19th Annual InterContinental® Miami Make-A-Wish Ball

The InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball is always filled with VIPs, socialites and celebs looking to help a sick child’s dream come true. This year the event Haute Living helped sponsor the event that raised $2,020,421 for the cause.

“The Three Amigos”–Gala Chairman and proprietor of The Forge | Restaurant and Wine Bar, Shareef Malnik; Gala Host and InterContinental Miami General Manager, Robert Hill; and President and CEO of the Make-A-Wish^® Southern Florida, Norman Wedderburn, –welcomed guests including Indycar Driver Hélio Castroneves; “Real Housewives of Miami” star Lea Black; former Florida Governor Charlie Crist; “Queen of Versailles” stars Jackie and David Siegal, Don King, Lisa Pliner and other Miami luminaries.

The event, which felt a little like Miami’s Oscars, featured an over-the-top vaudevillian theme with performers and fun vignettes. There were also plenty of heavyweights including Brett Ratner, Wayne and Cynthia Boich and Stewart Rahr, who donated $100,000 to make 20 wishes come true. The event featured a fun magic trick by Gabrielle Anwar and Shareef Malnik in which the Forge owner sawed his girlfriend and MC for the night in half! Dinner was capped by a performance by Adam Lambert after which those who weren’t quite yet ready to call it a night migrated over to an after party by Michael Capponi that included a full-fledged fashion show with fantasy wear by Traver Rains.