Our 6th Over the Edge event to stop youth violence has come and gone, but it wasn’t without its fun surprises!

Each year, Miami YFC recruits rappellers and fundraisers to draw attention to youth violence in South Florida. Our first event came just a few months before the tragic Parkland shooting. It was heartbreaking to hold this year’s event only 3 days after the school shooting in Michigan.

Youth unfortunately face violence every where. According to the Department of Children & Families, 1 in 3 girls under 18 has been sexually abused or assaulted, and 1 in 6 boys have faced the same pain. At our high schools, 30% of teens reported experiencing violence at the hands of a romantic partner; in the last year, our team has helped 2 girls who were victims of rape. And in south Dade, over 60% of youth reported that bullying or gang violence was a problem at their schools (see Dade County School Climate surveys).

But when things are dark, the light of Christ shines all the more! This was certainly true for Miami YFC and Christmas Over the Edge. In addition to exceeding our fundraising goal by $20,000, completing the event in a record 6 hours, and recruiting more individual alumni donors than ever before, the Big Red Man showed up to draw attention to our cause.

You can check out the full story here – it’s pretty great to see Miami YFC featured in the local news! And thank you to those from Christ Journey who supported us and the youth we serve. May you have a very Merry Christmas.