20th Anniversary Celebration Gala

Benefits Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

Saturday, December 8 at 7 p.m.
JW Marriott Marquis Miami
255 Biscayne Boulevard Way, Downtown Miami
305-243-9088 (Sylvester Development Office)

The Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2012 Gala on Saturday, December 8, at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami and Hotel Beaux Arts. Gala guests will enjoy a reception with a luxury silent auction, dinner and an After-Party. The highlight of the evening will be a performance by two-time Tony-award winner Sutton Foster.

This year’s gala offers an option to attend just “The Party” which includes a reception, the stage show and the After Party. Nearly 1000 guests are expected to gather from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties to increase cancer awareness and raise funds for cancer research. The gala will also feature the awarding of the Caroline Halpern Award for exemplary service to The Harcourt M. & Virginia W. Sylvester Foundation and Stuart Miller.

As the only academic-based cancer center in South Florida, Sylvester represents the cutting edge of cancer treatment for the University of Miami and UHealth – University of Miami Health System. The Sylvester Gala is one of the primary fundraisers that support compassionate care, research, and clinical trials available to Sylvester patients.

This year’s Gala is being planned by a committee of community leaders including the event chair, Jennifer Stearns Buttrick, of counsel at Stearns, Weaver, Miller, Weissler, Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A. Buttrick’s dedication comes from a very personal experience. Having recovered from successful treatment for a renal tumor discovered two days after delivering her third child, Buttrick is a “most grateful patient.”

“I am living proof of the expertise and compassion that Sylvester physicians provide,” says Buttrick. She has assembled an impressive team of dedicated people to ensure the event’s success. “Sylvester was there for me, so I want to make sure the cancer center can continue to develop new treatments for others.”

The Masters of Ceremonies for the evening will be Maria Celeste Arrarás, host and managing editor of “Al Rojo Vivo con Maria Celeste”, produced by Telemundo/NBC and Raul de Molina, co-host of “El Gordo y la Flaca”, produced by Univision. ”Maria Celeste and I are honored to have been asked to host this important community event. We have both been touched by cancer and as a cancer survivor, I understand how important it is to be able to receive world-class treatment in our community,” said Raul de Molina.

“Our committee is thrilled to present outstanding entertainment to Sylvester supporters,” Buttrick said. “Sutton Foster is currently starring in a new television show and is so often on Broadway, that her schedule rarely allows her to perform in concert. We have constructed an event around her performance and hope to sell out the gala,” Buttrick said. “And, after the main event, guests will move to the 19th Floor of the JW Marriott Marquis where they will be entertained by DJ Irie, the official Miami Heat DJ. “

Buttrick’s doctor, Raymond J. Leveillee, professor of urology and member of the Prostate, Bladder & Kidney Cancers Site Disease Group at Sylvester, was among the nation’s first physicians to advocate for hand-assisted laparoscopic (HAL) surgery, and used the minimally invasive procedure on Buttrick.

Tickets for the Gala Celebration and After Party are available at $1,000. Tickets for “The Party” are just $250. To inquire about sponsorships and underwriting opportunities, to donate auction items, or purchase a ticket, please visit www.miami.edu/sylvestergala or call the Sylvester Development Office at 305-243-9088.

2012 SYLVESTER GALA COMMITTEE:

Jennifer Stearns Buttrick (Chair), Jenny Bielawski, Monika Blaya, Adam Carlin, Markia Colt, Fredi Consolo, Diana Delgado, Mike Farra, Nelly Farra, Alison Feiler, Denny Feinsilver, Austin Gaines, Stephanie Gaines, Kim Gerber, Gail Gidney, Teresa Haskett, Barbara Havenick, Barbara Weiss Havenick, JoAnn Hildebrandt, Elsie Howard, Tracy Leveillee, Jayne Malfitano, Jamie McKinney Rusk, Georgia Nimer, Laurie Nuell, Jennifer Olmedo-Rodriguez, Helen Picard, Alexis Rivera, Kim Sarkisian, Amy Scharlin, Joan Scheiner, Lily Serviansky, Kara Sharp, Eric Silver, Peggy Silver, Lyle Stern, Florencia Tabeni, Morgan Theodore, Vivian Urbieta.

Grand Gala Chair – The Harcourt M. & Virginia W. Sylvester Foundation; Host Sponsor – JW Marriott Marquis Miami and Hotel Beaux Arts Miami; Anniversary Sponsor – Stearns Weaver Miller Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A.; Platinum Sponsor – Roni & Sam Jacobson Family Foundation, Urbieta Family Fund/Vivian & Ignacio Urbieta. Gold Sponsor – Chanin & Adam Carlin, Roberta & Harvey Chaplin, Chico’s, Magic City Casino/Barbara Havenick & Family. Silver Sponsors – Abbot Downing, Audio Visual Services, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney LLP, The Buttrick Family, Denny & Paul Feinsilver/FMSbonds, Inc., Judy & Bernard Fogel, M.D., Doree & Malcolm Fromberg, Sharon & W. Jarrard Goodwin, M.D., Kaufman, Rossin & Co., Ladenburg Thalmann & Co., Inc., Landstar Development Group, Joan & J. David Scheiner/Macy’s, Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra, LLP, Perry Ellis International, Judy & John Schulte, Lily & David Serviansky, Ruby Bacardi and Southern Wine and Spirits of America. Bronze Sponsor – Shiraz Events and University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.

About Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s inpatient admissions, surgical procedures and leading edge cancer treatments have impacted the lives of over 1 million people in South Florida.

Sylvester was established in 1992 to provide comprehensive cancer services and today serves as the hub for cancer-related research, diagnosis, and treatment. Sylvester handles 1,300 inpatient admissions, performs 3,000 surgical procedures, and treats more than 4,300 new cancer patients annually. All Sylvester cancer specialists are on the faculty of the Miller School of Medicine, South Florida’s only academic medical center. In addition, Sylvester physicians and scientists are engaged in more than 200 clinical trials and receive $41 million annually in federal funding and private research grants, more than any other cancer center in South Florida. Sylvester at Deerfield Beach opened in 2003 to better meet the needs of residents of Broward and Palm Beach counties, and now offers appointments with 30 physician faculty members from 14 of 15 Site Disease Groups, state of the art imaging suite, radiation oncology services, as well as a women’s center. Sylvester also has satellite facilities in Kendall and Plantation.

The 2012 Gala celebrates the last 20 years of growth and discovery and launches Sylvester’s future as it flourishes and expands to meet tomorrow’s challenges in cancer research, treatment and cures. For more information visit www.sylvester.org.