MIAMI – The Beta Beta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. hosted a weeklong 75th Anniversary Celebration Nov. 5 -11th marking the Miami Alphas’ 75th Diamond Anniversary.
The week began with getting out the vote for the re-election of President Barack Obama. The premier event was the 75th Diamond Anniversary Gala hosted at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa on Saturday, Nov. 10.
Master of Ceremonies was Brother Milton C. Davis, Esq., the 29th general president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. The sold-out crowd was entertained by two-time Grammy Award Nominated R&B artist Eric Roberson, and guests danced to the sounds of the band Suga.
The gala culminated Beta Beta Lambda’s yearlong celebration of their 75th anniversary displaying the history and contributions of one of Miami’s most notable fraternal organizations.
The Miami Alphas continue to serve as a driving force in the community, challenging local companies, corporations and foundations to support the chapter’s “First of All, We Vote!” Campaign, as well as the Beta Beta Lambda Alpha Education Foundation and the AlphaLand Community Development Corporation.
Officials note that from its inception the chapter has provided leadership through its service projects, mentoring programs for high school and foster care boys, community cleanups and plethora of other activities over the years.
This year’s reflections included the Alpha/Links MLK Memorial Services at the Church of the Incarnation on Jan. 15, followed by the Black & Gold Gala commemorating the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial.
The chapter received congressional recognition from Congresswoman Frederica Wilson. On April 4, chapter members served as marshals for the Reclaim the Dream Candlelight Memorial Service in Liberty City, in remembrance of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In 2011, the chapter celebrated one of its greatest achievements in attending the unveiling and dedication of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial, located between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials on the national mall in Washington, D.C.
The cost to build and maintain the memorial was an estimated $120 million. Beta Beta Lambda’s Alpha Education Foundation contributed $2.1 million toward the construction of the monument, of which $100,000 was raised locally, and chapter members arranged for additional $1 million donations from the Knight Foundation and ExxonMobil Foundation, respectively.
Beta Beta Lambda chapter was chartered in November 1937 by Dr. Felix E. Butler, Dr. Nathaniel Colston, Dr. Ira P. Davis, Dr. Aaron Goodman, Frederick J. Johnson, Dr. Samuel H. Johnson, Leo A. Lucas, and Dr. William H. Murrell. Alphas are about “Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love for All Mankind.”
The chapter is a five-time National Chapter of the Year, three-time Host Chapter for the National Convention, home of the 1994 National Brother of the Year, and has progressed and positioned itself to being a part of Greater Miami’s leadership.
To make a tax-deductible contribution to the Scholarship Program and /or Economic & Community Development, contact Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity’s Beta Beta Lambda/Alpha Foundation or AlphaLand CDC at 305-358-1040, email betabeta lambda@bellsouth.net or mail donations to the Beta Beta Lambda/Alpha Foundation, PO Box 12447, Miami, Fl 33101.
No Comment