The Children’s Trust Honors Excellence in Public Service at Annual Champions for Children Awards Ceremony

The Children’s Trust will host its sixth annual Champions for Children awards ceremony to honor individuals and programs that have achieved greatness in their service to children and families on Friday, November 19th at the Jungle Island Treetop Ballroom, noon – 2 p.m. In addition, this year The Children’s Trust Champions for Children Awards Ceremony will celebrate the resiliency of the Haitian people and its culture nearly one year after the devastating earthquake this past January. World renowned Haitian violinist Romel Joseph, a Julliard graduate and founder of the New Victorian School in Port-au-Prince will perform at the ceremony.  The New Victorian School was destroyed during the earthquake. Joseph was severely injured and lost both his wife and unborn child. Other musical performances are part of this year’s Haitian themed event.

This annual, signature event is one of the most coveted within the community of child advocates and in all of Miami-Dade County, and serves as an inspiration to others to follow in the path of our award recipients. Tickets to the event may be purchased online at www.thechildrenstrust.org

The award categories and recipients are as follows:

  • David Lawrence Jr. Champion for Children Award: Jean Caceres-Gonzalez, Founder and Executive Director of His House Children’s Home, a nonprofit crisis residential shelter for abused, neglected and drug exposed children.
  • David Lawrence Jr. Champion for Children Award: Sister Lucia Ceccotti, Founder and Executive Director of Marion Center School & Services, a 50-acre campus dedicated to caring for children with disabilities since 1963.
  • Excellence in Public Policy: Senator Rudy Garcia, Member of the Florida Legislature since 1984.
  • Excellence in Direct Service for Children and Families: Daryl Miller, Leisure Lake Park Manager for Miami-Dade County Parks & Recreation Department.
  • Excellence in School Readiness Programming: University of Miami Linda Ray Intervention Center, Project “Hand n’ Hand,” a program that provides interactive education session with an emphasis on language development, emotional regulations and child development milestones to parents of infants and toddlers.
  • Excellence in Youth Programming for School and Life Success :Thomas Armour Youth Ballet, a program that provides ballet training to more than 1,000 students annually with more than 500 attending through scholarships at locations in South Miami, Morningside, Homestead, the Redlands and Coconut Grove.
  • Excellence in Health Family or Community Services: The Children of Inmates Service Partnership, a program that reunites children with their incarcerated parents.

In addition to these honorees, The Children’s Trust will recognize its employee of the year at the Champions for Children 2010 Award Ceremony. Bios of each award recipient are

available upon request. To learn more about The Children’s Trust, please call 211 or visit www.thechildrenstrust.org

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