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Hundreds of South Florida philanthropists gathered at the Loews Miami Beach over the weekend, raising a record $3 million to support pediatric healthcare at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. The funds are to be dedicated to the construction of a five-story, 116,000-square-foot pediatric surgical tower to rise above the hospital’s Emergency Department. The tower will include state-of-the-art operating suites and welcoming spaces for patient families, supporting surgical care to benefit the next generation.
During the Havana Nights-themed Diamond Ball gala, presented by Ensemble Health Partners, attendees made record donations during the live auction and “Bid from the Heart,” which featured the heart-warming story of Nicklaus Children’s patient Graceston. The event also honored Dr. Marcelo Laufer, infectious diseases specialist and the recipient of the hospital’s Excellence in Pediatric Medicine award, as well as hospital supporters Vivian and Juan Carlos (JC) Mas, who were inducted into the Ambassador David M. Walters International Pediatric Hall of Fame and honored for their decades of service and support of Nicklaus Children’s.
“We were honored to celebrate together with our friends, supporters and the South Florida community,” said Matthew A. Love, President and CEO of Nicklaus Children’s Health System. “Vivian and Juan Carlos (JC) Mas are true champions for children’s health and their passion is reflected in the support we received from our community this past weekend. This generosity will support our commitment of advancing surgical care and creating a healthier future for all children.”
This year’s Diamond Ball was hosted by ABC News correspondent and Emmy Award-winning journalist, John Quinones, alongside benefit auctioneers Jason Alpert and Vallye Adams. After the program, guests enjoyed a special performance of ‘Patria y Vida’ by two-time Grammy award winner and Latin music artist Yotuel and his wife Beatriz Luengo, before hitting the dance floor to party with Miami’s legendary DJ Laz from iHeartMedia radio station 93.9 MIA.
This year’s Diamond Ball was made possible thanks to record sponsorship from community supporters: Ensemble Health Partners, CNN en Español, Maserati of Fort Lauderdale, Stearns Weaver Miller, American Airlines®, Baptist Health, CITI®, City National Bank of Florida, MasTec, Inc., Robins & Morton, AVANCE, Calamos Investments, CVS Pharmacy y Más and Navarro Discount Pharmacy®, Ernst & Young LLP, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC., Greenberg Traurig, Hometown Foundation, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, Kidz Medical Services, Mario Murgado & Murgado Automotive Group, Perry Ellis International, PNC Bank, Premia Global Advisors, West Coast University, Badia Spices, BDO, Dr. & Mrs. Phillip T. George and Mr. and Mrs. Phillip T. George, Jr. and Family, Falk, Waas, Hernandez, Solomon, Mendlestein & Davis, P.A. Florida Power & Light Company, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Gibson Dunn, Health Foundation of South Florida, Jupiter Medical Center, Loews Miami Beach Hotel, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, First Horizon Foundation, Polen Capital, Polsinelli PC, Prudential, Wells Fargo, Miami Herald, Sun Sentinel Media Group and WLRN Public Media.
Visit the Diamond Ball website to learn more: nicklauschildrens.org/diamondball.
About Nicklaus Children's Health System Where Your Child Matters Most™ (2026)
For more than 75 years, Nicklaus Children's Health System has stood as a beacon of hope for children and families across the state of Florida and beyond. Nicklaus Children's Hospital is South Florida's #1 nonprofit, freestanding specialty licensed hospital exclusively for children. Nicklaus Children's provides pediatric care across a growing network of hospital and community-based partnerships, including care within NCH North Hospital in Naples, Jupiter Medical Center, select Baptist Health Hospital pediatric emergency units, and Nicklaus Children's Hospital Fort Lauderdale and Nicklaus Children's Hospital Coral Springs each located on the campuses of Broward Health. The hospitals and their network of more than 35 outpatient care locations offer lifesaving care in Miami-Dade, Broward, Martin and Palm Beach counties. outpatient locations include an array of urgent care, pediatric primary care and subspecialty care centers and are either hospital-based or outpatient locations under Nicklaus Children's Pediatric Specialists, LLC (NCPS).Providing a pipeline of future physicians and groundbreaking research, Nicklaus Children's is an academic and clinical affiliate of the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. Nicklaus Children's is home to centers of excellence including the Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute, the Nicklaus Children's Orthopedic, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute, Nicklaus Children's Neuroscience Institute and Nicklaus Children's Heart Institute. The 474-bed system is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine, with many programs routinely ranked among the nation's best by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. Nicklaus Children's also includes a nonprofit physician practice subsidiary with more than 40 pediatric specialties and an ambulatory surgery center. For more information, visit nicklauschildrens.org.