With a full moon hanging above, BrazilFoundation received guests for its III Gala in Miami, which took place on March 15th at the Pérez Art Museum, the recently inaugurated, state-of-the-art, sustainable museum designed by Herzog & de Meuron. The event raised enough funds to support 10 social projects to be selected during the 2014 annual selection.
Looking to promote ideas that result in better living conditions for thousands of Brazilians, the Foundation honored individuals and organizations that have distinguished themselves in the world of philanthropy: José Dias Campos of the Center for Popular Education and Social Education (CEPFS) received the award for work that promotes sustainable development in the semi-arid region of Paraíba; Bianca Senna received an award on behalf of Ayrton Senna Institute, which works to improve the quality of education in Brazil;Ivete Sangalo was presented the Global Brazilian Award, for her role as “godmother” of Quabales, a social project that offers dance and percussion workshops for children and youth of Northeast Amaralina in Salvador, Bahia; and Darleen Callaghan, director of the Miami City Ballet School, received the International Philanthropy Award for overseeing the school’s summer internship program offered to Brazilians.
The evening’s festivities also benefited from the charm, sense of humor and beauty of Sabrina Sato and the stage presence of journalist Pedro Andrade, who acted as MC of the event for the second year in a row. Aside from the memorable performance by Quabales, which brought everyone to their feet, two Brazilian dancers from the Miami City Ballet School, Mayumi Enokibara and Luiz Fernando da Silva, put on a performance that left the audience captivated.
“We always knew that Florida had a great philanthropic potential, but the Gala in Miami each year surpasses our expectations. This third event consolidated our operations here,” said Patricia Lobaccaro, CEO and president of BrazilFoundation who is already getting things underway for the I Gala São Paulo at the end of May.
