MIAMI BEACH (Le Floridien) – On Saturday, November 2nd, the Miami-Dade Democratic party hosted its annual ‘Blue D Gala’ at Sunset Vista ballroom in Miami Beach. With more than 550 attendees, this year’s event was a raving success, becoming the largest gala the Miami-Dade Democrats have ever presented.
With Blue Bash tickets sold at $75 and Gala tickets starting at $500 per person, the event raised over $360,000, a record for the local party.
The attendance records clearly illustrated a new level of energy for Democrats in Florida’s biggest county one year before the next presidential election. Presented under the theme, “It’s on Us,” 2019’s Blue Gala keynote speaker was Congressman Hakeem S. Jeffries, who is Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus representing New York’s 8th Congressional District since 2013 and the fifth highest-ranking Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried was a featured speaker. She is Florida’s 12th Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the first woman elected to the position and the sole Democrat currently holding statewide elected office in Florida.
With more than 600,000 registered Democrats, Miami-Dade represents the largest number of Democrats of any county in the state. Miami-Dade County is also the largest county in the biggest ‘swing state’ in the country. As a result, Miami is one of a select number of places across the country that can play a key role in determining the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
“It’s no exaggeration to say that the 2020 presidential election is the most important election of our lives,” said Matt Haggman, 2019 Blue Gala Chair. “Previous generations have stood up at moments like this. We must do so as well. For us in Miami, this is especially true. The stakes have never been higher, but the ability for each one of us in Miami to have an outsized impact has never been greater.”
Seven community and elected leaders were honored that night, highlighted by former Miami Dade College president Eduardo Padron, who received the local party’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Among the honorees was Dr. Larry Pierre, M.D., M.P.H. who received the Community Impact Award. Through his work as the Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Haitian Studies, Health & Human Services, Dr. Pierre has brought over $40 million into the Haitian community of South Florida, especially focused on public health and reducing HIV/AIDS. In 2012, Dr. Pierre became the President of the Florida Democratic Caucus as well as a Trustee of the Florida Democratic Party. Dr. Pierre was a key supporter of and fundraiser to President Barack Obama, Senator Bill Nelson, and Mayor Andrew Gillum.
Other honorees were: Florida Senator Jason Pizzo, Florida Representative Cindy Polo, gun violence activist Marie Jose Wright, activist Romainia Dukes, and Monica Russo, founder of 1199 SEIU Florida.
One of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party missions is to work with all Democrats to organize and effect change around the issues that will improve lives of those in their community. Through its governing body (the Democratic Executive Committee (DEC)), the purpose of the Democratic Party in Miami-Dade County is to build a strong Democratic Party in America for the purpose of electing Democratic candidates to offices at all levels.
All funds raised from the November 2nd gala go directly toward these efforts to elect Democrats up and down the ballot, including a Democratic County Mayor and a Democrat as President of the United States in 2020.
Dr. Larry Pierre represents and embodies the tremendous impact each person can make in bringing about change within their community, which then impacts the state and the country. He is a shining example of how one person can truly make a difference and it’s a reminder of the responsibility each person has to help lead our county, state, and country in the direction we want it to go.
It’s not just about donating money, but time and effort that creates the most effective, lasting changes necessary for freedom to reign.
Le Floridien