Among the many events attended by members of the band, certainly one the most exciting was the Florida Heroes Awards, hosted by the National Academy of Arts and Sciences, NARAS. Ed Hale and bassist Howard ‘Stro’ Stroman, participated in the 2001 Heroes Awards at The Loews Hotel in Miami Beach on April 15th. Organized by the Recording Industry Association of America, best known for its annual Grammy awards, the event was exceptionally spectacular and entertaining. Among the Honorees were South Florida natives KC and the Sunshine Band and Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records.