2012 Women of Substance and Style to be presented at Destination Fashion, a Star-Studded Celebration to take Place at Bal Harbour Shops in South Florida
Miami, FL (March 1, 2012) – The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis today is proud to announce this year’s Women of Substance and Style, and Special Honorees for the spectacular Destination Fashion 2012, to be held on Saturday, November 10th. The star-studded prestigious event is hosted at the world famous Bal Harbour Shops.
Honorary Co-Chairs for the event, Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones and his wife Dawn Jones, and International Polo sensation Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras and his wife Delfina Blaquier, will join a who’s who of celebrities, philanthropic icons, business leaders, sports legends, fashionistas and other South Florida notables for the main event.
Special Honorees for the November 10th event will include Micky and Madeleine Arison who will receive the Inspiration Award, Paul and Swanee DiMare will accept The Buoniconti Fund Award, the Outstanding Humanitarian Award will go to Christine E. Lynn, and the Outstanding Philanthropist Award will go to Dr. Sanford Ziff.
The Buoniconti Fund will also salute their 2012 Women of Substance & Style Honorees who will each be escorted down the runway by Celebrity Presenters. Past Presenters include: NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, Golf Legend Jack Nicklaus, actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, Indy Car Champion Helio Castroneves, Miami HEAT President and NBA HOF Coach Pat Riley, NFL Winningest Coach Don Shula, Super 8 film star Kyle Chandler, Grammy Award Winner Emilio Estefan, NBA Hall of Famer John Havlicek, NFL Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed, Olympic Gold Medalist Carl Lewis, and Friday Night Lights television star Brad Leland, to name a few.
The Buoniconti Fund 2012 Women of Substance and Style will be: Norma Jean Abraham, Ruby M. Bacardi, Raphael Bastian, Trish Bell, Yolanda Berkowitz, Lauren Book, Adrienne Bosh, Chanin Carlin, Roberta O. Chaplin, Andi Edelstein, Lian Fanjul-Azqueta, Ingrid M. Fatio, Katherine Fernandez-Rundle, Silvia E. Fortun, Mary Frank, Dorothy Hamill, Sheila Hollo, Cathy L. Jones, Irene Korge, Judy Lefton, Linda Levy Goldberg, Maria Rosa Lopez-Munoz, Nicole Lozano, Lilliam Machado, Judi Newman, Michelle Rubell, Ann Rubino, Frances Sevilla-Sacasa, Millinda Sinnreich, Sheila Slewitt, Penny Stamps, Jennifer Stearns Buttrick, Dara Torres, Lesley Visser, and Pat Wallace.
This is the only time in Bal Harbour Shops’ history that they close their doors to host this truly one-of-a-kind, high-profile, private celebrity-styled affair. The popular event welcomes VIPS including the young and style forward luminaries and philanthropists from around the globe who descend upon Bal Harbour Shops for Destination Fashion 2012. Partygoers sat under the stars in the past years and have witnessed American iconic designers Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors’ fashion shows on custom-built runways and celebrity concert performances who wowed the crowd with their hip beats. Due to the size and scope of this highly anticipated event, it is produced every couple of years at the Shops and is always a sold-out show.
“Each year we are amazed at the level of entertainment and support we receive from our friends from around the globe, and this year is no different. We are especially thrilled honor these very special individuals who make a choice every day of their lives to help others who are less fortunate,” said NFL Hall of Famer and Miami Project Founder Nick Buoniconti. “Their involvement with this event will certainly help us raise much-needed funds for our efforts to cure paralysis.”
Guests will party through Destinations of the World in Bal Harbour Shops, and will be dazzled as they feast on international cuisine, relish the unique and spectacular live interactive entertainment and have the opportunity to bid on the magnificent “Too Good to Be Silent” auction items donated by the Bal Harbour Shops and The Buoniconti Fund.
Destination Fashion 2012 is presented by Micky and Madeleine Arison. Event supporters include: Edie Laquer and The Laquer Foundation, Bal Harbour Village, Bal Harbour Shops, Carnival Corporation & plc., United Airlines, Southern Wine and Spirits, Coastal Construction, Aventura Worldwide Transportation Service, Barton G., St. Regis Bal Harbour, One Bal Harbour Resort and Spa, and Quarzo Bal Harbour Boutique Hotel.
Proceeds from Destination Fashion 2012 will directly benefit The Buoniconti Fund, the fundraising arm of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. The Miami Project is the world’s most comprehensive spinal cord injury research center, and is a designated Center of Excellence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.