Love and Inspiration
Valentine's Day and a Diamond Ball
The Social Scribe was at it again. Allison Weiss Brady went glam at the Florida Marlins’ Diamond Ball, while planning her own marquee events and taking in a little Valentine’s Day giving. Miami’s social girl is doing her thing and SocialMiami has it covered.
Hello SocialMiami.com readers! Here’s what I’ve been up to lately…
Florida Marlins’ Diamond Ball
The recent Marlins Inaugural Ball at the Hotel Intercontinental was a home run. If you weren’t there, you should have been! Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, former Mayor Manny Diaz, Jeff Conine, Andre Dawson, Jorge Plasencia, along with event co-chairs Jamie and David Rosenberg and team president David Samson and his wife Cindi, honored many people including my friend Nicole Lozano for her tremendous work with the Miami Science Museum.
We sat with Nicole and Edgar at their table and had a fabulous view of the band. Shareef Malnik was spotted chatting with Dr. Jeffrey D. Kamlet, where the two were celebrating their joint birthdays.
There were fab auction items, including a guitar signed by Creed lead singer Scott Stapp, which Jennifer Diliz from the Marlins Foundation got from my closet! She came over to see me about the event, and I gave her one of my personal guitars to auction off. When I ran into team president David Samson at the gala, he told me he was bidding on the guitar
and really wanted to win it!
Living Proof penned by Lucas Boyd
It’s been such a whirlwind last few months for me, and recently I ran into my old friend Lucas Boyce. We first met at the White House when I accompanied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to a Black Music Month event with B.B. King. I’m just so proud of Lucas that I have to tell all of Miami about the book he just penned, “Living Proof.” It’s an autobiographical story of how he was born to a crack and alcohol- addicted mother who prostituted herself to feed her addictions.
Lucas grew up in foster care until he was adopted by a white family. In his book he discusses the issues of race, inspiration and his determination, against almost all odds, to eventually work at the White House. He is now an NBA executive with the Orlando Magic’s Community Relations Department and was recently included on the Orlando Business Journal’s distinguished list “40 Under 40.”
I feel that his story is exactly what SocialMiami and I stand for, which is why I wanted to share it with you. In this whirlwind social world that we all enjoy, there is often an element of
charity attached to it that sometimes gets overlooked in all of the revelry. My friend Lucas is a shining example of what we
must not overlook!
A dear friend of SocialMiami’s, Schatzi Kassal, who was recently honored with the renaming of Jackson Memorial Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care unit to The Schatzi Kassal Project: New Born NCIU, often says “That money does not know where it comes from, but it helps those who are in need.” So, may I suggest that the next time you’re enjoying a cocktail or watching a charity fashion show, you think about the people you’re helping. It will add substance to your social experience.
Lucas’ book is available online at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com. It’s a must-read for anyone who is going through hardships or who want to help others to overcome drastic circumstances. I gave a copy to my little sister from Big Brother Big Sister of Greater Miami. Although my little sister does well, she can always aspire to do more (as can anyone). It was a great Valentine’s Day present for her!
‘Dine with the Dolphins’ at Miami Seaquarium
Speaking of Valentine’s Day presents, a friend of mine bought his girlfriend a fabulous gift -‘Dine with the Dolphins’ at the Miami Seaquarium. The experience is a dream-come-true for animal lovers. Participants get to swim with, feed and learn about the animals. That night my friend and girlfriend enjoyed a lovely candlelight dinner under the stars where they overlooked the dolphins swimming at Dolphin Harbor. They’ll go back in a few days to do the swim. How romantic!
By the way, the Seaquarium has summer camp for kids, which runs from June 13 to August 19th. Miami Seaquarium has so much to offer that I’ll be taking my little sister there soon. That should be an experience. An aquatic athlete I’m not! Let’s see what happens when I try and swim with the dolphins…oy.
The Social Front
I’ll be hosting an event next month at my house for my prep school, Choate Rosemary Hall, on St. Patrick’s Day. I’ll be sure to take notes and photos so that I can let you all know how it goes. The crew, water polo, and some of the other school’s teams might be stopping by. Any suggestions on how to make it a green-themed, fun, appropriate party for teens, please email us at info@socialmiami.com. The last time I had a green drink on St. Patrick’s Day. . . .well, let’s just say it didn’t end well for me that night. I have no plans on repeating it, especially at a teen-themed event.
It’s also time for my annual trek to Palm Beach for the Community Coalition charity event with Moira Forbes Mumma at Tom Quick’s house. Last year Tina and Dan Carlo came up with me and Chip, as well as the duo behind DCOTA’s 2011 Stars of Design Award for Landscape Design Fernando Wong and his marketing guru Tim Johnson. I hope I can motivate them to join us again!
Palm Beach is such a quick trip that we often come back to Miami no matter how late the event goes. If we do decide to stay the night, it’s at The Breakers. We love the Flagler floor, a two-story private section with a balcony, its own concierge, and snacks and drinks available around the clock. They have a similar set-up at The Ritz-Carlton in Naples. If you find yourself taking a long weekend in either direction, I recommend these for a restful getaway.
Hope everyone’s having a fabulous long weekend!
Until next time,
Allison
