Bounce Back from CancerTM Raises Over $4 Million for Cancer Research
Community Unites in Support of Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute
MIAMI, FL - March 21, 2024 - More than 1,800 participants spent Saturday, March 16, walking and dribbling basketballs while raising money to fund groundbreaking cancer research and clinical trials at the fifth annual Bounce Back from CancerTM, a partnership between Baptist Health Foundation and The Miami HEAT.
The event 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.
The Miami HEAT’s Udonis Haslem led the organization’s effort and served as the event’s celebrity ambassador and social media influencer for the third year in a row. Haslem joined the dribblers — 300 of whom walked 14.2 miles from Miami Cancer Institute and about 1,500 others who walked the 2-mile course from The Underline’s Brickell Backyard — at the Kaseya Center for a celebration recognizing the cancer survivors.
“The community came out in full force to fight cancer this weekend,” said event chair Richard Berkowitz, JD, CPA, founding and executive chairman of Berkowitz Pollack Brant Advisors + CPAs. “We are especially gratified to see the increase in corporate teams, especially from the physicians of Baptist Health, who are on the front lines of the battles each day. The money raised through Bounce Back will make a difference in so many lives.”
Michael Zinner, MD, CEO and executive medical director of Miami Cancer Institute, added, “We have many opportunities to drive discoveries into cancer therapies, and the funds raised from Bounce Back from CancerTM make these investigations possible. We are very grateful to our community for this critical support.”
EVP and chief commercial officer for The HEAT Group, John Vidalin, added, “The Miami HEAT organization is proud to share Baptist Health Foundation’s commitment to making an impact in the fight against cancer. We hope to inspire other corporate partners to join this powerful movement to provide hope for South Florida cancer patients.”
In addition to the Miami HEAT, sponsors for Bounce Back from CancerTM included Title Sponsor Kaseya; Presenting Sponsors S&K Worldwide Realty, LLC and Terra; Official Time Out Sponsor Pinecrest Bakery; Platinum Sponsors Amerant Bank, Berkowitz Pollack Brant Advisors + CPAs | Provenance Wealth Advisors, Moss Construction, Service Now, Vilar-Hoynack Construction Co.; and Gold Sponsors Adelanto Healthcare Ventures, American Airlines, Florida Blue, FPL, El Car Wash, NV2A Group, Al-Flex Exterminators and Perry Ellis International. Silver, Bronze and Supporter level sponsors and underwriters also contributed to the event.
For more information about Bounce Back from CancerTM, visit BounceBackfromCancer.net.
About Baptist Health Foundation
The mission of Baptist Health Foundation is to inspire philanthropy and build extraordinary donor relationships in support of excellence, innovation, community wellness and global leadership in healthcare at Baptist Health South Florida. Through philanthropy, the Foundation supports and expands Baptist Health’s ability to provide outstanding patient care and bring the latest treatments to patients and families affected by a serious illness. Donor contributions also allow the Foundation to assist Baptist Health facilities in keeping pace with technology and equipment advances, perform cutting-edge research and offer continuing education opportunities to medical staff. Learn more at BaptistHealth.net/Foundation and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.
Baptist Health Foundation is part of Baptist Health, the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 12 hospitals, more than 27,000 employees, 4,000 physicians and 200 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health has internationally renowned institutes specializing in cancer care, brain and spine care, heart and vascular care and orthopedic care. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and The Baptist Health PineApp, a virtual health platform. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to its faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence, Baptist Health has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and is the most awarded healthcare system in South Florida by U.S. News and World Report. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/Newsroom and connect with us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.
About Kaseya Center
Located in the center of booming downtown Miami and the Entertainment District, Kaseya Center—home of the three-time NBA Champion Miami HEAT—hosts 80+ non-basketball events each year including A-list concerts, family shows, sporting events, national conferences and more. Built with state-of-the-art sound and lighting and HD and electronic media signage inside and out, the impressive 19,600-seat Kaseya Center is currently ranked the #1 arena in Florida for the ninth consecutive year—and the 12th time during the past 13 years—according to both Pollstar and Billboard’s 2023 year-end rankings. Kaseya Center is also among the leading facilities in the country for hosting Latin entertainment. The Center has led the renaissance of downtown Miami over the past two decades, helping to transform the area into a thriving arts and entertainment district. The facility has hosted more than 1,200 events including diverse musical superstars such as Marc Anthony, Celine Dion, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, New Edition, The Killers, Bad Bunny, Carrie Underwood, Dua Lipa, Tool, Imagine Dragons, Kane Brown, Karol G, Drake, Andrea Bocelli and Paul McCartney, just to name a few. In 2009, Kaseya Center became among the first existing buildings in the country to have achieved LEED certification by the United States Green Building Council for its commitment to sustainability practices. More recently, in 2021, the Arena achieved its second LEED gold recertification. For more information about Kaseya Center, visit kaseyacenter.com.
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