Five Questions for David Rosenberg
Boca Jeweler Chairs Diamond Ball
Miami’s fave social gal, Allison Weiss Brady, is known for her work with the Florida Marlins Foundation. Having been involved with the organization for several years, we could think of no other choice than AWB to conduct an interview with Diamond Ball chair, jeweler David Rosenberg.
AWB: I love your fundraising idea of a Diamond Dig which you had during the recent Kick-off Party for the Marlins Inaugural Diamond Ball. How did you come up with that idea?
I’m always thinking of new, creative, fun ways to get people involved in charitable giving. My inspiration came from watching kids playing in a sandbox and imagining them digging for diamonds. There were so many people that were thrilled at the opportunity to donate $50 a dig for the opportunity to win a ½ carat diamond worth $3,500! At the kick-off party it took the winner only two or three digs to win!
AWB: Tell me about the gorgeous invitation for the upcoming Marlins Inaugural Diamond Ball on Friday, February 18th at 7:00 p.m. at the InterContinental Hotel in Miami.
The design and printing was made by Eva Petersen Designs/Nu Press of Miami who worked with Jennifer Diliz of the Florida Marlins Foundation to create this very special invitation. When you open the box, the first thing you see is a huge costume jewelry diamond ring, announcing the Marlins Inaugural Diamond Ball. At first they were going to put “Will you…” on the outside of the box, but they edited that out because they didn’t want to get any guys in trouble with the girlfriends thinking they were getting a real ring.
AWB: If the ring in the invite were real, how much would it cost?
Well, the ring is so large; it’s actually being shown in a black velvet bracelet holder. If it were real, it would be approximately 200 carats. If it were a flawless D…(pulls out his calculator and starts punching numbers)…it would cost about $70 million.
AWB: You’re the Title Sponsor of the upcoming Marlins Inaugural Diamond Ball, what does that entail?
I’m proud that Rosenberg Diamonds & Co. is an integral part of this amazing event. We are donating an exquisite 18k white gold necklace with 13 carats of beautifully brilliant diamonds valued at $39,000. It’s ideal for a nice dinner on the town or a black tie affair. The necklace would be perfect on anyone.
AWB: Who is being honored at this Diamond Ball? The money raised will benefit what organizations?
The All-Star Awards will highlight nine community leaders/philanthropists that have played a key role in the betterment of the South Florida community through volunteerism and/or a financial contribution. The reason why we chose nine is because we really wanted to tie it back to baseball and we have nine innings and nine positions on the field, so nine honorees it is! The honorees include:
Jose R. Mas, Mastec – All-Star CEO
Benjamin León, Jr.; León Medical Centers – All-Star in Education
Toby Lerner Ansin, Miami City Ballet – All-Star in the Arts
Nat Moore, Nat Moore Foundation – All-Star in Sports
Nicole Lozano, Miami Science Museum – All-Star in Philanthropy
Shareef Malnik, Make-A-Wish – All-Star in Philanthropy
Nicholas A. Buoniconti, The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis – All-Star in Philanthropy
Nora Bulnes, Selecta Magazine – All-Star in the Community
Sergeant David Aguirre Jr., United States Marine Corps – All Star Soldier
The money raised will benefit the Marlins Community Foundation, but we have a surprise for all the organizations we are honoring for that night. In the end, the money goes right back to the South Florida Community so it benefits us all.
Marlins Inaugural Diamond Ball benefiting Marlins Community Foundation
Friday, February 18, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.
InterContinental Hotel, Miami
Limited tickets/tables and event sponsorships are available. Tickets are $500 each and tables are $5,000 including a Major League Baseball player at your table. To purchase tickets or inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please contact the Foundation at FMCF@Marlins.com or call (305) 623-6493.
Allison Weiss Brady handles marketing for celebrities and non-profits. She is active in many organizations in South Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania including Big Brothers Big Sister, The Community Coalition, Voices Against Brain Cancer, Gene Spotlight, The Barton G. Kids Hear Now Foundation, and one of her family’s foundations Say Yes to Education, which recently partnered with Quincy Jones. Weiss Brady and her husband Chip Brady are members of Art Basel’s Junior Host Committee and Weiss Brady is a member of the Vizcaya Preservation Luncheon Founding Committee. She on the Board of Advisors at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice and she’s the only female on the university’s Football Board. Weiss Brady was also the sole recipient of the University of Pennsylvania’s 2008 Young Alumni of the Year Award, and serves on the Overseers board for the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania.