The Junior Orange Bowl recently celebrated its third annual gala. The event took place in Brickell City Centre’s EAST Miami Hotel. The 2017 affair, hosted by Craig Stevens, had a whimsical and elegant appeal, with guest adorning their attire with creative and classic top hats.
This year’s gala chair Ana Rivera, Gala Committee, board of directors, and executive director Jessica Cerda-Antomarchi transformed the spectacular Crush Ballroom overlooking Brickell into the steps of Wonderland.
The Mad Hatter Gala benefiting the Junior Orange, a 501(c)3, on Mar. 18, honored the Orange Bowl, Bacardi, as well as Barbara and Don Waters. This year’s gala sold out three weeks before the event. There were m ore than 250 business and community leaders in attendance, all with a joint purpose of raising funds for the15-plus Junior Orange Bowl events, which attract 7,500 youth annually.
“This year we wanted to entice our community with a whimsical theme at one of Miami’s most exclusive venues,” Rivera said. “Our main goal was to bring together people with one common denominator — to raise funds for our youth. Nowadays our youth has less resources to be creative, active and engaged, and the Junior Orange Bowl provides the platform that empowers them to accomplish their goals.”
The Junior Orange Bowl is not by any means a new organization. Founded in 1948, it carries a strong 68-year-old tradition. The Junior Orange Bowl hosts competitive athletic, academic and cultural arts events in a diverse and safe environment. Since its inception, the Junior Orange Bowl has been serving the South Florida community and the youth of the world by hosting an international youth festival, which includes basketball, golf, robotics, tennis, cross country, creative writing, and events specifically designed for physically challenged boys and girls.
“Several of today’s top athletes and Olympians started their journeys to stardom by participating in Junior Orange Bowl events,” Cerda-Antomarchi said.
Some notable alumni are Andre Agassi, Chris Evert and Anna Kournikova (tennis), Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam (golf), as well as Dominique Dawes and Dominique Moceanu (Olympic gymnastics).
The gala committee set a bigger goal this year and was eager to attract sponsors and supporters that align to the mission. They are excited and humbled by the support of sponsors, the community,
For more information on the Junior Orange Bowl visit www.jrorangebowl.org.
