Soaring songs and circus performers thrilled community members who joined Latinos Salud for its “Gala al Fresco” weekend. For its annual fundraising event, the non-profit HIV agency staged two events, an evening cocktail party and a brunch, both under tents on the agency’s front lawn at its Wilton Manors flagship location.

Jimmie Herrod, a golden buzzer winner in last year’s America’s Got Talent, wowed the crowd with his signature song, “Tomorrow,” from the musical Annie. Guests at the Saturday performance included South Florida community leaders decked out in formal attire. The Sunday brunch had more of a family and friends feel, with many guests sipping mimosas while they mingled in shorts and sun hats.

In a video postcard recorded especially for Gala participants, the LA retro-funk band Soul Scratch spoke directly to gala participants, encouraging them to support Latinos Salud: “All the great services that they provide make the world and the community of South Florida a much better place and that’s why they need our support now more than ever.”

Board Chair Dr. Franco Chervalier told attendees that he was proud to serve Latinos Salud because it is “A place where young and young-at-heart individuals are able to walk in and be empowered about their status and their health. A place where client-centered and culturally appropriate care is delivered day in and day out. But most importantly, a place where you’re welcome and treated like family from the moment you walk in.”

Remarking on the agency’s efforts to increase health access for everyone, Latinos Salud’s Executive Director, Dr. Stephen Fallon, introduced a major program expansion. “So many of our community members without health insurance use the emergency room as their primary healthcare and we all end up paying for that. So, we decided to invest in the health of the community.” Fallon announced that the agency launched a new program late in 2021, through which it pays the health insurance premiums for its patients in greatest need.

The agency presented two awards to agency leaders, bestowing the 2022 “Corazones Award” to the Our Fund Foundation, for “passionate efforts to improve community health, and its “Community Pride Award” to NBC6 weatherman Stephen MacLaughlin “for dedicated efforts to create a unified South Florida community.”

Front and center both days were several dozen members of the agency’s new “Youth Services” and “Health & Culture” programs. Both programs offer a wide variety of social activities to promote community connection and build resiliency. Fallon observed that by not pushing a hard-sell on youth to use condoms or get on PrEP, the programs create a safe space through which many participants end up getting services they need, at their own stage of readiness.

New member, Jeffrey Guzman, commented, “I moved to the South Florida area two months ago, and the Youth Services program has been like a home for me. The gala provided a great space to meet and thank the folks behind this incredible program.”