On Saturday, December 9, 2017, Market America | SHOP.COM sponsored a truly unique event as part of Art Basel Miami Beach, which was held Dec. 7-10.  JR and Loren Ridinger have always been big believers in helping others achieve their dreams.  This year, Market America | SHOP.COM invested in the dreams of a very talented new-to-the-scene artist! The National YoungArts Foundation has started the Daniel Arsham Fellowship, which includes a $25,000 award and year-long mentorship program with Arsham, an acclaimed artist. Market America | SHOP.COM sponsored the unrestricted $25,000 grant, which for its first year went to YoungArts alum and up-and-coming artist SHENEQUA. The program is currently funded for three years. Market America | SHOP.COM will also donate an additional $75,000 to support ongoing programming for YoungArts alumni. Read the rest of this entry »

Michael Kors, Sachin & Babi, Coach 1941, Oscar de la Renta and Marc Jacobs. Photos: Imaxtree

By: Dr. Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

As Hurricane Irma raged through and ransacked South Florida, grounding several fashion editors, Fashion Week swept through New York City with a storm of shows and presentations that had insiders and influencers traveling from Bedford to Bushwick and beyond. From September 7-13^th 2017, designers showcased on the street and in gardens and garages this year with packed shows that proved that Fashion Week in New York remains as relevant as its counterparts abroad.  Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Dr. Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

It was a night of magic, music, mysticism and wish granting as the Make-A-Wish® Southern Florida and InterContinental® Miami celebrated the 23^rd Annual InterContinental® Miami Make-A-Wish® Ball on Saturday, November 4, 2017. More than 900 guests attended the “Mystical Music Box” themed gala, which presented a night of enchantment, fantasy and music. The magical celebration was headlined by four time Grammy-award winning, multi-platinum-selling artist Lenny Kravitz, and presented by the Makarov Foundation and the Finker-Frenkel Legacy Foundation, with opening act by Alisan Porter, winner of NBC’s The Voice 2016, who returned for the second year. 

Actress and filmmaker Gabrielle Anwar, who co–stars on the ABC drama “Once Upon a Time,” returned as celebrity emcee for the seventh consecutive year, helping the event to raise in excess of $2.3 million for Make-A-Wish® Southern Florida. Hosted by the InterContinental® Miami, Ball founder and in-kind donor for the past 23 years, the event was chaired by philanthropist Shareef Malnik, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Make-A-Wish® Southern Florida, who has served as Ball Chairman for the past 13 years. The annual Ball, which is regarded as one of Miami charity season’s leading events, is the highest grossing fundraising event for the Southern Florida Chapter of Make-A-Wish® Foundation.  Read the rest of this entry »

Last night in Miami Beach Ocean Drive magazine and Ricky Martin, the glossies October issue cover star and multi award-winning actor, singer, activist and Puerto Rico native was joined by partners INFINITI and W South Beach to celebrate the new issue as well as raise crucial funds for hurricane victims in Puerto Rico.  Recognized as one of the most beloved performers and humanitarians, Ricky was joined by his fiancé Jwan Yosef, the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Jared Shapiro and Publisher, Courtland Lantaff along with VIPs and leading tastemakers including the Mayor of Miami Beach Philip Levine and more than 200 philanthropists and tastemakers in giving back to the victims in Puerto Rico of Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma. The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story star opened up to Ocean Drive in a candid interview inside the October issue about what fatherhood means to him, returning to Miami to play such an important role in the life and death of Gianni Versace and the inspiration behind creating the Ricky Martin Foundation.  Funds raised at the invitation-only event were collected through the Ricky Martin Foundation. In addition to INFINITI and W South Beach several Miami-based businesses supported the event through the donation of silent auction packages including hotel stays, luxury items and epicurean dinners. Guests enjoyed the sounds of DJ Rascal, DJ Iron Lyon and DJ Liveitup while sampling savory hors d’oeuvres and specialty cocktails by 1888 Rum.

