SAVE has brought together leaders in the South Florida LGBT community who have made their own personal difference in our collective struggle for equality for nearly a decade. Now that residents in Miami-Dade County are protected with an inclusive human rights ordinance, among other noteworthy achievements this past year, SAVE is looking to recognize the people who have kept, and will continue to keep, Miami-Dade a progressive place to live.
The ninth annual SAVE Champions of Equality Reception will be held on Friday, May 8 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Briza on the Bay (1717 N. Bayshore Dr., Miami). Against this sumptuous backdrop with great views of the city, people will be able to mix and mingle while enjoying food, drinks and music by DJ Maximus 3000.
The people recognized with the SAVE Champions of Equality Award are advocates for the LGBT 
community in the work they do each and every day. The honorees this year are Arianna Lint, transgender services director for SunServe; Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, local and national transgender advocate; and Dr. Mark B. Rosenberg, president of Florida International University, one of the fastest-growing public universities in the state of Florida.
There will also be an induction ceremony for AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Impulse Group South Florida, as the organization has been selected to be immortalized in SAVE’s Hall of Champions. Members of the Impulse Group will be at the event to accept this honor on the organization’s behalf.
Finally, the SAVE Champions of Equality Reception will feature a special presentation by the well-regarded U.S. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida’s 27th District. First sent to Washington by Florida voters in 1989, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen was the first Latina ever elected to the United States Congress, and the first Republican woman to represent Florida in Congress. One of the few Republicans in Congress to advocate for progressive social issues, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen has been an advocate for LGBT equality for many years. This night is doubly special for her, 
because not only is she speaking at the Champions of Equality Reception, her son Rodrigo will be receiving an award as well.
Tickets are available for purchase right now; they cost $150 online and they will cost $175 should you choose to buy tickets at the door the night of the reception. Go to championsofequality.com and you can purchase your tickets online, and there is also an option for you to donate directly to SAVE should you wish to do so.
If you or your company are interested in sponsoring this event, you can visit save.lgbt/sponsorships. Sponsor levels range from $2,500 to $25,000. All sponsorship levels include tickets to the event, logo placement under the sponsors section, and networking opportunities for people to become acquainted with you or your brand during the reception.
Event sponsors include Bilzin Sumberg, Bacardi, Grey Goose, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, WTVJ-TV NBC 6 South Florida, Nextera Energy, the City of Miami Beach, Magic City Casino, JPMorgan Chase and Co., BB&T, Akerman, City National Bank, Evensky & Katz/Foldes Financial, Raymond James, Cole, Scott & Kissane, Edge Communications, the Good Government Initiatve, Impress Your Guests Event Planning, Williamson Automotive, and Harke, Clasby & Bushman. Hotspots Media Group is a proud sponsor of the SAVE Champions of Equality Reception as well.
ABOUT SAVE
SAVE describes themselves as “South Florida’s leading organization dedicated to protecting people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) against discrimination.” SAVE has been crucial in the LGBT community’s fight for equality in Miami-Dade County since 1993. Recently, SAVE celebrated marriage equality in Florida and the passage of Miami-Dade County’s updated human rights ordinance which specifically barred discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. Their wish is that all people in South Florida be able to achieve and enjoy full equality in every aspect of their daily lives.
For more information on the Champions of Equality Reception, visit championsofequality.com. For more information on SAVE, visit save.lgbt.
