On Thursday, Jan. 20, Miami HEAT President Pat Riley opened up his stunningly beautiful Gables Estates home to host a private charity event to benefit the HEAT Charitable Foundation. Established in 1997, the HEAT Charitable Foundation is comprised of HEAT players, coaches, wives, and staff and is dedicated to various charities throughout Miami-Dade county.
Practically every HEAT team member showed up to support the cause including the power trifecta Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh, as well as owner Micky Arison. The theme for event “Red, Black and Bling” was in full effect. HEAT players all seemed to get in on the fun, sporting red in their shirts, ties, and even their socks.
Around 200 guests attended this year’s event, which cost $20,000 per couple. A live auction also aided in the fundraising, which was conducted by HEAT/Sun Sports sideline reported Jason Jackson. The coveted auction items included a trip to the 2011 NBA All-Star game and a Miami HEAT VIP Package that included courtside seats, lunch with Head Coach Erik Spoelstra and one pair of autographed shoes from each of the team’s 15 members. “I just think it’s a wonderful opportunity to get closer to our partners and Season Ticket Holders and to show them just how much we care about the charities that we support,” Riley said.
The evening was hosted by Sun Sports/HEAT announcer Eric Reid and featured a special live performance by five-time Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter Michael McDonald. As a parting gift, guests received authentic adidas Revolution 30 jerseys of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh presented in an embroidered event garment bag, along with a team autographed basketball, a framed photo of Wade, James and Bosh along with a compilation disc set of Riley’s favorite Motown hits.
In total, the event raised an impressive $1,262,500 which will go directly toward several local charities: The Jackson Memorial Foundation’s Guardian Angels, SafeSpace (a domestic violence shelter for women and their children), the Miami Coalition for a Safe and Drug-Free Community, and Home Strong, which supports members of the U.S. military.
To view more photos from this event, visit Haute Living’s Events Gallery.
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