
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
Carolina Schwarz
Voices
For Children Foundation
Tel: 305.324.5678
Email: cschwarz@voices4.org
COMMERCEBANK PRESENTED
LAHABANA CABARET: A LOUD VOICE FOR ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN IN MIAMI-DADE
October 18,
2005-Miami, FL-On Saturday October 15, approximately 1,000 guests gathered to
enjoy the musical extravaganza LAHABANA CABARET at the Deauville Beach Resot in
Miami Beach. The event to benefit Voices For Children Foundation, the
fundraising arm of the 11th Judicial Circuit Guardian Ad Litem
Program, raised over $100,000 and served as platform to raise awareness about
the plight of abused, abandoned and neglected children in Miami-Dade.
The night
started shortly after 8 oÕclock, when guests eager to enjoy the exuberance of
the recreated Tropicana nightclub arrived in black and white chic. Once the
cocktail hour was over, patrons received red carpet treatment into the main
ballroom of the hotel, restored to its 1950s glory with palm trees, dancers,
swings, and accompanying music. JenCarlos, a rising music star, kicked off the
celebration at 10 p.m. and instantly had guest moving to the Latin beats.
After
JenCarlosÕ performance, TelemundoÕs Ambrosio Hernandez and Maria Montoya,
emcees for the event, officially welcomed guests to the glamorous night and
spoke eloquently about Voices For Children and the children they serve. Nestor
A. Rodriguez, Executive Director of the organization, then took the stage to
thank everybody for their support and presented recognition plaques to
Commercebank, The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians, and Jose Dans and Many Alfonso,
producers of LAHABANA CABARET.
When the
emcees introduced Lucrecia, music filled every corner of the room. Flown in especially from Spain, the
sensational Cuban singer sang classic hits such as Cachita, El Cumbanchero, Besame mucho and Guantanamera. Lucrecia was accompanied by the
extraordinary LAHABANA CABARET Big Band under the musical direction of Yainer
Horta, who wrote all the musical arrangements for the occasion. The celebration
ended in the early hours of the morning and raised much-needed funds and
awareness for abused and abandoned children in our community.
Voices For
Children Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises funds to ensure
that every abused and neglected child in Miami-Dade County has a court
appointed Guardian Ad Litem and that financial assistance and other resources
are available to meet their basic needs. Guardians Ad Litem are trained, court
appointed adults who serve as the representative voices for abused and
neglected children in juvenile court. The mission
of the
Guardian Ad Litem Program is to advocate for the best interest of the children
who are abused, neglected and abandoned and who are involved in court
proceedings. For more information call 305.324.5678 or visit www.voices4.org. Be a Voice.
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LAHABANA
CABARET sponsors included Commercebank; Miccosukee Resort & Gaming; HSBC;
Bacardi U.S.A.; The Miami Herald; El Nuevo Herald; Mandarin Oriental Miami; SBS
Radio; Telemundo T51; Selecta Magazine; De la Pe–a & Associates; Avatar
Real Estate Services; American Airlines; Armadillo Sounds; BJÕs Wholesale Club;
CITGO; Imagen, The Marketing Agency; JC Productions; Leon Medical Centers;
MAJA; Miller Brewing Company; The A Group; Univision Radio; WOW FACTOR; Bank
United; Cafˇ La Fama de Amˇrica; Clear Channel; Commercebank Real Estate;
Davide Realty; DIAGEO; Diario Las Amˇricas; FPL; General Motors; Genworth
Financial; KPMG; Machado Gardia-Serra Publicidad; Mandarin Oriental Miami;
Mayda Cisneros Fashions; Perry Ellis International and Stewart De La Vega
Group.