Fort Lauderdale, Florida - It was an exceptional evening at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood on Saturday, April 5, as the 12th Annual Broward Health Ball returned and raised a record-breaking $9 million for Broward Health. With more than 1,400 community and philanthropic leaders in attendance, the evening celebrated Broward Health's resurgence as the county's healthcare provider of choice, with music, dancing and entertainment.
Notable donations with naming rights within the hospital included:
- $5.2 million donation from Linda Haller and the Henry E. Haller Jr. Foundation. The gift will be used to build a new electrophysiology lab at Broward Health Medical Center in downtown Fort Lauderdale and equip it with two Siemens Artis Icono systems that support electrophysiology procedures.
- $2 million from Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Foundation. This gift will assist in the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment for the cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology and hybrid catheterization labs and equipment.
During the Give from the Heart call, the Foundation had additional donations of $100,000 from Mark Kent and Rita Case, who are both longtime supporters and repeated donors to the Broward Health Foundation.
Funds were also raised through the night's silent and live auctions, the latter of which featured incredible items, including a Florida Panthers experience that included a signed Sergei Bobrovsky game-worn helmet, trips to Europe, a safari adventure and more. Two exclusive experiences were purchased for approximately $17,000 each, granting the winners a unique opportunity to spend an entire day with Broward Health Physician Group cardiothoracic surgeons Dr. Kenneth Herskowitz and Dr. Alexander Justicz, immersing themselves in the intricacies of their daily lives and gaining invaluable insights into the world of cardiothoracic surgery.
The Stella Award
In addition to the auction and entertainment, the Broward Health Foundation presented the second annual Stella Award. Last year's recipient was Linda Haller. The Stella Award was created to honor a donor or volunteer who like a star, is a singular source of light but also works as part of a collective body of stars to evoke change for the Foundation, Broward Health and the greater Fort Lauderdale and Broward County community.
This year's recipient of the Stella Award was Bill Feinberg, owner of Allied Kitchen & Bath.
“For years, Bill has been a philanthropic star organizing events like Décor for the Cure to raise money in support of cancer care and research,” said Shane Strum, President & CEO of Broward Health. “His stellar performance is one of leadership and conviction, inspiring collaboration among their peers. I know many are touched by Bill's philanthropic spirit.”
Setting Records
This is the largest attended event and most amount of money raised in the 12-year history of the Broward Health Ball. The South Florida Nights-themed event featured the sounds, flavors and feel of the community Broward Health serves, including a performance by the Mai-Kai dancers, parrot- and flamingo-themed cocktail lounges, silent and live auctions, followed by dinner and dancing. The event was emceed by WSVN reporter Alex Miranda and the ball's title sponsor was Amazon and presenting sponsors were the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and TeamHealth.
“It was a night to remember," said Strum. “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our donors and sponsors, whose generous contributions wildly exceeded our expectations, helping us raise $9 million – the most ever raised by Broward Health! The investment made will play a vital role in helping Broward Health realize our vision of championing a healthier community through acquisition of new technology, building new infrastructure and more. We are very grateful for everyone's support."
To learn more about the Broward Health Ball and other upcoming Foundation events or to support the Broward Health Foundation, visit BrowardHealthFoundation.org.
About Broward Health
Broward Health, founded in 1938 and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, ranks among the 10 largest public healthcare systems in the United States. Nationally recognized for its focus on high-quality care for the residents of Broward County and beyond, Broward Health boasts five hospitals, two trauma centers, a dynamic academic partnership with Florida Atlantic University, was the county's first statutory teaching hospital and has an ever-growing graduate medical education program. It includes more than 50 health centers and physician practices covering virtually every healthcare specialty.
Broward Health never stops working toward its mission of Exceptional Care, Extraordinary Compassion and Everyday Excellence. Driven by more than 11,000 talented employees and physicians who deliver care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, Broward Health is one of the largest employers in Broward County with an operating budget of $1.8 billion, and annually more than $470 million of charity and uncompensated care. For more information about Broward Health, visit BrowardHealth.org.