Over its first 20 years, The Children's Trust has been a beacon of light for all children and families of Miami-Dade County thanks to the overwhelming majority of voters who created it. And for the past year, The Trust has celebrated its first two decades of serving the community with a campaign educating the public about its engagements and interactions with 2 million children, families and service providers. The celebration culminated on September 7 with a fitting tribute to the light The Trust has shone on Miami-Dade County.
As night descended on South Florida, landmark buildings in downtown Miami and other locations across the county lit up in The Trust's vibrant green-pantone hue while others displayed The Trust's logo or congratulatory messages. Those gazing into the night sky were able to experience a colorful display representative of the reach and impact The Trust has had in our community.
Over a dozen buildings and landmarks were showered in green, including the Freedom Tower, County Hall (The Stephen P. Clark Center), the Kaseya Center (home of the Miami Heat), Hard Rock Stadium (home of The Miami Dolphins), Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, Perez Art Museum, several cruise terminals at Port of Miami, and the Paramount Miami World Center. The toll structure on the Dolphin Expressway (Highway 836) was also lit up and two of The Trust's educational partners, Florida International University and Florida Memorial University, also displayed The Trust's logo on marquees.
"To be able to see our community light up in The Children's Trust's colors and other messages of support speaks to the impact and reach we've been able to accomplish in 20 years," said Trust President & CEO James R. Haj. "We are extremely humbled by the outpouring of support, and this reinforces our commitment and dedication to continue serving children and families in Miami-Dade County."
The building light up celebration brings to a close a yearlong celebration that included a HistoryMiami reception and exhibition, a full-scale marketing campaign featuring children and youth positively impacted by The Trust, a 40-page special edition "20 Years Nurturing Greatness" publication in partnership with Miami's Community Newspapers, a mini-documentary about the history of The Trust and several other events and commendations.
From investing in early learning and youth development programs to advocating on behalf of all children and families at the local, state and federal levels to creating family-focused initiatives like the Book Club and Parent Club, The Trust has been an instrumental driving force for families. This has primarily been accomplished by providing essential financial support to hundreds of organizations directly improving the lives of children and families.
Click here for video footage and images showcasing the illuminated buildings celebrating The Children's Trust's 20th Anniversary.