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Be Strong International hosted its Winter Charity Gala on Tuesday, Nov. 30, at the Rusty Pelican in Key Biscayne.
As part of ongoing fundraising efforts, the Winter Charity Gala is the biggest event of the year, where Miami’s philanthropists met to celebrate the tremendous impact of their donations among the most vulnerable populations living in South Florida.
“We are excited to have our annual winter charity event to help us continue all the services we bring to the community. We aim to become a national service provider that focuses intently on seeing individuals, families and communities become whole,” said Michelle Shirley, CEO of Be Strong International. “Teaching the importance of heart skills education is our main goal, and only with community support, can we continue to make this goal a reality.”
This year, the event was hosted by Palmetto Bay’s Mayor, Karyn Cunningham, who welcomed the attendees and presented the opening performance of the Dynamic Velocity Show Choir from Palm Glades Preparatory Academy.
Following this amazing show, Dr. Delvena Thomas, board certified psychiatrist and host on WEDR-99 JAMZ, offered an empowering speech about the importance of mental health and encouraged everyone to play their part in recognizing when someone needs support, especially during these challenging times. She also highlighted how Be Strong International continues to meet the critical needs of individuals and families by providing educational workshops and referrals to other partnering organizations, serving as an invaluable resource to the residents in South Florida.
The evening had a special appearance by Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools Alberto M. Carvalho who introduced Joel Rodriguez, a former participant of the Be Strong After School Club, who now attends Coral Reef Senior High School.
Top sponsors for the event included SouthState Bank, Florida Property Management Solutions and Coastal Waste.
During the event, guests participated in an exciting silent auction and made financial gifts to the organization, showing their true generosity. Proceeds from ticket sales and donations will benefit high-need and low-income families. Be Strong International will invest in the expansion of programs and services that serve at-promise communities through increased organizational capacity and outreach.
For more information, updates, and pictures of the event, follow Be Strong International on social media @bestrongintl or through the websites at https://bestrongintl.org and https://bestrongintl.org/events/gallery/.
Be Strong International is a leading non-profit that educates young people and parents through positive practices. Althea McMillan, a retired Miami-Dade County Public Schools teacher, founded the organization in 1992.
For more than a quarter-century, Be Strong International has provided youth and families in South Florida with tools to make better decisions about relationships, money, work, and family life. The organization uses evidence-based curricula to teach adolescents and parents about strategies for building healthy relationships. It delivers educational programming to students and parents online, and in-person throughout Miami-Dade and Broward County.
