Tuesday, 31 May 2011 13:27
Written by A. Sebastian Fortino

The Champions of Equality Awards drew over 600 guests, 16 corporate sponsors, and generated over $85,000 to support the Miami-based non-profit. Save DADE, which has a history of defending equality in Florida since the 1970s, chose to honor recipients who successfully fought against the ban against LGBT individuals in the state of Florida.

The event honored Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz, the American Civil Liberties Union and Greenberg Traurig, LLP. The private legal firm succesfully challenged LGBT-discrimination in adoption – expressing solidarity with those discriminated against by the ban in taking on the case pro-bono.

C.J. Ortuno, Executive Director of SAVE Dade said it was their greatest event to date.

“However, money and ticket sales were not the only indicators for success. With more than 20 local, state, and federal elected officials and four Miami-Dade Mayoral candidates in attendance, we were politically successful as well. SAVE staff and board are very happy and have received glowing comments since the event. I had one volunteer tell me the event was being talked about at Church on Sunday. My most sincere thanks and appreciation for my two Co-Chairs Cristy McClelland and Jay Windsor; without them none of this was possible,” Ortuno stated to SFGN.