Miami Cares for Puerto Rico

Together with Haute Living, Michael Capponi, Global Empowerment Mission and Karla Dascal, wellness entrepreneur and founder of the Sacred Space Miami, are uniting the city with a “Miami Cares for Puerto Rico” fundraising event at The Sacred Space Miami on Thursday, October 5th, 2017. Celebrity guests Carlos Ponce and Jencarlos Canela will be in attendance, who have both been active proponents in helping Puerto Rico. The night will include a presentation of the efforts that have been and are currently going on in Puerto Rico.  GEM along Caribbean Resilience Systems and affiliated groups such as We Do Better and various groups have marshalled over 4 million pounds of aid.  100% of proceeds from this event will go to support logistics and shipping to Puerto Rico. Guests will also enjoy live music, entertainment, open bar where guests will sip on DON Q Puerto Rican Rum, passed bites courtesy of Grown, and a live auction at the end of the evening. Tickets are $100 each and will go straight to GEM to benefit Puerto Rico—guests are also encouraged to donate more money if they’d like, as every penny counts to help someone’s life in this time of need. For more information or to purchase tickets, please click here.

Miami New Times’ Iron Fork

For the last decade, Miami New Times’ blockbuster Iron Fork has drawn thousands to downtown Miami to enjoy some of the most interesting and exotic cuisine ever sampled in these parts. To celebrate our decade of decadence, Iron Fork partners with Sunshine Provisions and The Miami Rescue Mission with a special OFF THE MENU twist, experience the secret menu items that are not always available at our favorite local spots. The event, presented by The Miami New Times, was selected as one of the top 100 events in South Florida consecutively for the last Four years by Biz Bash. This year, on October 5, thousands of diners and food lovers from across Greater Miami will gather at The Hyatt Regency— the staple venue in downtown Miami — to watch our city’s finest chefs go pot-to- pot in a sizzling showdown for supremacy. Also, once again this year, one of the area’s most celebrated chefs and a member of the famed “Mango Gang,” Allen Susser, will oversee the competition.The winner will receive the prestigious Iron Fork Award, signifying the area’s top toque. Some of the past winners of Iron Fork include Chefs Todd Erickson, Giorgio Rapicavoli, Daniel Serfer, Timon Balloo, and tag team Sean Brasel and Dustin Ward in 2016.  For tickets visit: https://www.newtimesironfork.com/

Chefs 4 Neighbors

Join National Hotel’s Executive Chef Matthew McDonald and South Florida’s top chefs on Wednesday, October 11th, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. for Chefs 4 Neighbors, a culinary tasting event to help victims in communities affected by devastating back-to-back hurricanes.

by: Maryanne Salvat

Bowlmor AMF Donates to American Red Cross Disaster Relief Services

Bowlmor AMF, the world leader in bowling entertainment, will raise funds at the more than 300 centers nationwide, with proceeds benefitting the American Red Cross’ disaster relief services. Additionally, Bowlmor AMF will match donations up to $50,000. To support the fundraiser, Bowlmor AMF is asking guests who visit one of Bowlmor AMF’s 300+ centers in the United States and Canada to make a donation to help the victims of this year’s devastating hurricane season.

As the largest bowling entertainment company in the world, Bowlmor AMF puts an innovative spin on the typical bowling experience with centers that feature modern, stylish décor, upscale amenities, and deliciously inventive menus. Bowlmor AMF’s bowling centers provide the perfect setting for every occasion, from first-class family nights and birthday celebrations to unforgettable holiday parties and corporate events.

For more information, visit bowlmor.com, amf.com, bowlero.com, and bowlbrunswick.com.

Hurricane Irma Keys Relief Benefit

Michael Capponi and ORA would like to invite you all to one of their many grassroots initiatives underway to aid Florida Keys residents post Hurricane Irma. They will be hosting a benefit this Friday, September 22nd at ORA Miami. This is a great cause to help your fellow Florida Keys neighbors immediately on the ground. They are collecting $30 donations at the door, 100% of Irma bottle packages sold at $1,500 per and 10% off all table sales will benefit this fund.

Email to RSVP@luna.group for more details or visit: https://www.globalempowermentmission.org/hurricane-irma for more details

#globalempowermentmission #oramiami #hurricaneirma

South Florida Migrant Farmer Community Fundraiser

Sacred Space founder, Karla Dascal and her partner, Gingi Beltran are raising funds to help the migrant farmer community, which was gravely impacted by Hurricane Irma.  Already among the poorest members of South Florida’s residents, these farmers have lost their homes as well as the crops that bring them employment and feed their families.  Due to the destruction, there will be no harvest for at least a year and no means of income for these workers. Consider helping these people who are in desperate need.

