By Bari Auerbach



Dating back to incorporation in 1997, “giving back” has been a Sunny Isles Beach City Commission tradition. Here are just some of the worthy missions and causes the city has supported over the years, creating a legacy of municipal philanthropy:


‘Education Preservation’

Dating back to 2005, the city started giving back to help ensure children receive a quality education. On Oct. 11, 2005, Miami-Dade County School Board member Dr. Martin Karp joined by Enid Weisman (then Region 2 District Superintendent) recognized Sunny Isles Beach for contributing $8.5 million toward the acquisition of land for the K-8 Sunny Isles Beach Community School to help alleviate the area’s overcrowded classrooms.
“All other municipalities will be looking to see how this works out and [will be taking note of] the generosity, support and confidence Sunny Isles Beach has in our public school system,” Karp said.
Reflecting how the community is growing by “leaps and bounds,” at a recent special City Commission meeting Paul Greenfield, Miami-Dade County Public Schools administrative director Region 2, explained that the Sunny Isles Beach Community School (already at 96% capacity) has become a “targeted school for boundary change” for the ’09-2010 school term by the Attendance Boundary Committee in order to prevent overcrowding when the school adds an eighth grade level next fall..
“Four years ago when boundaries where drawn for [the Sunny Isles Beach Community School] we projected about 800 students [but] the school opened with 1,100 students [in grades K-6] and has grown ever since,” Greenfield said.
“We are looking to make some changes [affecting] lower grades such as kindergarten and first grade…exceptions will be made for children with siblings already in the school… We don’t want to pull a fourth, fifth or sixth grader out of a school they’ve already been attending…The relief will be immediate in lower grades and go into effect as of August 2010.”

Greenberg added that efforts are being made to identify students attending the Sunny Isles Beach Community School who do not live within proper boundaries. “When we identify them, there will be no grace period and they will be withdrawn immediately,” he said.

Sunny Isles Beach Mayor Norman Edelcup commended the city’s former School/Education Committee chair Bob Welsh for his help in initiating boundary changes and noted, “We’re very pleased with our decision to develop a partnership with [Miami-Dade County Public Schools]…Our commitment in dollars and effort has been well rewarded…We want to continue to work with the School Board to make this a school we can all be proud of.”

Take Stock in Children: This year the second annual Offshore Powerboat Challenge weekend in Sunny Isles Beach benefited local charities including Take Stock in Children - providing scholarships, mentors and hope for a better future to Florida’s most deserving children.  A public-private partnership, this nonprofit organization has positively affected the lives of more than 17,600 children.

Best Buddies: The inaugural Sunny Isles Beach Jazz Fest in 2008 benefitted Best Buddies - a non-profit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Joshua’s Heart Foundation: The 2nd annual Sunny Isles Beach Jazz Fest held last month benefitted Joshua’s Heart Foundation - assisting those who struggle daily to procure food for basic survival.  Joshua’s Heart Foundation, was founded by a five-year-old boy named Joshua. The main focus of his vision is to “Stomp out Hunger” in indigent and underprivileged communities and among those who battle debilitating diseases that affect their ability to earn enough to feed themselves.

Anchors Away Foundation: The City of Sunny Isles Beach recently donated $3,600 to sponsor a boat christened “Florida’s Riviera” to help support the Anchors Away Foundation - making it possible for children with cognitive and physical disabilities to learn to sail and set a course for success in the marine industry.

This year’s fourth Anchors Away launch at Oleta River State Park, in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, was attended by a dedicated crew of benefactors and community leaders uniting in efforts to teach disabled students how to sail on their own while learning, science, math and life skills – an innovative concept conceived by Dr. Jayne Greenberg, District Director, Physical Education and Health Literacy for Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Sunflower Society: In memory of the late former City Commissioner Connie Morrow, the City of Sunny Isles Beach approved a charitable donation to the Sunflower Society – a nonprofit charitable organization that has been actively helping the community since 1971. Morrow took great pride in joining in efforts to present Sunflower Society
donations to the city making it possible for children to attend the Sunny Isles Beach summer day camp programs.

Cultural Series: The City of Sunny Isles Beach has supported participation in the “Prestige Cultural Series at Biscayne Bay Campus 2009-2010” Program, authorizing a $2,500 charitable contribution to the Biscayne Bay Campus of Florida International University.

Jewish Community Services: The City of Sunny Isles Beach has approved resolutions approving charitable contributions to Jewish Community Services of South Florida to help fund various vital social service programs. The mission of Jewish Community Services is to provide exemplary social services in South Florida on behalf of the Jewish community to promote the quality of life and maximum achievement of potential within the Jewish community and the community as a whole.

Kiwanis Club: Last year, the City of Sunny Isles Beach, in partnership with Kiwanis of Sunny Isles Beach and North Miami Beach as well as the Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort, hosted the 1st annual Charity Fine Art Sale. The event was a huge success, with over $16,000 in fine art sold over the course of the weekend. Proceeds from the event benefitted the Sunny Isles Beach summer camp scholarship fund, as well as other Kiwanis youth programs.


‘Environmental Concern’

Sunny Isles Beach smart “Going Green” initiatives have received high praise and recognition. Last year, the Florida League of Cities announced the publication of its City Innovations Showcase which included “Government Center Goes Green” - a detailed description of the recycling at the Sunny Isles Beach Government Center.

According to the city’s Public Works Department, the maintenance staff in the Government Center is doing its part to save money and energy by continuing with a new larger scale recycling policy. New recycle bins are just the start of the City’s conscious effort to help preserve the environment. The city is also recycling dry-cell batteries and inkjet cartridges and has implemented a computerized system to control the lights and air conditioning usage throughout the entire Government Center.

In keeping with the smart trend to “go green – and save green” the City Commission recently authorized the purchase of two GEM Model EL electric pickup trucks for the Public Works Department. The cost of the trucks represented significant savings when compared to the purchase of gasoline vehicles and the elimination of expenses for gasoline and oil. The goal is to ultimately replace other city vehicles with similar more cost-efficient models.
Ordinances and resolutions passed by the Sunny Isles Beach City Commission also relating to environmental concerns encompass regulations protecting sea turtle nesting plus support for water conservation and the use of biodegradable trash bags.

‘Humanitarianism’

Sunny Isles Beach was recently in the international spotlight when former President Bill Clinton along with Haitian Prime Minister Michele Pierre-Louis plus hundreds of Haitian and Haitian-American professionals met at the Trump International Beach Resort for the opening of the Haitian Diaspora Unity Congress. The event was also attended by diverse business, community and political leaders joining in discussions about ways to help Haiti in the wake of food riots, a political crisis and catastrophic hurricanes.
In keeping with the mission to lend support to Haitians, the Sunny Isles Beach City Commission approved a resolution urging President Barack Obama to grant Temporary Protective Status to Haitians in the United States. During the Diaspora Unity Conference, Clinton also addressed immigration issues that concern Haitians living in the United States. He urged those fighting for Temporary Protected Status on behalf of an estimated 30,000 undocumented Haitians to “keep the pressure on [Washington] but to do so respectfully.”