A Smorgasbord of Food, Fun, and Impact Cooked Up at “Wings For Wishes”
Gal Bensaadon and Brian Exelbert (red shirts - co-founders of Wings For Wishes)
For more than a decade, Make-A-Wish® Southern Florida Board Members Gal Bensaadon and Brian Exelbert have asked, “Are you a chicken or a champion?” A rhetorical question, and more invitation than challenge, it is meant to rally South Floridians to join them to grant life-changing wishes for critically-ill children, and to have lots of fun doing it.
The Miami businessmen, in partnership with Sports Grill South Miami, will host the 11th annual “Wings for Wishes” March 8th to support the Make-A-Wish mission. An event unlike any other, it’s equal parts block party and street festival that features more than 30 food and (alcoholic) drink tasting stations, wing-eating competitions featuring professional eaters and local media, live music, a DJ, and fun & games for kids and adults alike.
Guests enjoying Wings For Wishes
“Brian and I started this in 2015 to raise awareness and funds for Make-A-Wish, and the community has embraced our efforts,” said Bensaadon. “To date, we’ve raised $2.3 million, enough to grant wishes for 460 local kids and families.”
The growth of the event - which generated $22,000 its first year – and its one-of-a-kind offerings is especially gratifying for Exelbert. “Raising money for an amazing cause is always rewarding, but doing it in a unique way by bringing local businesses, politicians and law enforcement together is both rewarding and enduring.”
Brian Exelbert, Gal Bensaadon, Christine Marques
For the fourth consecutive year, Major League Eating, the organization that sanctions professional eating competitions worldwide, will be on-site to oversee the Wings for Wishes Professional Wing Eating Championship. Joey Chestnut, 16-time winner of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, will attempt to dethrone current champion James Webb, who ate 224 Sports Grill wings (“Special Grilled: It's not just a flavor; it's what we do!”) in ten minutes last year. Miki Sudo and Nick Wehry are also expected to compete in Miami, meaning four of the top six ranked MLE athletes will vie for the wing-eating title.
2024 Wing Eating Champion James Webb
Wings for Wishes takes place Saturday, March 8, 2025 (11:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) behind Sports Grill South Miami (1559 Sunset Drive). Learn more about the event and purchase tickets at www.wingsforwishesmiami.org.
Event Details:
Date: Saturday, March 8, 2025
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
11:30 a.m. -- Media wing-eating competition
2:15 p.m. -- Professional wing-eating competition
Location: Behind Sports Grill South Miami, 1559 Sunset Drive, Miami, FL 33143
Event Highlights:
Wing-Eating Competitions: Witness Joey Chestnut and other top-ranked Major League Eaters compete in the Wings for Wishes Professional Wing Eating Championship.
Family-Friendly Activities: Enjoy live music, a kid’s zone, and a variety of food and drink stations.
Community Impact: Since its inception, Wings for Wishes has raised funds to grant approximately 460 life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses in South Florida.
Kid's Zone
Website: https://wingsforwishesmiami.org/
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Make-A-Wish Southern Florida has granted nearly 15,000 life-changing wishes since 1983 for children who have critical illnesses. It aims to grant a wish for every medically-eligible child in its territory and understands wishes aren’t just nice, they’re necessary for kids and families at some of the most difficult times in their lives.
Wish kids most often ‘wish to be’ (something), ‘wish to meet’ (someone), ‘wish to go’ (somewhere), ‘wish to have’ (something), or ‘wish to give’ (to a cause) and the nonprofit organization makes this happen for the child and his/her entire family at no cost or obligation.
The Southern Florida chapter’s territory includes 22 counties/four regions in southeast and southwest Florida, Tampa Bay, and the Suncoast (Sarasota area). It also includes the U.S. Virgin Islands.