Sixth Annual “Wild About Kids” Gala

Raises over $115,000 for Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade

Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade hosted its sixth annual “Wild About Kids” black-tie optional gala at the Four Seasons Hotel Brickell. Net proceeds from the gala, totaling more than $115,000, will benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade and its many positive programs for 10,000 area children who need them the most.

Danell Leyva, who won the bronze medal at the London 2012 Summer Olympics for men’s gymnastics, was honored with Boys & Girls Clubs Hometown Hero award during the event.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade’s Youth of the Year Ahbria Marshall was honored and spoke as an alumna of the organization about what she accomplished thanks to Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade.

The gala was emceed by Lynn Martinez of WSVN’s Deco Drive and celebrity chef Ralph Pagano. Guests enjoyed a unique “live” red carpet welcome (a model was attached to the end of the red carpet) as they entered the cocktail reception and silent auction featuring one-of-a-kind items. The gala included a dinner program, live music, dancing and much more.

Miami’s own South Florida celebrity artist David “LEBO” Le Batard, who previously created a “Wall of Art” for Kendall Boys & Girls Club with LeBron James, donated a piece of his original artwork inspired by the organization’s mission statement to the silent auction.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade alumna and singer, dancer and model 14-year-old Elizabeth Elias sang the National Anthem to kick off the dinner program and wowed attendees with her vocals following the official program. Children from the Hank Kline Club performed to a choreographed dance routine to Celebration.

Attendees, including South Florida’s top community leaders, had the opportunity at the event to sponsor a child through donations.

For the first time, Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade held an after party at the Four Seasons Hotel Brickell, which included music, dancing, a full bar, tapas-style food and entertainment by a Frank Sinatra impersonator who “jazzed up” the wee hours. The party continued until 3 a.m. Members of Club Blue, Young Professionals for Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade, enjoyed the after party and encouraged other young people to participate.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade Board of Directors Chair Barry Stein said, “The sixth annual gala was the best we have hosted yet. We are very thankful to all attendees for raising a great amount of funds to support our programs.”

The gala was chaired by Lana DeSimone, Irene Korge and Eris Thomas, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade Chair of Special Events Olga Guilarte. Sponsors included: Presenting Sponsor Miami Marlins, Gold Sponsor Carmen Rebozo Foundation Inc., Silver Sponsors DeSimone and Academica, and Bronze Sponsors James T. Bernhardt, Irene Korge, Bermont Advisory Group/Raymond James/Morgan Keegan, Comcast, Matty’s Sports, Ocean Bank, Coral Gables Executive Physicians, Jorge Luis Lopez Law Firm, and Discovery Latin America.