On February 24, a silent auction was held at George Rodez Gallery in Cocowalk. The fundraiser benefitted the children of ARC South Florida. As guests perused the gallery and enjoyed specialty cocktails by Nuvo Vodka, the space next door was the silent auction headquarters where white and red wine were served. Paintings drawn by the children of ARC were also up for bid. Guests also had the opportunity to buy raffle tickets for special prizes given away that evening.
As the evening drew to a close special thanks were given to the following people: Commissioner Francis Saurez, Sharie Blanton (CEO of Conscious Connections), James Olen (Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami), George Rodez (artist), Jessica Safie (National Bank), Rodrigo Londono, Eric Fernandez, Diane Ericson, Victora Galan, Emily Heckert, Monica Cruz, Louise McCarthy, Myrlene Decady -Alexis, Fred Young, Charise Christian, Adrienne Pringle, John Diaz, Feroz Ali, Bahia Ramos, Clancy and Lynda Corwin, Helmut Gaensel & Miami in Motion team: Cathy Alexander, Jaime Anzalotta, Lourdes Castanedas-Jacobs, Datan Dorot, Will Dukes, Octavio Fermin, Jay Fritz, Josie Llado, Narciso Macia, Julia Négrevergne, Ntiense Inokon, Kevin Williams, Brandon Okpalobi, Adam Olen.
This event was made possible thank to the following sponsors: Baptist Health, George Rodez Art, Knight Foundation, Schnebly’s Winery, SunTrust Bank, Blue Tree Marketing, Rian Maericks M.D., Burger King Corp, Foni Hidalgo & Tao Semko, Nuvo – Sparkling Vodka, Southern Wine & Spirits, Yoga Kids International, Fit to Go, PMAT Cocowalk, LLC, Palm Bay Liquor, the Webster, and Burger King Corporation.
Association for Retarded Citizens, South Florida is a local chapter of The Arc, one of the largest volunteer organizations in the U.S. Founded in 1953 by a group of concerned parents, Arc, South Florida serves the over 60,000 Miami-Dade County citizens with developmental disabilities. Though still governed by volunteers through the Board of Directors, Arc, South Florida has grown into a major community agency, providing a variety of programs and services that affect hundreds of participants each and every day.
For more information on how to help please visit: www.arcsofla.org.
Photographs by Betty Alvarez copyright 2011
