SOUTH FLORIDA TO SUPPORT CHILDREN, FAMILIES ON DECEMBER 3 IN FIRST-EVER VIRTUAL DIAMOND BALL, AN AUCTION BENEFITING NICKLAUS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
The event raises funds for the Nicklaus Children’s COVID-19 Relief Fund.
MIAMI – November 30, 2020 – On Thursday, December 3, the South Florida community will gather online to raise essential funds for patients and families at the 2020 Virtual Diamond Ball, An Auction Benefiting Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, presented by City National Bank.
The virtual event will feature a live auction with one-of-a-kind experiences, patient success stories, a tribute to Nicklaus Children’s health care heroes, and much more. Leading up to the live event, a silent auction opened Saturday, November 21. This year’s Virtual Diamond Ball is open to the public and there is no cost to register.
Now in its 14th year, the signature Nicklaus Children’s Diamond Ball gala was adapted to an online format to ensure everyone’s health and safety during the pandemic. This year’s fundraiser benefits the Nicklaus Children’s COVID-19 Relief Fund, which will shore up supplies, provide testing, and ensure the extra staff and services are in place to address the pandemic until it is behind us.
“While many things around us are constantly changing, we find comfort in knowing we have the continued love and support of generous individuals in our community, and together we will get through difficult times,” said Matthew Love, president and CEO of Nicklaus Children’s Health System. “This year, we’ve all had to navigate challenges brought on by this global pandemic, and I’m humbled by the support our community has shown Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and all of our health care heroes.”
Since March, Nicklaus Children’s has faced an additional $3 million in supply, testing, and workforce-related costs due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, the hospital has experienced millions of dollars in lost revenue due to lower patient volumes and interruptions in elective surgeries, appointments, and routine care.
“We are excited to welcome the community for a special evening as we showcase patient success stories and raise essential funds for Nicklaus Children’s Hospital,” said Michelle Boggs, president of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation. “When individuals tune in and support us through our Virtual Diamond Ball, they are directly helping us to always put kids first as we continue our focus on hope and healing; because kids’ needs don’t stop in a pandemic.”
The event is possible thanks to the generous support of City National Bank of Florida, Ensemble Health Partners, CVS Pharmacy y más/ Navarro Discount Pharmacy, Greenberg Traurig, Mario Murgado & Murgado Automotive Group, MBF Healthcare Partners, Perry Ellis International, Baptist Health, Braman BMW, Duty Free Americas, Falk, Waas, Hernandez, Solomon, Mendlestein & Davis, P.A., Pediatrix Medical Group, Polsinelli, Prudential Retirement, Robins & Morton, The Hometown Foundation Inc., EY, PNC Bank, Polen Capital, Miami Herald, Sun Sentinel, and WLRN Public Media.
Register at no cost, sponsor or donate by visiting nicklauschildrens.org/diamondball.
About Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with nearly 800 attending physicians and more than 475 pediatric subspecialists. The 309-bed hospital, known as Miami Children’s Hospital from 1983 through 2014, is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine, with many specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States, and has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.
About Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation
Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization established to support the delivery of and access to world-class health care at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, South Florida’s only freestanding children’s hospital. Founded in 1982 as Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation was the vision of Ambassador David M. Walters who, after losing his 6-year-old granddaughter to leukemia in 1970 due to lack of medical resources, vowed no child would ever have to leave South Florida for health care. Today, alongside major benefactors Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation is dedicated to raising critical funds for patients and families served at the 309-bed flagship facility and its network of outpatient centers, extending from southern Miami-Dade to Martin County. For more information, visit https://give.nicklauschildrens.org.