|
Home
‘ULTIMATE SPORTS EXTRAVAGANZA & AUCTION’ RAISES $150,000
TO GRANT 30 WISHES IN SOUTH FLORIDAAnnual Make-A-Wish Foundation Event Featured Legendary
Coach Don Shula,
Attracted Celebrities, More Than 600 Attendees
For the 17th consecutive year, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Southern Florida
offered local sports fans a magical night as they got up close to their heroes at Sports * Stars * Wishes . . . The Make-A-Wish Ultimate Sports Extravaganza & Auction. The fundraising event,
with featured guest - the legendary Miami Dolphins head coach and Hall
of Fame coach Don Shula, was supported by local and national sports figures and raised $150,000, enough to grant
the wishes of 30 local children who have life-threatening medical conditions. More than 600 people attended
the event at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood.
Guests enjoyed mingling
with a lengthy list of current and former professional athletes, including Miami HEAT head coach Erik
Spoelstra and former HEAT player Tim Hardaway, Miami Dolphins players Chad Henne, Greg
Camarillo, Pat White, Tyler Thigpen, Keith Ballard and Bryant McKinnie from the Minnisota Vikings. Randy Moller of the Florida
Panthers and broadcasting luminary Lesley Visser,and former NY Jets great Marvin Jones to name just
a few. The true stars of the evening were Wish-Kids like Marina Diez who served as an interview correspondent
on the Red Carpet and shared her heart-felt memories of her wish that was granted two years ago. Diez’
wish allowed her and her family to travel to London and attend Wimbledon, an experience which helped her through the most
difficult time in her life.
The unique format
of the event enabled celebrities to join Shula and host Tony Segreto on stage to add personal touches to auction packages
and increase their bids. Many of the dollars raised were generated during the evening’s live auction,
with one-of-a-kind experiences donated by several sports entities. These include personalized packages
from South Florida’s professional sports teams and two tickets to the 2011 Super Bowl to be played at the Dallas Cowboys’
new stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Each year, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida (www.sfla.wish.org), the 4th largest wish-granting chapter in the world, fulfills the wishes of more than 500 children in 13 South Florida counties. With $5,000 the average cost of a wish, the nonprofit organization relies on fundraisers, corporate support, and donations from the public to bring hope, strength, and joy to families who need it most.
