Al and Nancy Malnik, Make-A-Wish Southern Florida “Lifetime Benefactors,” hosted their annual Garden Party on April 30, 2017.
The private occasion, held at their Ocean Ridge, Florida estate welcomed more than 200 supporters to celebrate the kickoff of the highly anticipated 23nd annual InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball, taking place Saturday, November 4, 2017.
Shareef Malnik, Board Chairman of Make-A-Wish® Southern Florida, Gala Chair of the InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball, and proprietor of The Forge Restaurant | Wine Bar, announced this year’s theme will be Mystical Music Box while rallying excitement for another spectacular sell-out event and what is anticipated to be the charity’s largest Ball to date.
Lenny Kravitz to perform at this year’s InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball
Shareef also announced the return of Ball celebrity emcee and documentary filmmaker Gabrielle Anwar for the 7th year – as well as a performance by Grammy award-winning entertainer Lenny Kravitz.
The elegant garden party featured passed canapes and cocktails while guests were treated to a special DECO Productions dance performance choreographed by New Century Dance Company, and music by DJ Eshkenazi.
Notable Attendees…
Attendees of the annual spring soiree included hosts Al and Nancy Malnik; Ball Chairman, Board Chair and Founder of Chairman’s Society Shareef Malnik and 2011-2016 Ball emcee and Chairman’s Society member Gabrielle Anwar; President and CEO of Make-A-Wish® Southern Florida, Norman Wedderburn; InterContinental® Miami General Manager and Gala Host Robert Hill and wife Breda Hill; socialite/philanthropists Elisabeth Kieselstein-Cord and filmmaker husband Teddy Hamm, Tracy Stern, Adriana DeMoura, and Fabian Basabe; Chairman Society members Richard Polidori, Todd and Kim Glaser, Eugene and Brooke Frenkel, Brett Rose and Jerry Gutierrez and Denise Crowley; Make-A-Wish ® Southern Florida Board Members Jennifer Barnes, Amy Federman, Jill Johns, Mayte Fernandez, Sharri Gutierrez, Joseph Perez and Jodi Siravo and Miami notables including Jerry and Rachel Libbin, Brian and Andee Holland, Trina Robinson, Clare Laverty, Jeff Kamlet, Josh and Carissa Leibman, Sean Drake and Michelle Leshem, Trish Carroll, Tara Solomon and Nick D’Annunzio.
Sandra Seiden’s Speech
The afternoon concluded with an endearing speech by Make-A-Wish® Southern Florida Wish recipient mother Sandra Seiden, whose son, Jacob Seiden, had his Wish to go on an Alaskan adventure fulfilled.
With tears in her eyes, Sandra described how happy it made Jake to have this extraordinary experience and to interact with so many animals including baby bears, porcupines, and an octopus in the Alaskan wilderness.
