Miami Shoot

18th Annual InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball

On June 7, InterContinental Miami hosted its annual kickoff celebration In honor of the upcoming 18th Annual InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball. The exclusive gathering of this pure philanthropic and charitable pursuit included South Florida’s leading philanthropists, and featured exciting announcements in anticipation of about this year’s India-themed Ball, to be held on Saturday, November 3.

“I am honored to be a part of a mission that has impacted so many lives,” said Robert Hill, Ball Host and General Manager of InterContinental Miami. “As a result of 17 nights of fundraising, the hotel and Foundation have together raised enough funds to grant 2,300 Wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions across South Florida. It is because of this unique 17-year partnership, the committee’s passion for the cause and our generous donors’ unwavering support that we have made – and will continue – to make the Ball one of the most anticipated and successful fundraising events of the year.”

Shareef Malnik, Ball Chairman and proprietor of  The Forge Restaurant | Wine Bar, lead the evening’s anticipated moment with news on the Ball’s latest endeavor, the “Chairman’s Challenge.”

“As Chairman of the Ball, it is my mission to find new and innovative ways to take our fundraising efforts to the next level,” said Malnik. “As part of the ‘Chairman’s Challenge,’ I have for the past eight months challenged some of the community’s leading philanthropists and businesses to underwrite the cost of the Ball for the next five years. I am thrilled to announce that to date, I have received an impressive 14 commitments and am confident six more outstanding individuals will rise to the challenge before November 3, marking yet another incredible milestone.”

Norman Wedderburn, President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Southern Florida continued, “I am truly touched by the support we continue to receive from our community. It is because of these generous individuals that we continue to break records and achieve fundraising milestones year after year. I would like to give special thanks to Shareef Malnik and Gabrielle Anwar, star of USA Network’s ‘Burn Notice’ and the 2012 Ball’s celebrity auctioneer, who together not only conceived the ‘Chairman’s Challenge,’ but are also the first donors of the Challenge.” Speaking to the impact of a Wish, Trevor Daycock, brother of Wish Child Emily and volunteer intern at Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, recounted his sister’s battle with epilepsy and the renewed sense of happiness and hope the Foundation provided his family by granting her wish to travel to London.

Notable guests included the Founding Benefactors Howard and Barbara Glicken; former Make-A-Wish Foundation Chairmen of The Board Robby Elias and Bert deArmas; Star Benefactor James Ferraro; philanthropist Sanford Ziff and wife Baroness Beatrice Clancy; Antonio Misuraca, Michael Capponi; and Monica Heftler; Bonnie Eletz; owners of Levinson Jewelers, Mark and Robin Levinson.

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