Last week in Miami, at Island Gardens, Blockchain.com Miami Padel Open commences the 2022 World Padel Tour Season. The event attracted a wide range of guests including Miami Heat legends, actors, and more. Wayne Boich of Boich Investment Group worked to coordinate the Padel event to bring together the rapidly-growing sport’s most talented players internationally.
The event’s VIP guests were accommodated by Richard Mille, a luxury Swiss watchmaking brand, for the duration of the six-day tournament, whose Luxury Boxes housed 76 individual VIP boxes. A number of dining options were available for attendees, one being a boutique activation of Major Food Group’s sushi bar, ZZ’s club within the luxury boxes. Other dining options were also made readily available to guests including a South Florida favorite, Pura Vida, rosé from La Fête du Rosé, and Behn Mi, a Vietnamese option. There was no shortage of entertainment at the Miami Padel Open as they offered daily live music performances by Rick Ross, Ludacris, Gianluca Vacchi, and Wyclef Jean who closed out the event with a two-hour performance Sunday night.
Many notable names were spotted at the luxury Swiss watchmaking brand’s boxes including Miami Heat’s Alonzo Mourning, actor Vince Vaughn, and Ludacris. Jimmy Butler appeared at the event multiple days and served as the event’s official Honorary Chairperson. On Wednesday, February 23rd, Butler attended to support Wayne Boich and participated in the sports portion of the event leisurely during match breaks. The following day was the charity pro-am and the celebrity match featuring Shane Battier and Bob Bryan against Sandy Meyer Woelden and Michelle Alvarez Bryan, which the women won.
The tournament finals took place on Sunday, February 27th. Things took an unexpected turn when Wayne Boich called Shane Battier onto the court after the women’s Finals and challenge him to a match against the women’s padel Finals winners. Boich offered a donation of $25,000 from Blockchain.com Miami Padel Open to the Battier Take Change Foundation in exchange for a single point scored against the women. To secure his win, Battier called on Jimmy Butler to play alongside him in the match. After some practice, the duo scored the point and accepted the donation.
That wasn’t the only generous donation provided at the event. After the Men’s Finals Awards, the titlists Fernando Blasteguin and Arturo Coello, Wayne Boich, Stuart Miller and Eric Feder (from the Lenner Foundation), Josh Wander, and Jimmy Butler presented a $500,000 donation to Mayor Levine Cava to help fund the Miami-Dade County Peace and Prosperity Plan, dedicated to creating more opportunities for the youth and ensuring safe neighborhoods. Blockchain.com Miami Padel Open also donated $1,500,000.00 to an assortment of other charities like Overtown, Youth Center, Style Saves, and more.