To make a donation, follow this link: https://donate.sachamama.org/campaign/gingis-b-day/c146075 

The Sacred Space has generously agreed to match donations up to $5,000. No amount is too small or great. The deadline for donations is Friday, September 22, 2017.

Irma Relief at EAST, Miami 

EAST, Miami, a lifestyle hotel & residences at Brickell City Centre is pleased to announce that it has officially reopened for service. Its signature restaurants Quinto La Huella and Sugar will open its doors as well. While other hotels and businesses in the Brickell area are unfortunately still closed, EAST, Miami received little damage from the storm, and is now accepting existing and new reservations.

In efforts to help support Hurricane Irma Relief, Sugar will be donating $2 per each specialty “Irma Relief” cocktail ($16) sold to Feeding South Florida. The cocktail includes Plymouth Gin, St. Germain, Muddled Apple, Aloe, Pineapple and Lime Juice.

RedBike Studios and Convoy of Hope Fundraiser

On Saturday, September 23, RedBike Studios will host a special indoor cycling ride. 100% of the proceeds from these rides will be donated to Convoy of Hope. Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services team has served 10 cities in Florida by providing much-needed food, water and other emergency relief supplies. They are working with local partners in the area to distribute these supplies and serve hurricane survivors in need. In Florida, they have already served more than 8,000 people and distributed 200,000+ pounds of supplies. A special thanks to all of the community partners: Crossbridge Brickell, RedBike Studios, and Pipeline Workspaces. The event will begin at 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. at RedBike Studios Brickell 1399 Southwest 1st Avenue #102, Miami, Florida 33130.

VEZA SUR Brewing Co. and Islamorada Beer Co. Join Forces for the Keys

VEZA SUR Brewing Co. has partnered with Islamorada Beer Co. and the charity, GottaLuvThem (http://www.gottaluvthem.org/Floridakeysrelieffund), in collecting donations to help out the victims of Hurricane Irma in the Keys. People who want to help raise funds can go directly to their GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/floridakeysfund. VEZA SUR Brewing Co. will also be collecting donations of non-perishable items, toiletries, water, first aid kits, etc. at the brewery from now until September 30th. Customers who donate two items or more will receive a Chopp on the house. 

List of items VEZA SUR is collecting:

• Canned / Non-Perishable Food
• Bottled Water or Gatorade
• Bleach
• Toiletries (e.g. soap,shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc.)
• Toilet Paper & Paper Towels
• Baby Care (e.g. Diapers & Baby Wipes)
• Hand Sanitizer
• First Aid Kits

Miami Design District Community Event: Give Thanks, Give Back, Be Stronger as a Community

Miami has had a rough week. With Hurricane Irma leaving a lot of us perhaps very stressed out, cramped up with family members and friends, powerless and in some cases without A/C. The Miami Design District would like to give Miami residents a reason to get out of the house, enjoy some much-needed relaxation and give back to the community while surrounded by the Design District’s public art works, Flotsam & Jetsam and Jungle mural.

Miami Design District’s Jungle Plaza will host We Will #atMDD, a free community event this Friday, September 22nd from 6 – 9 PM. Guests will be treatedto a night of complimentary food, drinks, Wi-Fi and entertainment, including pizza provided by Harry’s Pizzeria and a sunset yoga session taught byAhana Yoga’s Dawn Feinberg. The event is free and open to the public with RSVP at the link here, however suggested donations of $20 will be welcomed to benefit Hurricane Irma relief efforts.

PAMM Teams Up with Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade For Hurricane Relief

Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) is teaming up with Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade and Feeding South Florida to collect much needed supplies for those affected by Hurricane Irma. Bring in items to PAMM through September 26, 2017 and receive free admissionduring regular museum hours.

Items needed by Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade:

Water

Baby products

Hygiene products

Non-perishable food, easily opened

Clothes and shoes for children and teenagers

Bug spray

Items needed by Feeding South Florida:

Peanut butter

Cereal (hot & cold)

Pasta

Rice Beans

Canned vegetables

Canned meals

Canned soups

Canned tuna & meat

Fruit cups

WHEN:

Through September 26

WHERE:

Pérez Art Museum Miami, 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL 33132

PRICE: Receive free admission during regular museum hours when you bring a donation item. Open to the public.