MIA: Inside Harry Winston’s ‘Voices for Children’ Gala at Mandarin Oriental

Harry Winston, fine jeweler and watchmaker, was the presenting sponsor again for this year’s Voices For Children Foundation “Be a Voice, Create a Legacy” gala, which took place January 21 at the Mandarin Oriental in downtown Miami. The event’s honorary co-chairs were Brittany and Christian Slater, Brittany was in attendance representing the couple while Christian was in Los Angeles collecting a People’s Choice Award. BIG 105.9 radio personality Paul Castronovo served the event’s charismatic emcee.

A Harry Winston display of extraordinary diamond jewelry had guests enthralled, especially the 111 carat “Secret Combination” necklace. The piece features cascading strands of over 586 diamonds of various cuts including marquise, Asscher, and round brilliant, which can be assembled in a number of different ways to create different designs.

Longtime suporters Jeff and Yolanda Berkowitz not only served as gala chairs, but also donated enough to be Golden Fan level sponsors. There were a handful of Dynasty Guardian Sponsors both individual and corporate, including Ruby Bacardi, Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod; Cima Group; Greenberg Traurig; John Moriarty & Associates of Florida; Kaufman, Rossin & Co.; PricewaterhouseCoopers; Jay and Susan Shapiro; and Swire Properties.

Almost 450 guests attended and were treated to a soulful performance by Shakyiah Cargill, a former beneficiary of the Voices For Children Foundation. Not a dry eye was in the house as Cargill performed “Fight Song” by Rachael Platten and shared her story of perseverance.

Cargill’s resolve may be unique, but her situation, unfortunately, is all too common in Miami. Voices for Children seeks to level the playing field by working to insure that the abused, abandoned and neglected children in the Miami-Dade County foster care system have a court apointed “Guardian ad Litem” and resources to meet legal, health, educational and social needs.

The Zyman Family Foundation was honored for donating $400,000 over the last four years in college scholarships. Their donating was done through Voices For Children Foundation’s “It Takes a Village” program, which helps current foster kids and those who have “aged out” of the system get to university.

Want to get involved? Visit BeAVoice.org.

Photos by Orlando Garcia and World Red Eye