The Soul Of Miami

Saturday, November 5, :00 p.m. Cocktail Reception
8:30 p.m. Dinner, Live Auction, Celebrity Entertainment, Dancing
The InterContinental Miami
100 Chopin Plaza
Miami, FL

Tables for the InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball range from $5,000 to $20,000. Wish Sponsorships start at $5,000. Tables, wishes and other sponsorship opportunities can be purchased by calling 954.967.9474, extension 318, or by visiting www.makeawishball.com.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Southern Florida and InterContinental Miami will celebrate the 17th Annual InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball to the theme of Truman Capote’s legendary Black & White Ball. With iconic rock-n-roll group Joan Jett and the Blackhearts as the entertainment, Burn Notice star Gabrielle Anwar as the celebrity auctioneer, the fourth anniversary of the InterContinental Make-A-Wish Nightclub, and a $10 million lifetime-fundraising milestone on the evening’s agenda, the affair is destined to be “The Party of the Century.”

“This year’s Ball will make history,” said Norman Wedderburn, President and CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Southern Florida. “In addition to the overwhelming positive energy and response we’ve received, we have world-class talent and entertainment on board. Gabrielle Anwar will no doubt provoke unprecedented bidding wars, and Joan Jett, a bona fide rock legend, will give our guests the show of their lives. But it is really these incredible individuals – our loyal supporters – that will make history this year – because it is with their generosity that we will reach the $10 million mark in funds raised in the Ball’s history.”

The Ball’s “Three Amigos” – Wedderburn; Ball Chairman and recently appointed Foundation Board Member Shareef Malnik, proprietor of The Forge | Restaurant and Wine Bar; and InterContinental Miami’s General Manager Robert Hill – have together managed to make each Ball an impactful, memorable occasion. Hill said, “When the InterContinental Miami began partnering with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida 17 years ago, we could only dream of granting 2,000 wishes. Exceeding this count, we reach this important $10 million milestone, hand-in-hand with my ‘Amigos’ Norm and Shareef, the hotel team and I are extremely proud to look back at the fruits of our labor, seen in the smiles of our Wish Kids. We are delighted to continue our work in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s mission.”

Recently appointed to the Foundation’s Board, Malnik has taken his involvement in the Ball to a new high. “It is with much excitement that I announce the newest element of the Ball, the ‘Chairman’s Challenge,’” said Malnik. “In an effort to continue the momentum of advancing the Ball and its fundraising initiatives, I will challenge a select group of philanthropists to join forces – and funds – with the goal of fulfilling an endowment to underwrite the cost of the ball for the next five years.” Other notable contributors include Lifetime Benefactors Al and Nancy Malnik; Grand Benefactors Stanley and Gala Cohen; Founding Benefactors Howard and Barbara Glicken; and Wish Star Benefactor James L. Ferraro, as well as Wish Benefactors Harvey and Roberta Chaplin, Stuart A. Miller of Lennar Corporation and Robert Press of Trafalgar Capital Advisors.

Tasked with re-creating “The Party of the Century” in homage to Truman Capote’s A-list-only vanity affair at New York’s Plaza Hotel in 1966, Deco Productions will take the Ball’s historically over-the-top décor to an entirely new level of extravagance with a black and white avant-garde masquerade. Upon arrival, masked guests will be welcomed by living chandeliers and led to the white carpet, where they will transcend into a glamorous, glowing realm of fantasy. Psychedelic black and white art installations on the mezzanine will be brought to life by camouflaged performers, igniting guests’ senses with a feeling of mystery.

During the cocktail reception, guests will enjoy hors d’oeuvres and cocktail stations while having the opportunity to bid on more than 125 premier items donated by top hospitality, entertainment, fashion and luxury brands. Highlights include a South African safari, children’s ride-on Mercedes SUV and Goodyear Blimp, a voice-activated interactive R2D2 replica from Star Wars; luxury goods by Herve Leger, Max Mara USA, Tiffany & Co., Longchamp USA and more; and luxury hospitality packages provided by Gansevoort South Beach, The Brazilian Court Hotel, Trump International Beach Resort, Conrad Miami, Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, Omphoy Beach Resort as well as a number of worldwide travel experiences courtesy of the InterContinental Hotels and Resorts: Real InterContinental Hotel & Club Tower Costa Rica, InterContinental Berlin, InterContinental Bangkok, InterContinental Budapest, InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam, InterContinental Paris Le Grand, InterContinental Beijing Financial Street, InterContinental Athens, InterContinental Buenos Aires, InterContinental Madrid, InterContinental Tahiti, InterContinental Moorea, and Willard InterContinental Washington D.C.

Following the reception, resident Ball and Miami Heat celebrity beat-master DJ Irie will summon guests into the main ballroom for a decadent four-course dinner, as prepared by Chef Alexander Feher. Anwar will then return to the auction podium where, for the second year in a row, she will spark a bidding war for another walk-on roll on her hit USA Network show Burn Notice, which is filmed on-site in Miami. As this year’s celebrity auctioneer, the starlet will tempt the audience with an array of extravagant items including a high-performance luxury vehicle donated by Ken Gorin of THE COLLECTION; two tickets to The 84th Academy Awards, complete with access to the Governor’s Ball after party on Sun., Feb., 26, 2010, donated by director Brett Ratner; a Bogosse Lifestyle travel package presented by Groups Metro, including private travel from Miami to the Dominican Republic, VIP ground transportation, villa accommodations, yachting and chic wardrobing for six people; the James Bond 007 experience donated by Strategic Hotels & Resorts, including British Airways Club World travel to and from London, England; a week aboard The World, the largest privately owned yacht on the planet; the High Rollers Las Vegas getaway presented by Ocean Drive; and a week-long exotic vacation at a Hawaiian compound.

After the auction, guests will be entertained with a live grand finale performance by none-other than legendary rock-n-roll group Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Jett, who has had eight platinum and gold albums as well as nine Top 40 singles, will perform a selection of the Blackheart’s chart-topping hits including “I Love Rock n’ Roll,” “Bad Reputation,” “Cherry Bomb,” and “I Hate Myself for Lovin’ You,” among others.

For the fourth year in a row, the InterContinental Make-A-Wish Nightclub will celebrate and support the Ball’s endeavors as well as introduce the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida to the next generation of contributors. Presented by the Three Amigos, along with Nightclub Vice Chairmen Michael Capponi of The Capponi Group and Maxwell Blanford, as well as Nightclub Co-Chairmen Antonio Misuraca and Clif Loftin, the mezzanine-turned-chic-nightclub will again come to life with a fashion show, beats by DJ Joe Dert and more. Reservations for the Nightclub can be made at 305-695-4410 or RSVP@CAPPONIGROUP.COM.

The mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Southern Florida is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. In its 16-year history, the InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball has raised in excess of $9.6 million. With these much needed funds, the Foundation has been able to grant more than 2,100 wishes for deserving children in our community. Past VIP guests of the Ball have included Paula Abdul, Sharon Stone, Kim Kardashian, Esteban Cortazar, Pamela Anderson, Governor Charlie Crist, Scottie and Larsa Pippen, Russell Simmons, Venus and Serena Williams, Don King, Sex in the City’s Candace Bushnell, Marcus Schenkenberg, Pauly Shore, and performers Macy Gray, Natalie Cole and Wyclef Jean, Bernadette Peters, the late Nell Carter, Ricki Lake, Deborah Gibson, the Beatles tribute band Beatlemania and The Honey Brothers featuring Adrian Grenier.