Miami Beach proclaims July 9, 2025, Greybull Rescue Day after evacuation operations
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Summary
The City of Miami Beach presented a proclamation to Greybull Rescue recognizing the nonprofit’s recent evacuations from Israel and other international rescue operations; the group described its mostly volunteer, donor-funded work and the claim of nearly 9,000 lives helped.
Miami Beach officials on July 9 read a proclamation honoring Greybull Rescue for evacuating Americans from international conflict zones and other disaster areas, and declared July 9, 2025, “Greybull Rescue Day.”
The proclamation, introduced by the mayor during the presentations and awards meeting, cited Greybull Rescue’s recent “Operation Olive Shield,” which the city said evacuated 2,200 Americans, including South Florida and Miami Beach residents, from areas affected by missile fire and closed airspace. The proclamation praised the group’s “service and sacrifice” and its ties to the South Florida community.
Brian Stern, identified in the meeting as the organization’s founder and chairman, described Greybull Rescue as “almost all volunteer” and said the group is “entirely donor funded.” He told the commission the organization had rescued “we're flirting with 9,000 lives that we've saved.” Stern said the team includes people from a variety of backgrounds, has operated in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, Haiti, Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Gaza, and that recent maritime and air operations brought evacuees home while Israeli airspace was closed. Stern also credited a partnership with state officials and said the group worked with the state to secure funding for aircraft used in evacuations.
Mayor and commissioners presented the proclamation at the meeting and invited Greybull Rescue evacuees and staff to join them for photographs. The city’s text noted the videos shown during the event, in which Stern and his team recorded strikes and explosions during operations.
The commission’s presentation was ceremonial; no roll-call vote, ordinance, or budget appropriation was made on the floor during the proclamation. Stern and other organization members said the group continues active operations and is reliant on donations and partnerships to fund charters and logistics.
The city read the proclamation aloud and posed with Greybull Rescue staff and evacuees after the presentation. The transcript recorded additional names Stern asked to be acknowledged in a later photo: Olivia Lockran, Anna Kartashova, Bliss Reback, and Kirillo Alexandroff. Stern also thanked State Senator Jay Collins for facilitating state support for some evacuation flights.
