Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami hosted its annual “Girls Night Out” event at the Wynwood Walls on Thursday night, bringing together more than 450 women for an evening of networking, philanthropy and empowerment.
The event was designed was envisioned as a space exclusively for women to connect, grow and support one another.
“We try to double the revenues from the event every year,” said Charlotte Higgs, a BBBS volunteer and event co-chair. “So we have amazing sponsors that have come in and given money, and we also have vendors who are here for free. They’re donating all their products for free. We also have an auction. We have a live auction, and we have a raffle.”
Attendees enjoyed live music, a variety of food options and interactive activities, all in support of BBBS’s mission to mentor and uplift young people. The event also featured a marketplace where mentees, known as “Littles,” had the opportunity to showcase and sell their handcrafted artwork.
“Tonight you will see our young entrepreneurs, our little sisters, who are actually engaging in business, learning all the tricks of the trade, salesmanship, if you will, the gift of gab, building relationships,” said Gale S. Nelson, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami. “And just look around and see these little people selling the items that they put together that they made. So the joy of them just seeing their work come full circle.”
Among them was 14-year-old Luciana Moreno, who has been part of BBBS for more than five years.
“This is the second year I get to sell my stuff here,” Moreno said. “I lead Cushy Items, and this has been the second year I’ve been able to sell them. I got to meet amazing people, and I got to expand my business because on my own I couldn’t have done this.”
Nelson emphasized that the event’s impact extends beyond a single night.
“I want more bigs as a result of this event,” he said. “So two things. I want people to sign up to become big. We need more big sisters. We need more big brothers. And who better to recruit men than women? So this is a girls’ night out.”
Organizers hope attendees left feeling inspired and more connected to meaningful causes that shape the community.
Hannah Spence contributed to this report
