Community Supporters Raise $3 Million for Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute
More than 1,600 participants spent Sunday, March 12, walking and dribbling basketballs while raising money to fund innovative cancer research during the third annual Bounce Back from CancerTM, a partnership between Baptist Health Foundation and the Miami HEAT.
Miami Heat team captain Udonis Haslem led the Miami HEAT’s effort and served as the event’s celebrity ambassador and social media influencer for the second straight year. UD was at the Kaseya Center to celebrate with the dedicated cancer fighters, a quarter of whom walked and dribbled 14 miles from Miami Cancer Institute on Kendall Drive.
Bounce Back from Cancer brought together cancer survivors and their supporters, leaders and staff from the Miami HEAT and Miami Cancer Institute, sports fans and community members to help fulfill the Institute’s vision of a world without cancer.
“This year’s Bounce Back from Cancer was an incredible success,” said Richard Berkowitz, JD, CPA, event chair and founding and executive chairman of Berkowitz Pollack Brant Advisors + CPAs. “This groundswell of support for Miami Cancer Institute from survivors, their families and friends allowed us to double the participants and funds raised over last year.
Michael Zinner, MD, CEO and executive medical director of Miami Cancer Institute, added, “The funds raised through this event are furthering our work and enabling us to conduct clinical trials that lead the nation in groundbreaking cancer therapies.”
EVP and chief commercial officer for The HEAT Group, John Vidalin, added, “The entire Miami HEAT organization is once again proud to partner with Baptist Health Foundation for this extraordinary cause. We are excited that more South Florida organizations and participants are inspired to help fund cancer research that is saving lives.
In addition to the Miami HEAT, sponsors for Bounce Back from Cancer included Title Sponsor Kaseya; Presenting Sponsors S&K Worldwide Realty, LLC and Terra; Diamond Sponsors Amerant Bank, Berkowitz Pollack Brant Advisors + CPAs | Provenance Wealth Advisors, Michael and Valerie Katz, ServiceNow, Team Footworks and Vilar-Hoynack; Plantinum Sponsor Pinecrest Bakery; and Gold Sponsors AHCV, Al-Flex Exterminators, Florida Blue, FPL, Perry Ellis International and Univision. Silver, Bronze and Supporter level sponsors and underwriters also contributed to Bounce Back from Cancer.
For more information about Bounce Back from Cancer, visit HeatHelpCure.org.