuring world class magician, Mio and Electric Violinist Monty Bloom, as well as a silent auction featuring 13 unique experiences such as an Evening with Eddie Vedder. Once in the ballroom, the evenings program highlighted Prada’s commitment to children in our community who have experienced abuse, abandonment or neglect and showcased the organization’s tremendous strides over the past decade in Changing the Future for the children served by the Guardian ad Litem Program. After a lively Live Auction guests settled into an inspiring testimonial by Valentino, a youth who entered the foster care system nine years ago and with the help of Voices For Children and a strong network of people encouraging his success, recently graduated from Syracuse University. “There is plenty of talk about the importance of helping those in need be their best and the salience of developing robust reforms in order to bring such powerful stories and realities to fruition/ Given the success for my story and many other students who’ve manumitted themselves from the bondage of the foster care system, if you ask me, I say its time we give that idea a try!”

Following the evening’s program, guests took to the dance floor and danced the night away to the sounds of DJ Kucha.

The “Be A Voice, Change The Future Gala” was made possible by Presenting Sponsor Prada; Golden Fan Guardian Sponsors Jeff and Yolanda Berkowitz; Career Source of South Florida, Jay and Susan Shapiro, Stearns Weaver Miller and Dynasty Guardian Sponsors Astor Companies, Citi Private Bank, Moriarty, Kaufman Rossin, P.A. and PricewaterhouseCooper, LLP. The media sponsors are Brickell Magazine, Key Biscayne and Selecta Magazine, the design Sponsor Jacober Creative, décor sponsor is Be Social Events, and host sponsor is Mandarin Oriental, Miami.