Caear Coalition’s Tribute To Miami’s Red Ribbon Heroes Honors South Florida Community Leaders
Monday, January 9, 6:30 p.m.
Miami Beach Botanical Garden
2000 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach FL

For more information about CAEAR Coalition’s 11th Annual Partnership Awards Dinner, and to reserve tickets ($125 per person or a table of ten for $1,250), visit www.caear.org or call (800) 393-1305. Please make reservations no later than Friday, January 6.

The Communities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief (CAEAR) Coalition, a national non-profit organization that advocates on behalf of HIV/AIDS service programs, will hold its 11th Annual Partnership Awards Dinner presented by Miami Beach Community Health Center. The event, titled “A Tribute to Miami’s Red Ribbon Heroes,” will honor local heroes making a difference in the response to HIV/AIDS, including Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, Frederick Down, Jr., Dr. David Haltiwanger, Dr. Michael Kolber, Senator Bill Nelson, Dr. Jorge Rangel, Daniel T. Wall and Dr. Michael Wohlfeiler.

A Tribute to Miami’s Red Ribbon Heroes will be held at Miami Beach Botanical Garden and feature a cocktail reception, Latin-infused dinner, live entertainment and an awards presentation to the 2011 honorees. In addition, there will be a red ribbon-inspired fashion collection created by students from the Miami International University of Art and Design.

“We are pleased to recognize and celebrate these Miami community leaders for their outstanding support and advocacy on behalf of those living with HIV/AIDS,” said Ernest Hopkins, Chair, CAEAR Coalition Board of Directors. “This event is our opportunity to show our gratitude to each of them alongside Miami Beach Community Health Center, a respected HIV/AIDS care provider and a longtime CAEAR Coalition member.”

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Bruno A. Barreiro continues his fight against HIV/AIDS in Miami Dade County with numerous initiatives such as the HIV Prevention Signage Program for Bars and Adult Stores. In 2002, he funded an HIV Think Tank in South Florida, an HIV/AIDS education program using bold and visible signage to inform the community about HIV prevention.

Frederick Downs, Jr. has been a member of the Miami-Dade HIV/AIDS Partnership since August 2007. He is known efforts with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS to high school students. Downs also conducts several local support groups and is always available for a community member in need.

Dr. David Haltiwanger has been involved in the fight against AIDS from the very beginning of the epidemic. He served as Mental Health Director and later as Director of Clinical Programs and Public Policy at Chase Brexton Health Services in Baltimore, MD, prior to his retirement in December 2011. In that role, Dr. Haltiwanger was also an active and engaged member of CAEAR Coalition, serving as a member of the Board of Directors for six years.

Dr. Michael A. Kolber is the Director of the Comprehensive AIDS Program for the University of Miami, Clinical Director of the Adult HIV Section for Infectious Diseases and Professor of Medicine. He has participated in the County Enhanced Comprehensive HIV Prevention Planning effort in order for the community to continue to move towards accomplishing the President’s National Strategy on HIV/AIDS.

Clarence William “Bill” Nelson is the senior United States Senator from Florida. In March 2010, Sen. Nelson voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. Sen. Nelson has been a supporter of the legislation reauthorizing the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and has been an advocate for greater resources for the program, especially as related to the challenges facing the Florida’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program.
Dr. Jorge Rangel has been a vital part of Miami Beach Community Health Center since 1990. Given his long history at MBCHC, Dr. Rangel has been involved with the treatment of HIV patients basically since the onset of the epidemic and hopes to continue serving HIV patients until the end of his career.

Daniel T. Wall, Director of the Office of Grants Coordination, has helped secure millions of dollars in federal funds for a grant program that became a nationally recognized model for administration and fiscal management, the Ryan White Part A/Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) Program. In addition, Wall authored the ordinance that officially established the Miami-Dade HIV/AIDS Partnership, the county planning board for HIV/AIDS-related issues.

Dr. Michael Wohlfeiler is an HIV specialist and the Medical Director for Research at the AHF/WPA South Beach Healthcare Center. Dr. Wohlfeiler serves on Miami-Dade County’s Ryan White Medical Care Subcommittee and recently completed two terms as chair. He was the first chair of the Florida Academy of HIV Medicine and a member of the AAHIVM National Board of Directors

“HIV/AIDS continues to be a major health challenge and we remain committed to playing a leading role in its prevention and treatment,” said Kathryn Abbate, CEO of Miami Beach Community Health Center. “We applaud the CAEAR Coalition for their ongoing advocacy efforts to meet the care, treatment, support and prevention needs of people living with this disease.”

The awards dinner will be held in conjunction with the CAEAR Coalition’s annual national meeting, and will bring together health planners, those living with HIV/AIDS, non-profit organizations, city and county officials, and medical professionals from around the country to discuss the coming year’s advocacy plan in support of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which supports a wide-range of HIV/AIDS services in Miami-Dade County and across Florida.