The Heart Behind the 2025 Miami Shores Holiday Home Tour by Heidi Hewes WCA

Miami Shores has holiday traditions, and then it has the ones that feel like part of our DNA. The Heidi Hewes Holiday Home Tour is one of those. For more than 15 years, I’ve donated pen-and-ink renderings of the tour homes as thank-you gifts to the owners who open their doors, helping this village raise funds that actually move the needle on cancer research.

This year carried a different weight. After my colon cancer diagnosis in March, I wrote openly about what that experience taught me in The Quiet Strength Behind the Smile on Miamism. I also shared a piece of my story in Miami Shores Living Magazine, where I talked about how art and community have shaped my life here. I never expected that these two worlds would collide so personally, but they did. When you go through something that close to home, the purpose behind this event sharpens. You stop seeing it as tradition and start seeing it as lifeline.

And this year, Heidi Hewes WCA did something that caught me off guard in the best way. They included a full page in the event program as a tribute, sharing my story, my art, and my connection to this village. If you get your hands on the program, read that page. It says everything about why this community matters.

They also changed up the presentation of the renderings. They invited the homeowners to their December meeting so the gifts could be handed out in person. I had the chance to meet each homeowner, listen to their reactions, and thank them face to face. It was simple and heartfelt, and honestly the most meaningful part of the process. These renderings are never just ink on paper. They are gratitude. They are acknowledgement. They are Miami Shores at its best.

 

This organization keeps growing. They keep raising real money for research and patient care. They keep showing what community looks like when people commit for the right reasons.

If you have never experienced the Holiday Home Tour, consider joining us on December 14. Walk the village, enjoy the homes, thank the people who make the event possible, and feel the impact for yourself. And if you want to stay connected to the work they are doing, give their new Instagram page a follow at @heidiheweswca and drop a comment.

I grew up in Miami Shores, raised my family here, and this tradition is one I’ll never miss. It is one of the ways I give back to this village.