2025, Annual Holiday Celebration & Volunteer Awards

You probably know the melody even if the rhyme poses a challenge. We made it through 2025! This alone is worthy of celebration, and we could think of no better occasion for rejoicing than the December 18, 2025, Annual Holiday Celebration & Volunteer Awards.

At the Miami Beach Democratic Club, we are grateful for every one of our members. We are privileged to belong to a community united by a shared mission: advancing progressive values, strengthening democracy, and fostering civic engagement. We are proud of our record of protecting diversity, inclusiveness, environmental sustainability, and human rights, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to building a more just, informed, and engaged society.

And while many of us might have preferred to write off much of 2025 after January 20, there is good cause to celebrate each other and to celebrate meaningful inroads by Democrats in recent elections, as well as boast of our contribution in keeping local political power in the hands of qualified and tested rational progressive lawmakers.

The club’s commitment and tireless work—efforts we believe were instrumental in securing a remarkable 70-point or so margin in the Miami Beach runoff election victory despite an exceptionally low voter turnout—did not go unnoticed. Our volunteers and leadership were recognized by Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, who witnessed firsthand our final hours push to get Miami Beach voters to the polls. We were thrilled by numerous congratulatory messages from former Miami Beach officials, party officers, and many of the candidates we either endorsed or supported.

Throughout the year, MBDC volunteers—Tim; Cindy; Brooke; the indefatigable Laura; our ever-enthusiastic cheering squad of Amanda and Linda; Paul, Dolores, Steve, Beatrice, Bill, Sneh, Kevin, Shannon, Jean; and the New York remote branch of Fred and Fran, among others—formed a small but formidable and unrelenting force. They showed up to meetings, joined countless zooms, and attended just about every day of action and event. They planned, texted, phoned, canvassed, and did the essential and often unseen work that fuels a grassroots movement and drives real change.

This unstoppable crew of MBDC volunteers deserves our deepest gratitude—and, frankly, made picking the recipients of a 2025 Volunteer Award an easy task. Each of the four honorees went so far above and beyond that we briefly considered issuing superhero capes but settled on handing out prizes in addition to their color choice of very new and fashionable MBDC velcro-adjustable caps in glorious democratic shades of blue, of course.

Cindy Binder’s legendary at-home texting operation reached thousands of prospective voters at record speed (multiply one hundred a day by all days of summer and fall), proving once and for all that democracy can be powered by extremely fast thumbs. Laura Lopez Ramos brought order to chaos with her next-level organizational skills, wrangling the communications committee into keeping pace with an ambitious schedule of emails and social media postings to reignite Miami Beach voters. Paul White quietly kept the entire club functioning by making sure memberships stayed up to date and by earning the title of “Amanda whisperer” whenever success appeared less than attainable—heroic work that prevented a mass panic. And Steve Atlas fearlessly took on every obstacle, knocking on countless neighbors’ doors until time ran out, daylight faded, and even democracy said, “Okay Steve, you’ve done enough.”

For the second time, we honored a Democrat of the Year. This moment was especially emotional, as it was clear to all of us that no one was more deserving of this recognition than mayoral candidate Kristen Rosen Gonzalez. For years, we have relied on Commissioner Kristen to hold colleagues accountable and keep the public informed via her legendary, often controversial, widely followed meeting recaps and her unwavering willingness to speak out. She took on the challenge of running against an incumbent—always a formidable undertaking—and met misinformation and baseless attacks with facts, transparency, and thoughtful, workable solutions.

As a committed defender of the city we call home, Kristen has consistently championed the protection of Miami Beach’s historic district, the preservation of architectural landmarks such as the “now-that-she-left doomed" South Shore Community Center designed by Morris Lapidus, and the delivery of essential city services to the residents who need them most.

One other reason to celebrate in 2025: for the seventh year, we partnered with the Miami Beach Community Church to support its mission to feed our neighbors in need—neighbors who depend on, and deeply appreciate, this club’s generosity. This year marked our biggest and most impactful effort yet and we exceeded last year’s record donations thanks to a last second push from Beatrice to get us over the top to a respectable $2,025. The funds will help restock the community church’s pantry and add holiday cheer for the many seniors and families who rely on this additional assistance.

As we close 2025, let’s look ahead to what’s possible. We wish you a joyful holiday season filled with hope, renewed purpose, and well-deserved rest and peace (the latter is likely to require shutting off your news source of choice). The progress we’ve made together is a powerful reminder that meaningful change starts right here, with each of us showing up, lending a hand, and believing that our voices matter. Even the smallest local effort, when powered by teamwork and conviction, can spark victories that echo far beyond our city limits.

We hope that 2026 is the year you resolve to step in, speak up, and take a more active role in MBDC—because when this club comes together, we don’t just participate in democracy, we shape it.